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28-Nov-2016 / 130 Akeredolu: Tinubu begs APC for reconciliation

Akeredolu: Tinubu begs APC for reconciliation

One of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has congratulated the winner of the Ondo state governorship election, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Tinubu in a statement made available to journalists said that the time has come for all the aggrieved members of the APC to come together saying that “I appeal to all party members including those who have been disaffected from the primary until today to come together for the good of our party and it’s progressive ideals.”

He also hailed President Muhammadu Buhari, John Oyegun the national chairman of the party, saying his stature and dignity has helped to guide "the APC to another victory that should advance the progressive aims of the party and the people."

The statement reads in part  “I must also congratulate the people of Ondo state for their generally exemplary conduct on election day and for demonstrating their will to shun the regressive politics of yesterday by returning to the progressive brand of politics that has been the trademark of the people of that state".
 
28-Nov-2016 / 104 Mimiko finally concedes defeat to APC

Mimiko finally concedes defeat to APC

Doubts from the opposition camp over the credibility of the just concluded Ondo governorship election may have eroded as Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Monday sent congratulatory message to the winner, Rotimi Akeredolu.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Eni Akinsola, made available in Akure, Mimiko said “it behoves on me as Governor of Ondo State to congratulate the Governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu and wish him success in the challenging task of governing our dear state.”

The Ondo State governor added that “it is incumbent upon me as Governor to facilitate smooth transition between my government and the incoming one. I will, to this end, provide the ambience for a smooth and seamless transition process.”
30-Nov-2016 / 42 Fayose may dump PDP ahead 2018 Ekiti poll

Fayose may dump PDP ahead 2018 Ekiti poll

If the latest hint by Ekiti governor is anything to go by, the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, may come to a dead end in 2018.

Fayose hinted Wednesday on the possibility of using another platform to prosecute his succession plan during the 2018 governorship poll. He dropped the hint in Ikere Ekiti while meeting with the members of the Suppliers’ Association of Nigeria.

“I don’t know the platform I will use for the 2018 election yet and at the appropriate time, I will tell you”.

“We are still studying the situation . We have to play the game left, right and centre and whoever we are going to use and the platform, you will all be part of the process because party politics is about the people”.

Fayose reiterated that the victory of  Rotimi Akeredolu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in last Saturday’s governorship poll in Ondo State does not in any way threaten the popularity and general acceptability of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Ekiti.

He described Akeredolu’s victory at the poll as a contrivance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in cahoot with APC, adding that the victory did not confer legitimacy on the poll or lent credence to the fact that Ondo electorate had voted rightly.

“You all saw how people sold their votes in Ondo state, I am confident that that will not happen in Ekiti. I am close to the people, you are the source of my strength . Even if it requires just 48 hours to any election, if I tell you where to go, you will surely follow me there”, Fayose said.

At another meeting with the junior staff of the state civil service, Fayose boasted that he will repeat the 16-0 he meted out to former governor, Kayode Fayemi in 2014, where he defeated the incumbent in all the sixteen local governments.

“Today, I am the only one among the APC governors in the southwest . I am now like the nation of Israel surrounded by enemies, but I shall defeat and triumph over them.

“APC has never defeated me in any battle, either political or legal. Whether they like it or not, I will win in Ekiti no matter the animosity because I have the people behind me”, Fayose declared.

 
30-Nov-2016 / 57 It was not expedient to mention Tinubu in my victory speech - Akeredolu

It was not expedient to mention Tinubu in my victory speech - Akeredolu

The perceived crisis in the All Progressives Congress blown open after the party's governorship primary in Ondo state, may not be over yet despite a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari to douse the tension after APC won last Saturday's election. Governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Wednesday said he did not acknowledge a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, in his victory speech on Sunday because it was not expedient to do so.

He said having acknowledged Buhari who is the recognised national leader of the party and the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, it was safe to infer that he had acknowledged all party leaders.

Akeredolu made this known at an interaction with State House correspondents shortly after he and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, met Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

They were led to the meeting, which was their first after their victory, by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Campaign Council in Ondo State, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state.

Akeredolu who said the relationship between him and Tinubu was cordial, explained that mentioning the name of the former Lagos governor specifically would have amounted to him mentioning names of about 37 other leaders of the party.

He said, “On the names that were mentioned in my speech when expressing gratitude and that I didn’t specifically thank Tinubu. I thanked the President and the leader of our party profusely for the leadership which he showed leading to this election.

“I also thanked our indefatigable chairman for standing by the truth and for his position on this matter that led to this election. I have no reason to do otherwise.

“Party structure to the best of my knowledge is very clear. You have the leadership of the party and that is represented by Odigie-Oyegun.

“After the election, a chief executive emerges, he becomes a leader of the party, you don’t have to personalise and be looking for leaders all over the place.

“But President Buhari is the leader of the party. So, that is my position there.”

Akeredolu however added that Tinubu remains one of the leaders of the party, noting that he has since sent congratulatory message to him after he won the election.
30-Nov-2016 / 80 Ondo governor-elect gets INEC's certificate of return

Ondo governor-elect gets INEC's certificate of return

The victory of Ondo governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu has officially been stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The electoral body on Wednesday presented Akeredolu with certificate of return.

 

Akeredolu was accompanied to the event which was held at the INEC headquarters in Akure, the state capital by his wife, Betty. Others at the event include the State Chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke, his deputy, Ade Adetimehin, former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi, Director-General of Akeredolu’s campaign platform, Victor Olabimtan, Femi Agagu, Kehinde Henry Bello and Oladunni Odu.

 

Akeredolu, said the victory is not for him or APC alone but for the good people of the state. “it is a victory for the people of Ondo state, irrespective of which side of the divide you stood during the election. “For me it is a call to service and a challenge to perform. Although we all had different point of view before the election but today, as members of one strong, vibrant and indivisible Ondo state family, we are all united and resolute with one single objective to save our beloved state.

 

“I cannot thank enough, my fellow compatriots during this election, who had a separate conviction and voted elsewhere. “They took the guts to answer the call of democracy to make a choice. I believe it is these resounding voices that have created this worthy moment which is making this victory real and refreshing.”

 
06-Feb-2020 / 139073 APP kicks as INEC deregisters 74 political parties

APP kicks as INEC deregisters 74 political parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday deregistered 74 political parties out of exiting 92 registered, leaving the country with 18 registered parties.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu made this known during a  press conference at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.

Yakubu said the parties were deregistered for failure to satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the 1999 Constitution.

He said the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) vests in INEC the power to register and regulate activities of political parties.

The INEC boss recalled that in 2018, the Constitution was amended, noting that in addition to the extant provision for the registration of political parties, the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution (Section 225A) empowered INEC to deregister political parties.

Yakubu said that to implement the provision of the alteration to the Constitution, the Commission carried out an assessment of political parties to determine compliance with the requirements for their registration.

“Similarly, following the Conclusion of the 2019 general elections, including Court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations, the Commission was able to determine the performance of political parties in the elections.

“In addition, they were also assessed on the basis of their performance in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which coincided with the 2019 general election.

“It should be noted that the FCT is the only part of the country where INEC is empowered by the Constitution to conduct Local Government elections,’’ Yakubu said.

He said that the Commission determined that 16 political parties fulfilled the requirements for existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), while 75 parties did not satisfy the requirements of the fourth alteration to the Constitution.

“However, one of the political parties, the Action Peoples Party (APP) filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the Commission from deregistering it.

“The party remains registered pending the determination of the case by the Court.

“The new political party, Boot Party (BP) registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist.

“Accordingly, 74 political parties are hereby deregistered. With this development, Nigeria now has 18 registered political parties,” Yakubu said.

The 16 parties that scaled through are Accord Party (A), Action Alliance (AA) African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Other parties which also met the requirement were Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The deregistered parties are Advanced Allied Party (AAP), All Blending Party (ABP) Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Allied Congress Party Of Nigeria (ACPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party(ANDP), and Alliance For New Nigeria (ANN).

Also deregistered are Alliance National Party (ANP), Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), African Peoples Alliance (APA), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH), Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Nigeria Community Movement Party (NCMP).

Others include National Unity Party (NUP), Peoples Coalition Party (PCP), Peoples For Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Trust (PT), Reform and Advancement Party (RAP), United Democratic Party (UDP), Unity Party Of Nigeria (UPN) and United Progressive Party (UPP).

Yakubu recalled that based on this provision, the Commission, between 2011 and 2013, deregistered 39 political parties.

“However, several of the parties challenged the power of INEC to deregister them, particularly on the grounds that the Electoral Act is inferior to the Constitution and that deregistration infringed their fundamental rights under the same Constitution.

“Subsequently, the courts ordered the Commission to reinstate the parties.

“It was for this reason that the National Assembly amended the Constitution to empower the Commission to deregister political parties on certain reasons.

This according to him includes,  breach of any of the requirements for registration as a political party or failure to win at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in one state of the Federation in a Presidential election or 25 per cent of the votes cast in one Local Government Area of a state in a state election.
22-Feb-2020 / 7651 Claim I had concluded plans to dump PDP for APC false, says Fayose

Claim I had concluded plans to dump PDP for APC false, says Fayose

Former Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose said he is not contemplating dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for another party.

Lere Olayinka, his Media Aide, said this in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Friday.

Olayinka, explained that the claim in some quartres that Fayose had concluded arrangements to embrace the All Progressives Congress, APC, was false.

“Someone of the status and pedigree of Fayose can never join APC,” he said.

He said, a statement purportedly made by the state chapter of APC to the effect that Fayose was not qualified to join the party, was therefore unthinkable and mischievous.

“It is funny that APC lied about Fayose coming to join the party and also went further to react to its own lies,” he said.

He admonished the party to focus its attention on how to lift the state to economic greatness and stop further job losses.
02-Oct-2023 / 0 Tribunal kicks out Nasarawa Governor, declares PDP Candidate Winner

Tribunal kicks out Nasarawa Governor, declares PDP Candidate Winner

The Nasarawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia on Monday nullified the Election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a split decision.

It instead declared David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the March 18 Governorship Election in the State.

Delivering the judgment lasting more than four hours virtually, Chairman of the Three-Member Tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Ombugadu the rightful Winner of the Election.

Justice Chiemelie Onaga, a Member of the Panel agreed with the judgement read by the Panel Chairman.

The Chairman declared that Ombugadu provided the Results of the various Polling Units and Forms EC 8A and proved to the Tribunal that the Results were manipulated in favour of the APC.

He said that based on the proof from the various Polling Units before the Tribunal, Ombugadu had the majority of valid Votes at the Election.

He ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Sule and issue a new one to Ombugadu.

The only dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, who dismissed the Petition filed by the PDP Candidate for lacking in merit.

He said the Petitioner failed to prove his case and upheld INEC’s declaration of Sule as Winner.

Reacting to the Tribunal’s decision, Ombugadu’s Counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), lauded it for a detailed judgment.

The Counsel said the Tribunal had proved that the Court is the last hope of the Common Man by affirming the decision of the majority of the People of the State at the Poll.

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