Gov. Ayo Fayose says Muazu’s resignation is for the interest of the party as PDP is forming a virile opposition after the transition come may 29th.
Muazu’s said after much persuasions from party members, he resigned as the party chairman for the interest of the party in other for the party to forge ahead and become stronger
The All Progressives Congress on Sunday dismissed as mere fiction, a list of ministers being circulated by some online journalists.
According to the APC, the party has nothing to do with the said list and urged Nigerians to wait for the authentic one which would be made public through the appropriate channels.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja.
Mohammed said, “Nigerians should disregard these lists and await the authentic list which will be communicated through the appropriate channels at the right time.”
The APC also cautioned the media against using statements attributing actions to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, without clarification.
The party urged the media to clarify with the authentic officials of the party and the Buhari Campaign Organisation any issue having to do with the actions of the President-elect, in order to avoid presenting falsehood as facts.
APC said, “The appeal becomes necessary following recent media reports on the actions which the President-elect will purportedly embark upon once he is sworn into office.
“Various people have been quoted in the media on what the President-elect will do or will not do once he assumes office.
“The truth is that these people do not speak for the President-elect, hence the need for the media to clarify such issues with the Chairman of the party, its National Publicity Secretary or the spokesman for the Buhari Campaign Organisation. These officials are always available to clarify issues.”
The party noted that the ongoing transition is a delicate period that fifth columnists could capitalise on to cause disaffection or overheat the polity, hence the need for all stakeholders to be extra-cautious and to put the national interest above all other interests.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors forum might be heading for a show-down with the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, as the retired general has rejected the governors’ and their newly elected counterparts’ plans to submit names of their preferred candidates, to be considered and possibly picked as ministers in the cabinet of the incoming administration.
The Progressives Governors Forum, as the governors are popularly called, visited Buhari four days ago in Abuja to pledge their unalloyed loyalty to the president-elect. Led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, they also used the opportunity to table some of their demands to Buhari.
At the meeting, the governors requested to leave their list of possible ministers with Buhari, but their request was rebuffed by the president-elect who reminded them that the Constitution does not compel him to take a list of ministerial nominees from them.
The president-elect also refused to accept the request for a bailout for the states that have been unable to pay their workers salaries, with a source saying Buhari rejected the proposal. He told them that he was aware the federal government did not owe the states their allocations.
The source close to the discussion told the Nigerian Tribune that Buhari told the governors that those of them in their second terms do not have any excuse about the state of government finances, as they have all been collecting allocations from the Federal Government
source said: “The governors practically went out of the visit with their tails between their legs. The General first threw aside the request that he grant bailout to the states. He told them that the governors going for second term in office cannot complain about the state of the economy, having collected all their allocations to date from the Federal Government. He ruled out the possibility of bailout.
“The General was also very unequivocal when he was told that the governors want to submit a ministerial list to him. He clearly said he cannot go into that discussion. He insisted that the Constitution does not mandate him to collect such list from the governors and that the state chief executives should concentrate on sourcing good materials that would help them run the states adequately.”
The source quoted Buhari as saying that “I do not think we can discuss that issue of Ministerial list. The Constitution clearly does not mandate me to take a list from the governors. To me, the governors should concentrate on getting good hands to help them in discharging their duties in the states.”
Among those who visited Buhari were the Kwara state governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed, the Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, his Borno State counterpart, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the Kaduna state governor-elect, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the Sokoto state governor-elect and the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the Nassarawa state governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura and the Kano state governor-elect, Alhaji Usman Ganduje.
Meanwhile, the senator-elect and chairman of Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce, recently stated that Buhari will soon wish he had not won the presidential election if he does not take serious measures to improve Nigeria’s economy.
As the struggle for the speakership in the Senate and the House of Representatives intensifies, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano state has warned the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to act fast before they get beaten at their own game by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Governor Kwankwaso, the delay by the leadership of the APC to zone positions in the National Assembly leadership may work in favour of the PDP, Premium Times reports.
The two-term governor, who was also elected senator in the March 28 polls, said he had feelers that some APC lawmakers were already working for the PDP.
“If the APC and indeed the president-elect allow PDP to snatch victory at the National Assembly, then it will be an unusual scenario which they should pay for,” he said while addressing journalists on Sunday.
Kwankwaso also said he would continue to advise his successor and current deputy, Umar Ganduje, when the latter is sworn in as governor on May 29. He also said he has no fears about the opposition’s decision to challenge his election at the tribunal.
Last month, the governor advised the APC to make its position on zoning known in good time in order to avoid an unnecessary crisis.
“My advice to my party is that they should quickly do it. Those of us who witnessed what happened in 2011, I don’t believe that the party should waste any more time. Because the implication of delay is that the people in some zones will go round the country mobilising support for themselves and if the zoning decides to come late, they will be so strong in their campaign that they can disobey the party just as we saw during the Tambuwal case in 2011.
“Tambuwal went round; we gave him our words that we would support him and when the zoning came late, we had already committed ourselves and the party at the end of the day was humiliated because many of us didn’t want to change our position as we had already promised to support him. Things were not the same again in the PDP. I believe that the man who got the ticket got more appreciation from the opposition rather than those in the party who supported him. I don’t want us to repeat that mistake. I think it is high time we finished the zoning so that anybody can aspire to become whatever is being zoned to his place,” he said.
The APC won majority seats in both chambers of the National Assembly and is expected to produce the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, positions held by the current ruling PDP since 1999.
Before the March 28 National Assembly election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) enjoyed the majority status in the red chamber with 64 members while the APC had 41. Other parties, like the Labour Party, the Accord Party and the Social Democratic Party, shared the remaining five seats.
But following the declaration of the results, the APC will now have 64 senators, the PDP 45, and the Labour Party, one.
However, the rules of the National Assembly do not make party affiliation a pre-condition for seeking leadership position. Over one month after securing the majority seats, however, the APC is yet to agree on which zones of the country would produce what positions in the National Assembly.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Sunday said he will not resign despite the threat of some members to form a faction of the party.
Muazu, who spoke through Mr. Tony Amadi, his Special Adviser on Media, in an interview with Punch, said that he would not resign despite the threat of some members to form a faction of the party.
The national chairman said that the PDP would be buried if he should resign.
In a swift reaction to his statement, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, said, “The PDP cannot break under any circumstance. Secondly, Mu’azu as chairman or not, cannot and will not break the PDP. Mu’azu is not a force enough to break PDP.”
“How can a man who cannot win his ward, local government and state say the PDP will be buried if he resigns?” he asked.
But Mu’azu insisted that he would not resign. He said:“The only reason Mu’azu doesn’t want to resign is because if he does, those who want the PDP buried will succeed.”
Mu’azu’s adviser said the national chairman was not the problem of PDP, adding that what should be the priority of genuine party leaders should be how to rebuild it.
Mu’azu asked, “Why are these people trying to create problems for themselves and the outgoing President? The President has said let us sheathe our swords; that is why we have not said anything for the past one week and we obeyed the President. He is our leader; why are they doing this?”
Rumours are rife that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have concluded plans to dump the party over the refusal of the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to throw in the towel amidst protests from the state chief executives.
However there were reports of a possible break-up of the party in the nearest future as the governors seem to have had a enough and are willing to form a new party.
The former ruling party has been faced with a crisis following the outcome from the 2015 general elections, with many senior members of the party blaming him for the loss, and demanding his resignation.
The national chairman has repeatedly fired back at his critics insisting he would not resign despite the pressure being mounted on him to do so.
Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, is in the news again, this time threatening to name those who worked against the success of Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect.
Oba Rilwan Akiolu
According to Channels TV, the traditional ruler, who has been recently under fire over his anti-Igbo comments, made another threat as he spoke at the occasion to mark 2,900 days of the Babatunde Fashola administration.
“A lot of things have been happening now. Some people have been telling Buhari all sorts of things. Awujale and I have decided to meet Buhari because Lagos and South West states must benefit from the Buhari administration.
“People, who are now telling Buhari all sorts of things, are sycophants. They did not want Buhari to emerge winner in the election. These people know themselves. When it gets to a stage, I will name them one after the other. I am not afraid of human beings.”
The same people, he contended, have started pitting the duo of Tinubu and Buhari against each other the same way they set the former against Fashola, This Day adds.
Governor Fashola for his part apologized to those who might have been hurt as a result of his decisions.
“To those that I might have offended, I apologise. For 2,900 days, I was called to make decisions every hour. I made decisions through treating millions of files on issues affecting residents of Lagos. I took those decisions in the best interest of the state. The decisions were taken based on the fact as presented to me.
“I could not have got all the decisions right. It is impossible. To those that we have not reached, please bear with us, the work will never finish. I am sure that our new governor will continue from where I stopped. This is the time to prepare for the change of baton. With the support of the residents of Lagos, your taxes, understanding and perseverance, honest criticism and prayers we may not have come this far.”
It should be recalled that speaking in the course of the launch of his book, after the governorship election, Akiolu insisted that Jimi Agbaje (PDP) would “never be the governor”. He noted, however, that Akinwunmi Ambode (APC) would perform “very well” adding:
“I told many people that Bola Tinubu planted the seed, Fashola came and watered the seed and it started germinating in geometrical progressions. We have just started.”
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/434974-akiolu-threatens-to-name-buharis-enemies.html
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has sneaked out of the country to the United Kingdom in order to stave off efforts by PDP governors to remove him from office.
Though President Goodluck Jonathan is said to be aware of Mu’azu’s trip to the UK, sources told The Herald that Mu’azu sneaked out of the country on Saturday to relieve himself from the pressure developing within his party.
Some party members, however, believe Mu’azu’s decision to leave the country at the peak of the crisis confronting his leadership was meant to frustrate the plot to remove him from office.
Mu’azu Heads To The UK As Governors Push For His Exit
A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP revealed that other key members would soon begin to disappear from Abuja as part of a strategic plan to frustrate those bent on effecting their removal from office
He said the plot to remove Mu’Azu and also sack the NWC will not see the light of the day when no key official of the party is around to answer accusations being leveled against them.
There has been pressure on the PDP by some top members of the party to convene the NWC meeting of the PDP, to decide the fate of the party.
Some members of the PDP including state governors had been angling for the removal of Mu’azu, because of what they describe as his failure to lead the party to victory during the recent presidential election.
Mu’azu had fired back at his critics insisting he would not resign despite the pressure being mounted on him to do so.
Meanwhile, a former PDP governorship candidate in Imo state, Senator IfeanyiAraraume, has accused the party of having no respect for democracy in Nigeria.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s finance minister, has called on the administration of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to tame urgently the oil cartel holding the nation to ransom.
The minister made the appeal speaking on May 3, 2015 in Abuja, PM News reports.
Okonjo-Iweala refuted the claim by the oil marketers that the nation is owing them another N200.2bn, just after the government paid them N156bn. According to her, the outstanding amount is about N131bn billion.
The finance minister urged the marketers to be patriotic in their decisions by considering the interest of Nigerians, stressing that they should not by their actions hold the country to ransom.
It would be recalled, that the marketers had earlier claimed that the government’s indebtedness to them for oil subsidy was about N354,4bn.
Confirming the figure, Thomas Olawore, the executive secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, had said:
Advertisement
“The government had paid N154.2bn out of N354.4bn and we are left with a balance of N200.2bn. What happens to the N200.2bn? That is why we requested that the government invite us so that we can be told how it intends to liquidate the remaining N200.2bn.”
The finance minister, in her turn, said this figure was incorrect, noting that the balance that is left based on Petroleum Pricing Products Regulatory Agency’s (PPPRA) template is about N131bn.
“As you know, we paid N156bn recently, N100bn of the principal payment that we owe them and then we paid N56bn interest rate and some remaining exchange rate differentials.
“Prior to that, we have just paid N31bn exchange rate differentials. So at the time we paid that last week, what we had outstanding is N98bn,” she said.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, every week the PPPRA sends data and that is what government only subscribes and certifies as what is due to marketers.
“As at now, since we made the announcement last week, it has now risen from N98bn to N131bn outstanding in principle payment. And they are now making a demand of N200bn and I asked them what is the balance for,” she added
She likened the oil marketers to a small cartel that are into a no risk business based on template negotiated with PPPRA long time ago which factored in exchange rate differential, and profit margin guarantee. She noted that this situation leaves them with absolutely no risk.
“It has become a situation where we have a cartel that can ground the nation to a halt at will. I strongly suggest that the nation has to do something about it,” she stressed.
Meanwile, Okonjo-Iweala as well as Akinwumi Adesina, minister of agriculture, and others have been summoned by the House of Representatives over alleged N21billion rice importation tax evasion scam.
The ministers and 25 rice importers are expected to explain to the lawmakers how over N21bn tax was evaded despite the provision of subsidy by the Federal Government to the importers.
Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have continued to call for the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, over the party’s loss in the 2015 general elections.
Latest to join those calling for Mu’azu’s resignation is Alhaji Yinka Ajia, a chieftain of the party.
Ajia, who was a special adviser to a former national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, called on the PDP national chairman to resign with immediate effect, Punch reports.
In a statement released on Thursday in Ilorin, the PDP chieftain accused Mu’azu of failing to mobilise the party for victory in the just concluded general elections.
He added that President Jonathan’s poor results in all the North-Western states and majority of the North-Eastern states proved Mu’azu’s alleged incompetence.
He said: “The poor performance of the President in Bauchi State, the home of the PDP chairman, is another reason why the party should have a new leader.”
According to him, Mu’azu’s resignation was the first step that should be taken in the party’s reorganisation.
The call for the resignation of the National Chairman of the PDP, over the party’s loss at the polls has continued unabated.
Governors of the PDP had reportedly asked the national chairman and other members of the party’s National Working Committee to resign.
There are indications that Mu’azu might be replaced by an outgoing governor from the south-south region of the country, which could occur on or before May 29.
One of the top contenders for the Senate presidency, Senator George Akume, and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday met at the Lagos home of Tinubu.
according to Punch, the meeting which took place around 3pm, Tinubu told Akume to shelve his ambition and support Senator Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe-North senatorial district in the 8th Senate.
The battle for the Senate presidency was between the North-East and the North-Central. Akume, who is currently the Senate Minority Leader, represents Benue-North senatorial district in the Senate.
Senator Bukola Saraki, who represents Kwara-Central senatorial district in the North-Central geopolitical zone, had also openly expressed his intention to contest the number three seat in the country.
However, it was learnt that the leadership of the APC finally decided to zone the Senate presidency to the North-East following ‘fresh developments’.
A reliable source in the APC told our correspondent that Lawan had already been backed by the current Senate President, David Mark, and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said, “Tinubu explained to Akume that Lawan and Senator Mark are very close and already, some members of the PDP support him. Lawan has a good track record in the Senate and has been backed by almost all the senators in the North-East who feel the zone has been seriously marginalised.
“The catch there is that if the APC members in the Senate do not support Lawan and he wins the Senate presidency with bloc votes from the PDP and his friends in the North-East, he will be loyal to the PDP and may sideline us just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, attributed his victory to the APC back in 2011 even though he was a member of the PDP.
“Mark will definitely do everything possible to ensure that Akume does not emerge Senate President if we pick Akume because they are not on good terms. Tinubu told Akume that he sacrificed his presidential ambition for the sake of the party.
“Tinubu, therefore, urged Akume to settle for the Deputy Senate presidency or Senate Majority Leader.”
The 8th Senate will have 60 APC members while the PDP will have 48. The number of senators in the North-East is 18.
The source said Akume was also asked to step down because the North-Central, where he hails from, had been holding the Senate presidency since 2007 while the North-East had never presided over the upper chamber of the National Assembly since independence.
He added that giving the North-East the seat would also be a way of rewarding them for giving the APC the second highest number of votes during the presidential election.
He said, “The current Senate president is from Benue State and has been in charge for eight years. Would it be fair to also handover the Senate presidency to another person from Benue?
“The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, got more than 2.5 million votes from the North-East and this should be rewarded.”
It was learnt that Lawan, who just won a third term in office, had already been accepted by those close to the President-elect because he was among those who led Buhari’s presidential campaign in the then All Nigeria Peoples Party in 2007 in Yobe State.
The source told our correspondent that a committee comprising Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and Senator Ajayi Boroffice had been set up to meet with the aggrieved parties.
softlinkblog 