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Peoples Democratic Party members at the National Assembly have hit back at President Muhammadu Buhari over his comment that looters would not return to power in 2019. The President, in a veiled reference to the PDP, was quoted to have made the statement on Thursday, at an interactive session with community leaders and stakeholders in Kano. He had said, “Those who ruled Nigeria without vision and looted the nation’s treasury are the same people boasting that they will displace the APC government and return to office. “We will wait and see, if they think Nigerians are ignorant. They have the guts to declare their intention to reclaim office.” But the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives, on Saturday, stated that Buhari was a major beneficiary of funds allegedly looted by PDP leaders. The Deputy Minority Whip of the House, Mrs. Binta Bello, who spoke for the caucus, summed up the views of the PDP, saying that Buhari should rather apologize to Nigerians “for being unable...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has just concluded its elective convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja. The convention was attended by powerful State executives, former cabinet members, bigwigs like Atiku Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan; and a host of party faithful. Chief Uche Secondus has been elected party chairman. Here are members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) as elected by delegates: National Chairman; Uche Secondus Deputy National Chairman ( South); Yemi Akinwonmi- Ogun Deputy National Chairman ( North); Garba Gamawa- Bauchi National Secretary; Ibrahim Tsauri- Katsina Deputy National Secretary; Abubakar Mustapha National Treasurer; Aribisala Adewale- Ekiti Deputy National Treasurer; Wada Masu-Kano Financial Secretary; Abdullahi Maibasira- Niger Deputy Fin. Sec.; Irona Gerald-Imo National Organizing Secretary; Austin Akobundu- Abia Dep. Nat. Org. Sec.; Hassan Yakubu- Nasarawa Publicity Secretary; Kola Ologbondiyan- Kogi Dep. Nat....

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, says Boko Haram will be subdued when the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, returns to power in 2019. The Senator stated this while speaking at the PDP convention holding presently at the Eagle Square Abuja. “The people of the north east were liberated from Boko Haram but they are now being afflicted. “There will be peace in the north east when PDP returns to power”, he said. Former Niger governor, Babangida Aliyu, also speaking on behalf of former governors assured Nigerians of jobs when PDP takes over in 2019. “Nigerians now know that PDP has done beautifully well. They now realise that there is no alternative to PDP in Nigeria. “After 2019 we will ensure qualitative and functional education. “The government of PDP will create employment for the millions of graduates that have no place to work now. “We will ensure that Agriculture is transformed. “The laws of corruption will be addressed. We will fight corruption by fighting pover...

Ahead of the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the National Assembly caucus of the party reportedly exchanged blows at the residence of a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, over the choice of the next national chairman of the party. Akpabio, who is the Minority Leader in the Senate convened a session at his residence in Asokoro District, Abuja Thursday night on how to ensure a free and fair convention. The session was attended by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Chairmanship aspirant, Uche Secondus amongst others. A source who was at the meeting told The Nation that the discussion on chairmanship aspirants had barely started when an argument ensued leading to blows. He said “The Senate Minority Leader convened the session in his house to enable us interact with all the aspirants on their programmes and form our opinion on who to vote for. “We were barely settling down for the session when some members of ...

The Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, has rejected his suspension by the national caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party suspended Kashamu for a month without giving any reason for the action. In his reaction, Kashamu said the action “offends all known principles of justice and fair hearing”. “The news of my purported suspension is coming on the heels of a pending appeal with a motion for injunction that has been properly entered and served on parties,” he continued. “This renders the purported suspension a nullity as it offends the principle of ‘lis pendens’. “Therefore, I reject the purported suspension because it offends all known principles of justice and fair hearing. “It should be noted however that the mere fact that the Caretaker Committee could resort to this last-minute action in its dying hours and on the day of our national convention shows clearly that the battle that I and other well-meaning leaders, elders and st...

THE CITY of Abuja the federal capital territory FCT is fully alive politically as Ninety-two aspirants gets ready to slug it out for 23 offices in the Saturday’s national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. The offices to be contested are National chairman, deputy national chairman (South), deputy national chairman (North), secretary, deputy national secretary, national legal adviser, deputy national legal adviser, national organising secretary, national youth leader, and national publicity secretary. Out of this number nine of the aspirants are running for the office of the national chairman. The contestants are Uche Secondus, Gbenga Daniel, Jimi Agbaje, Rashidi Ladoja, Taoheed Adedoja, Tunde Adeniran, Olabode George, Raymond Dokpesi and Aderemi Olusegun. All the chairmanship aspirants had been screened by a screening panel headed by a former governorship candidate of the party in Edo State, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The screening took place at the Presidential Campaig...

Ahead of the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a former Minister of Mines and Steal and chieftain of the party, Wole Oyelese, has accused the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, of backing Uche Secondus for selfish reasons. Secundus, a PDP chieftain from the South South, is one of the aspirants for the coming election for the PDP National Chairmanship position. Oyelese said Wike, and some PDP governors were fighting for Secondus’ emergence for their selfish reasons. The ex-Minister warned the party leaders and delegates against falling into the trap of Wike and other governors by ‘imposing’ Secondus as the PDP chairman, adding that doing so would lead the party into a “disastrous crisis.” Oyelese said this in a statement on Wednesday where he noted that “Secondus leading the party is certainly a disaster waiting to happen.” He added, “I will not expect anybody that loves the PDP to support Secondus because of his past record but there is a differenc...

Founder of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, says his leadership will provide level-playing ground for all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants, if elected national chairman of the party. Dokpesi made the pledge while addressing zonal and state executive committee members and other members of the PDP during his campaign visit to Kano state on Saturday. He said that he was aware that the goal of PDP was to win presidency in 2019, and assured that as national chairman of the party, he would not allow manipulation of the process. “I am very conscious of the fact that our illustrious sons from Kano are looking forward to contesting for the presidency in the 2019 elections. “First of all, we must have a party and the first step is to create a National Working Committee that I can work along with to ensure that there is justice, fairness and equity. “I want to pledge firmly that there shall be a level-playing ground for all the presidential aspirants f...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to apologise and beg former President Olusegun Obasanjo to secure the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 election. Sources in PDP told a national newspaper that Jonathan said Atiku must beg or apologize to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to get the 2019 presidential ticket of the PDP on a platter of gold. Although Obasanjo has quit partisan politics, Jonathan was of the opinion that “he is still a strong factor in shaping the future of the nation in 2019 because he is a force among the revered kingmakers.” Jonathan had in early November told the publisher of Ovation magazine in an interview that “If Atiku gets our party ticket, he would compete well. But he would have to reach out to our boss, Baba OBJ, the boss of all bosses. We’ve all learnt at different times that you ignore OBJ at your peril. OBJ has the magic wand. He is respected at home and abroad.” It...

MARYAM Sanda was yesterday arraigned by the Police before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi, Abuja on charges of culpable homicide for allegedly stabbing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, to death on November 19. Bilyamin Bello is the son of the former acting Chairman of PDP, an ex-minister of Defense, Haliru Bello. She was accused of culpable homicide punishable by death under section 221 of the Penal Code Law. Sanda was alleged to have stabbed the deceased in the chest with a broken bottle. She was also accused of causing Bello “grievous hurt ” by stabbing him on the neck, an act said to be contrary to section 240 (g) and punishable under section 247 of the Penal Code Law. The incident was said to have taken place at about 3.50am on November 19, 2017 at their residence at 4, Pakali Close, Wuse Zone II, Abuja. After the nursing mother pleaded not guilty to the two counts read to her yesterday, Justice Yusuf Halilu remanded her in Suleja Prison, Niger State. The prose...

AS THE national chairmanship race of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gathers momentum, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a frontline aspirant, said he remains the only crisis manager that can turn around the fortunes of the party, if given the mandate. Addressing party members in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, yesterday, Daniel said he has what it takes to take the party to an enviable height where all its lost ground at the federal, state and local governments would be reversed in favour of the party. The former governor of Ogun State stated that it was his dexterity in crisis management that made him to rule Ogun for two terms, adding that since he left office, the PDP has been unable to find its way back to power in the state. He urged party leaders in the state to allow grassroots members of the party to have a say in order to enthrone internal democracy. He stressed that the state was a stronghold of the party before it was dethroned in the last genera...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said the only thing that will make him sleep well is if PDP returns to power in 2019. . Taking responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the last election, Jonathan said his focus now is to take the PDP to its former position. He spoke when he received Bode George, a chairmanship aspirant of the PDP, at his Otuoke residence in Bayelsa state. . “Whether I like it or not, I must take responsibility for the defeat because I led the party to the election,” the media team of George quoted Jonathan as saying. “My priority now is how to ensure that the PDP regains the presidency in 2019. The only thing that will make me sleep well is to ensure that the PDP comes back to power.”

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, has declared that he is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The former Vice President spoke through his median aide, Paul Ibe when the Concerned Citizens For Atiku, CCA, paid him a visit on Friday. Following calls for Abubakar to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ibe said people are free to express themselves as enshrined in the country’s constitution. According to Ibe, “Well, groups are free, like individuals are free to express their positions, it’s a country of law and there is freedom of expression as enshrined in our constitution. “Having said that, I probably would also remind that his excellency belongs to a political party as we speak.” This is coming at a time when a group known as the South West chapter of the Nigeria Youth Coalition, NYC, admonished the former Vice President to return to the PDP “as soon as possible”. NYC had said the Waziri of Adamawa stands a better chance to clinch the ...