Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel may have agreed to lead his supporters to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), according to multiple reports on a meeting he held in Sagamu today.

In a letter dated March 14 and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Daniel resigned from the party and also quit partisan politics.

But in dramatic twist on Sunday, Daniel addressed his supporters and loyalists at his Asoludero residence in Sagamu on why he decided to quit partisan politics.

Hundreds of his supporters roared and rejected Daniels position, saying he must lead them in to APC, having worked for the victory of the ruling partys governorship candidate, Dapo Abiodun in the March 9 election.

Reports said Daniel did not give a categorical response to the demands of his supporters, but in an interview with newsmen, he gave hints about his next political move.

Here is the transcript of his interview with newsmen:

JOURNALISTS: What would you say on what played out at the meeting?

DANIEL: Basically, they (supporters) said I could resign from PDP. They said I must lead them to APC. And they also said I cannot retire from politics that is the summary of what I heard. Now we have to take a look at it.

JOURNALISTS: What is your position on their demands? Are you leading them into APC?

DANIEL: What else can I say? My people have spoken.

Source: NAN

The All Progressives Congress barraged the Independent National Electoral Commission with many complaints Sunday over the conduct of governorship elections in Bauchi, Benue, Rivers, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa and Plateau, accusing officials of of being in cahoots with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The partys position was made known six days to the rescheduled supplementary elections in five of the states on 23 March and two days after INEC in a volte-face cancelled the planned vote in Bauchi.

In a comprehensive statement, APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu accused Obo Effang, INECs Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of working in collusion with the PDP and Governor Nyesom Wike.

The APC claimed that Wike was already losing the election until INEC stepped in and stopped the process.

It was glaring that Wike was losing until INEC stepped in to halt the process apparently to save Wike from impending defeat. INEC must put a halt to this madness and brazen illegality.

The APC accused Effanga of doctoring the results of the election in many polling units for Wike and urged INEC chairman to transfer him out of the state.

We call on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to immediately redeploy Mr. Effanga from Rivers State in order to avoid crisis that may follow the organised crime being executed by Wike and Obo Effanga to rig and alter the result of the 2019 governorship polls in Rivers State in favour of Wike.

Since the suspension of the electoral process in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike and the State REC Obo Effanga have been re-writing and doctoring unit results in Rivers State Government House to favour Wike

The APC also criticised INEC somersault on the Bauchi election, after it adopted the report of a fact-finding committee led by Festus Okoye, a national commissioner, said to be close to PDP leaders, such as Yakubu Dogara.

INEC on Friday night said a new returning officer will resume the collation of results in Bauchi on Tuesday, with the issue around the Tafawa Balewa council torn result resolved.

But the APC said INEC could not resolve the issue on its own and that it is a matter for the court.

We reiterate that according to Nigerias 1999 Constitution (as amended) and INEC Guidelines for 2019 General Elections, the electoral body is not empowered to reverse any decision taken at the Collation Centre by the Returning Officer appointed for that purpose.

Such decisions can only be reversed by a court of law, especially when INEC cannot approbate and reprobate, APC said.

The APC also pointed out how PDP brazenly rigged the election in Benue, using violence, vote buying and intimidation.

After the March 9 governorship elections across the country, the polls in six states Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto were declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The electoral process was also suspended in Rivers state in a very fraudulent circumstance.

Post election, Nigerians will recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had severally raised alarm over the plot by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to use violence, vote-buying and other election malpractices to subvert the will of the electorate and steal their mandate.

The shocking events leading to the last-minute postponement of the presidential election provided clear evidence with PDP agents caught in different parts of the country with programmed card readers, sensitive election materials and large cache of weapons and security paraphernalia.

Undeterred, the PDP executed its rigging plot through its agents across the country by unleashing violence, vote-buying and hijacking election materials to rig and falsify elections results. The result was violent disruption in many polling areas and over-voting which led to many cancelled votes and ultimately the supplementary elections and suspended exercise in some states.

INEC declared the governorship election in Benue State inconclusive, citing an insufficient margin in votes obtained by the APC candidate Barr. Emmanuel Jime and the PDP candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom.

Even though the PDP claims a bogus lead of over 81,000 votes, reports strongly establish that this dodgy figure is an aggregate of votes obtained by subterfuge not from the numbers recorded by the card reader.

There were cases in Logo, Gwer-West, Vandeikya, Guma, Buruku and Gboko Local governments where the card reader was not used.

In Guma, a local government predominated by the APC, zero votes were allocated to our candidate by thugs loyal to the governor of the State, as agents of the party were chased away and election material diverted and ballot papers thumb-printed for the governorship candidate of the PDP.

In Logo, security reports indicated that the ballot papers were massively thumb-printed the night before the election day, while a brazen case of under-age voting supervised by state government compromised security personnel, was prevalent on the actual day of voting.

INEC also reported that 41 polling units in Vandeikya did not use the card reader, as it was the case in many in Gwer-West, Gwer-East, Gboko and other places.

A coalition of election observers in Benue has since called on INEC to declare the candidate of the APC, Barr. Emmanuel Jime, the winner of the governorship polls, in line with the Electoral Act and we align with the position of these observers.

There is no doubt that our candidate obtained the highest number of legitimate votes obtained with the usage of the card reader.

We are concerned and deeply troubled by the unfolding events in Rivers State. The APC strongly condemns this horrid dance in Rivers State. This unholy alliance between Governor Nyesom Wike, PDP and INEC is to prevent Rivers people from electing a candidate of their choice by imposing Wike, the PDP candidate on them. It was glaring that Wike was losing until INEC stepped in to halt the process apparently to save Wike from impending defeat. INEC must put a halt to this madness and brazen illegality.

The desperation of the PDP governorship candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike to remain in office even if it means destroying the State and killing its people, is throwing the State into turmoil and crisis.

With regard to the governorship election in Rivers State, APC has observed with dismay the macabre dance between Wike and INEC in Rivers State. It is on record that Wike through the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga engaged PDP card-carrying members as Local Government Area (LGA) Collation Officers to skew the elections in favour of Wike and the PDP.

We call on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to immediately redeploy Mr. Effanga from Rivers State in order to avoid crisis that may follow the organised crime being executed by Wike and Obo Effanga to rig and alter the result of the 2019 governorship polls in Rivers State in favour of Wike.

Since the suspension of the electoral process in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike and the State REC Obo Effanga have been re-writing and doctoring unit results in Rivers State Government House to favour Wike.

We are dismayed that some sponsored stakeholders including those who witnessed the killing of over 40 persons on the 2015 governorship election day alone due to someones quest to become governor by all means, appear to be hoodwinked by the very same character to believe that security agents especially the Army should have stayed away to allow a repetition of what happened in 2015.

As a party that was solely at the receiving end of the killings in Rivers State, the APC believes that the proactive steps taken by security agents to checkmate a repeat of the 2015 killings and destructions, is commendable and should be applauded by all peace-loving people.

We call on Nigerians and the international community not to be hoodwinked into believing that Nigerian security agencies interfered in the electoral process in Rivers State. It is a misleading narrative being planted in the media to particularly blackmail the military and the federal government into pulling out security agents from the state, thereby returning the State to the killing field many of us witnessed before, during and after the 2015 elections.

It is now clear to all that INEC has become deaf and blind to the fact that Governor Nyesom Wike invaded the Obio/Akpor Collation Centre with over 200 armed thugs and ordered his security men to shoot an Army Captain and another soldier providing perimeter security to the Collation Centre. Wikes thugs carted away the electoral materials including both original copies of unit result sheets and ward collation sheets that were being used for the collation of results and took them to the Rivers State Government House where they were filled out with rigged and inflated figures.

We report that in most of the LGAs in the State, voting had concluded, results declared at the polling units and collation had begun before the abrupt suspension of the process. INEC does not have the power under our Electoral Act to suspend elections that has already been concluded. We suspect that INEC might be working to surreptitiously bring in cooked up results credited to Obio/Akpor LGA to skew the election in favour of Wike. We vehemently reject this anti-democratic move.

In Plateau state, our comfortable lead is unassailable. We however urge our members, supporters and indeed the entire Plateau electorate not to be complacent, but remain focused as we prepare for the supplementary election that will give our performing candidate, Governor Simon Lalong a second term in office to consolidate on his first-term achievement.

The opposition PDP camp in its self-deceit has continued to delude itself on its nonexistent electoral chance in Nasarawa local government area. The Kano electorate are not deceived.

Considering what happened in the inconclusive election widely characterized by PDP vote buying and voter intimidation, relevant agencies must ensure that such anti-democratic practice is not repeated.

It is on record how the Kano State Police Commissioner actively assisted the opposition PDP to rig inside Kano city with the deployment of police security for Rabiu Kwankwaso loyalists while state commissioners orderlies were withdrawn.

Kano remains an APC state. With the massive votes garnered by our presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari; the entire incoming 9th National Assembly positions 3 Senators and 24 House of Representatives won by the APC in Kano State; 27 State House of Assembly seats won by the APC out of 39 and governorship election victories in all local governments outside Kano metropolitan, there is no doubt that Kano State is a stronghold and key support base of the APC.

The APCs visible achievements in Kano state under Governor Abdullahi Ganduje are enough to give the party an emphatic victory in the rerun election. Again, the rerun will be mostly in APC-controlled rural areas and Nasarawa local government area where our Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna is from. Undoubtedly, Kano state remains an APC stronghold and remains in our firm control.

We reject INECs decision on the governorship election results from Tafawa Balewa local government area in Bauchi State, as signed and announced by the electoral bodys National Commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

While the close relationship between Festus Okoye who chaired the fact-finding committee and Yakubu Dogara of the PDP is well known, hence inappropriate for the fact-finding exercise for Bauchi state, INEC has failed to adhere to the fundamental principle of fair-hearing by not inviting our agents during the hearing to ascertain the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the Tafawa Balewa local government election result.

INECs decision is illegal as the electoral body and contravenes the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended

We reiterate that according to Nigerias 1999 Constitution (as amended) and INEC Guidelines for 2019 General Elections, the electoral body is not empowered to reverse any decision taken at the Collation Centre by the Returning Officer appointed for that purpose.

Such decisions can only be reversed by a court of law, especially when INEC cannot approbate and reprobate.

As displayed in the results of the presidential election, Sokoto is a strong APC state. This rubbishes the suspicious and apparently stolen results ascribed to the PDP governorship candidate.

It is on record how the PDP candidate and state governor, Aminu Tambuwal used thugs and fake security agents to scare voters in the state. This gave PDP agents a free and field day to rig and manipulate the governorship election.

We are also aware how the huge monies were used to buy votes and how complicit INEC officials disenfranchised APC members by purporting that card readers machines stopped working in APC strongholds..

The forthcoming supplementary election in Sokoto state gives the APC; our governorship candidate, Aliyu Ahmed and indeed the Sokoto electorate and an opportunity claim our mandate.

Sokoto state is ready for the Next Level, we must not allow unpopular elements in the state and their backers in the discredited PDP to steal their mandate and subvert the will of the Sokoto electorate.

In Adamawa, the party had reported over-voting and use of security personnel to intimidate APC agents and supporters. While we are confident of our party and candidate Governor Jibrilla Bindows victory ahead of the supplementary election in the state, we urge all stakeholders to avoid actions that can plunge the state into crisis.

We equally urge INEC and relevant security agencies to ensure the supplementary election is free, peaceful and fair compared to the last inconclusive governorship election in the state which was characterised by many irregularities and voter intimidation. No political ambition is worth the life of any voters.

In conclusion, as a party, the APC is very confident of victory in the forthcoming supplementary elections. Our commitment to free and fair elections in the county remains resolute. We urge INEC to ensure that all loopholes that led to rigging, vote buying and intimidation of voters by the PDP is blocked.

Source: NAN

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have both expressed the hope they would win the March 23 supplementary elections in six states as they continue to trade blames.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed supplementary elections in Rivers, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kano, Plateau and Benue, an exercise described by APC as illegal.

Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, National Publicity Secretary of APC, said on Sunday in Abuja: As a party, the APC is very confident of victory in the forthcoming supplementary elections; our commitment to free and fair elections in the country remains resolute.

We urge INEC to ensure that all loopholes that led to rigging, vote buying and intimidation of voters by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are blocked.

We equally urge INEC and relevant security agencies to ensure that the supplementary election is free, peaceful and fair compared to the last inconclusive governorship election, he said.

Issa-Onilu noted that APC had severally raised the alarm over the plot by the opposition PDP to use violence, vote-buying and other election malpractices to subvert the will of the electorate and steal their mandate.

He said the shocking events leading to the last minute postponement of the presidential election provided clear evidence with PDP agents caught in different parts of the country with programmed card readers.

He said PDP agents were also caught with sensitive election materials and large cache of weapons and security paraphernalia.

Undeterred, the PDP executed its rigging plot through its agents across the country by unleashing violence, vote-buying and hijacking election materials to rig and falsify elections results.

The result was violent disruption in many polling areas and over voting which led to many cancelled votes and ultimately the supplementary elections and suspended exercise in some states, Issa-Onilu said.

He noted that in Benue, INEC declared the governorship election inconclusive, citing an insufficient margin in votes obtained by the APC candidate, Mr Emmanuel Jime and the PDP candidate, Gov. Samuel Ortom, the state incumbent Governor.

INEC, he said, also reported that 41 polling units in Vandeikya did not use the card reader, as it was the case in many in Gwer-West, Gwer-East, Gboko and other places.

Issa-Onilu said a coalition of election observers in Benue had since called on INEC to declare the candidate of the APC, the winner of the polls in line with the Electoral Act, adding that the APC align with the position of the observers.

He maintained that there was no doubt that the APC candidate obtained the highest number of legitimate votes with the usage of the card reader.

In Rivers, Issa-Onilu said the APC was concerned and deeply troubled by the unfolding events in the state which it condemned in strong terms.

This unholy alliance between Gov. Nyesom Wike, PDP and INEC is to prevent Rivers people from electing a candidate of their choice by imposing Wike, the PDP candidate on them.

It was glaring that Wike was losing until INEC stepped in to halt the process, apparently to save him from impending defeat. INEC must put a halt to this madness and brazen illegality.

The desperation of the PDP governorship candidate, Gov. Nyesom Wike, to remain in office even if it means destroying the state and killing its people, is throwing the state into turmoil and crisis, Issa-Onilu said.

He added that it was on record that Wike through the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, engaged PDP card carrying members as Local Government Area (LGA) Collation Officers to skew the elections in favour of Wike and the PDP.

On its part, PDP said that it would win all the governorship supplementary elections scheduled for March 23.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja also insisted that planned manipulations of the exercise would be resisted by people of the affected areas.

Ologbondiyan alleged that it was unfortunate APC could seek to play the victim when all facts had established that it militarised the recent elections.

He said nevertheless, the PDP was determined to win the supplementary elections in all the states declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In Benue, it is clear that the people have rejected the APC as clearly demonstrated even in the presidential election. Benue state has always been home to the PDP.

It is incontestable that our party has the largest genuine followership in all the units, wards and local government areas of the state and as such does not need any underhand measure to secure victory in any election in the state.

Our winning lead of 81,000 votes was validly delivered at the polling units and that reality will humiliate the APC as it cannot be subverted, he said.

Ologbondngiya, argued that Rivers had always been home to the PDP since 1999.

The results of all the elections held in Rivers, including the State House of Assembly, showed that the PDP is in control of the state.

He added that in Kano, the people of the state were known to be incorruptible and would always elect governors that are acceptable to the ordinary people.

In Bauchi, the PDP has already been elected and this reality cannot be altered by the APC.

INEC had already established that the APC compromised its official to declare Tafawa Balewa LGA as inconclusive and had restored the votes that were stolen by the, he said.

He said that in Sokoto, the people gave the PDP their mandate, saying the constitution provides for simple majority of votes for a candidate to win.

The declared results show that our candidate clearly won and that is why our candidate has been mandated to go to the court to seek interpretation of the section of the constitution that deals with the declaration of results, he noted.

While making reference to Adamawa, he said the APC was merely hallucinating and seeking ways to subvert the process.

Its despicable resort to using a person who did not participate in the election to seek to use the courts to ambush the election is disgraceful.

However, INEC had since declared that it cannot be stopped from going ahead with the supplementary election where our party is already in good stead to coast to victory, Ologbondngiya said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he has no reason to quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or retire from politics for now.

He made the statement on Sunday, through his Media Adviser, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, in reaction to a report by an online publication which claimed that the ex-president had resigned from PDP and quit politics.

Eze’s statement described the news as fake, saying that it was a “calculated attempt to rubbish the elder statesman”.

“The PDP gave Jonathan the platform to serve as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and eventually President of Nigeria. Jonathan has no reason at this time to resign his membership of the platform.

“Those who derive pleasure in spreading fake information had better occupy themselves with more productive endeavours that are obviously more relevant to nation building.

“Obviously, this is a fabrication borne out of mischief as the publishers of the fake story claimed that the former President made the statement while being interviewed by the Nigeria News Agency(NAN).

“There is absolutely no way the former President could have spoken to a non-existent news agency, as none in the country goes by that name,” the statement stated. (NAN)

The Independent National Electoral Commission has decided to resume from Tuesday, the collation of the governorship election result in Bauchi State and may declare the winner of the poll, hitherto ruled as inconclusive.

The commission announced the decision in a press statement on Friday night after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and some polling units in Ningi local government.

INEC did not state whether by the decision, the scheduled supplementary election on 23 March has been cancelled.

According to INEC, the number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi Local Government was 2,533 and not 25,330 as recorded.

On Tafawa Balewa Local Government election result, where collation was disrupted by armed gangs, affecting 7 out of 11 registration areas for governorship and 6 out of 11 for state assembly elections, INEC said a committee set up, has found that the results in polling units and registration areas are available and in safe custody.

INEC thus decided to resume the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of the council area for both the governorship and state assembly elections

A new collation and returning officer for Tafawa Balewa has been appointed to continue and conclude the collation process in place of the original collation officer, who withdrew from the exercise citing threats to her life and those of her family members. The collation officer was Dominion Anosike.

The governorship election in Bauchi state is a straight fight between incumbent Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress and former minister, Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Bala was said to have won the Tafawa Balewa Local government election, putting him in an overall lead of his APC counterpart, but the INEC returning officer, Professor Mohammed Kyari, declared the election inconclusive.

In declaring the election inconclusive, Kyari, gave the scores of incumbent governor as 465,453 votes and Bala Mohammed of PDP as 469,512 votes.

The margin between the winner and opponent is less than the total number of votes cancelled in some polling units.By law, since the margin of winner is less than the total number of votes cancelled and registered voters in the areas where the votes have been cancelled, this elections is hereby declared inconclusive, he said.

He said his decision was in line with section 26 part 53 of the Electoral Act.

With INEC adopting the result of the Tafawa Balewa local council and amending the result for four polling units in Ningi Local government, the PDP believes that its candidate has won the election.

Read INECs decision on Bauchi governorship election:

Source: NAN

Chief Gbenga Daniel, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Ogun State and Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, has resigned from partisan politics.

Daniel conveyed his resignation in a letter dated March 14, 2019 to the Chairman of the Party, Mr. Uche Secondus,

He said he took the decision based on the desire to immerse himself in some other vocations and to take on some new challenges.

My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges, he said.

The 62-year-old politician was governor of Ogun State from 29 May 2003 to 29 May 2011, making him the longest-serving governor of the state, a record that the incumbent, Ibikunle Amosun would match by May 29, 2019.

He founded the Nigerian Compass, a daily newspaper and also Kresta Laurel, a company he started in 1990.

Daniels last political engagement was his appointment as the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Organisation in preparation for the February 23 presidential election.

Atiku was defeated by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Incumbent President Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat Atiku, who had 11,262,978 votes

Daniel is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

He taught briefly as a lecturer in the School of Engineering of Lagos State Polytechnic.

The letter which was copied to His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP) is produced hereunder:

14th March, 2019
The National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party,
Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Street
Wuse Zone II, Abuja

Mr. Chairman,

This is to inform you of my intention to resign from active and partisan politics with effect from today, the 14th day of March, 2019.

My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges.

Preamble
My Political Journey so far

I joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2001 at an event which was described as one of the most ceremonial political rallies in our recent political history in the South Western part of Nigeria.

We rose from that rally to create a highly robust and effective political campaign machinery which resulted in an electoral victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in 2003; this movement and vibration affected the politics of the region positively with a victory in five (5) states of the South West.

2. I served as Governor of Ogun State for eight (8) years and our administration till today remains a point of reference in terms of physical, social, economic, educational and human capital development since the State was created in 1976.

3. Notwithstanding these widely acclaimed achievements however, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party ran into trouble waters towards the end of our administration (about the year 2009) which led to the sad loss in the election of 2011, and regrettably ten (10) years after the party has been unable to resolve those internal disputes and challenges.

4. Meanwhile, the PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list. The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party.

Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party. This was the dilemma we found ourselves as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

5. Going forward, we have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists. The rest they say is now history.

6. I must say that looking back, I do not have any regrets over that patriotic choice and decision, especially as several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action. Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people.

7. Let me also add, that in the last few months, I have had one of the rare privileges of traveling round the entire length and breadth of our great country on at least two occasions; the first being during my campaigns to become the National Chairman of our great party, and later as the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization (APCO).

8. I must sincerely admit that in the course of all these travels, I have built a network of contacts, of friends and associates in a mutually rewarding relationships which I cherished most and greatly too. I am therefore persuaded that I have fewer points to make and prove in my Political journeys in partisan politics.

9. My decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, I have decided to rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges; I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.

10. Without doubt, I will miss the company of my friends and associates and all those relationships I built in the course of the years all over the country..
    While I crave for your kind understanding, accept assurances of my highest regards.
    Yours faithfully,

Governor of Ogun State (2003-2011).

Cc:
His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar GCON
Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP)

Source: NAN

Bayelsa Deputy Governor John Jonah has defended the militarys role in providing security and called on Nigerians not to blame the army for its involvement in the 2019 general elections.

Jonah said on Saturday at Elebele in Yenogoa at the inauguration of some projects in the 16 Brigade Barracks otherwise known as Tukur Buratai Camp.

The deputy governor said he had investigated the armys involvement in the elections and found that what they did was not different from what the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had said.

He appealed to Nigerians to continue to support the army which he described as a stabilising factor, to discharge its duties.

Buratai had at different fora said the constitution empowers the army to support civil authority in addressing internal security challenges when called upon, citing Section 217 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

The army chief said this role also extended to providing security during elections.

He, however, warned those deployed for the conduct of the elections to be professional, respect human rights and remain apolitical.

Earlier, while inaugurating building projects in the barracks, Buratai who was represented by Maj.-Gen. A. A. Saliu, the Commander, Training and Doctrine Command TRADOC, charged commanders to always impact positively on their environment.

He promised more fund to provide required infrastructure in the Brigade and army formations across the country.

Buratai also called on the citizens to cooperate with the military by providing it with useful information to enable it ensure their safety.

Also speaking, the GOC 6 Division Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. Jail Sarham noted that the Brigade would assist in addressing security challenges in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta in general.

Sarham thanked the state government for the assistance it provided for the construction of the barracks.

In his welcome address, Brig.-Gen. Kelvin Aligbe, the Brigade Commander, said what was required in the new barracks now was perimeter fence, parade ground and officers quarters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the building inaugurated included Guard house, a two-storey medical centre, Brigade Garrison, Soldiers and Warrant Officers/Sergeant clubs and a block of 30 flats for Corporal and below. (NAN)

Source: NAN

*Promises to push for more women and youth in Buharis next cabinet
*Also consoles survivors of collapsed building in Lagos

Wife of the President, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed her commitment towards promoting the socio-economic and political advancement of women in Nigeria through her Future Assured Programme.

She spoke at the NEXT LEVEL Thank you Celebration and Luncheon at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday 16th March, 2019.

Aisha said the President has already promised to engage more women and youth in his second term. She therefore urged them not to relent in the collective duty to make the NEXT LEVEL a reality.

I wish to express my appreciation to Nigerians especially Women and Youth for their unprecedented contribution towards our success at the election. In particular I must mention the role played by the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team I initiated to support the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Aisha attributed the success of the President to the firm belief Nigerians have in the ability of this administrations developmental agenda to take us to the NEXT LEVEL. She therefore called on the President and Vice President to continue to build on the foundation of the good works they started in order to justify this confidence.

Earlier, wife of the vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo said the event was convened to celebrate with all those that contributed in one way or the other to the successful re-election of the APC to lead the country for the next four years. She said the party campaigned through all the states of the country, even going from door to door to ensure that the support of everyone was canvassed. She expressed happiness that Nigerians responded positively to the campaign.

Entertainers such as KWAM 1, Daddy Showkey and Sugar Band performed at the occasion.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Governor-elect of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, wife of Nasarawa state Governor, Dr. Mairo Almakura, APC Woman Leader, Mrs. Salamatu Baiwa, Gen. Buba Marwa Rtd and Mrs. Joke Silva.

Aisha Buhari also visited Lagos Island General Hospital, where she consoled victims of the Itafaji building collapse.

Source: NAN

Ogun state governor-elect, Dapo Abiodun, has embarked on a thank you tour, visiting ex-governor Gbenga Daniel, the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Council who stood by him in the March 9 elections.

This afternoon, I paid a courtesy visit to the former Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency Otunba Gbenga Daniel OGD, he said in his tweet.

This afternoon, I paid a courtesy visit to the former Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency Otunba Gbenga Daniel OGD.

Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun MFR (@dabiodunMFR)

Daniel, a chieftain of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resigned from partisan politics on Friday after their defeat in presidential election of February 23, 2019.

The former governor had thrown his weight behind Dapo Abiodunl abandoning his former partys candidate in the governorship election, Chief Kashamu Buriji.

Abiodun also on Saturday visited the Paramount Ruler and Olu of Ilaro, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle.

This evening, I paid a Thank You visit to the Paramount Ruler and Olu of Ilaro, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle. While at the Palace, I expressed my profound appreciation to the Paramount Ruler for his fatherly support during the course of my gubernatorial ambition

The governor-elect also hosted Ademola Ogunbanjo and his team in his Iperu home.

The paid him a congratulatory visit.

He promised the team that he would lead the state with wisdom and the grace of God.

The governor-elect would be sworn-in on May 29.

Source: NAN

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi State Chapter alleged that the fact-finding Committee sent to Bauchi state by the Independent National Electoral Commission to probe the irregularities in the governorship elections of 9 March 2019 denied the party fair hearing.

Alhaji Uba Nana the state Chairman of the party made the allegation at a press conference in Bauchi on Saturday.

INEC announced on Friday night that a new returning officer will resume the collation of the Bauchi governorship election results on Tuesday. It also amended the result of four polling units in Ningi local government, from 25330 to 2533.

The fact-finding Committee chaired by Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee denied fair hearing to APC as a political party whose agents were not invited during hearing of the facts leading to the cancellation of the Results of Tafawa Balewa LGA.

Any decision taken in violation of fair hearing is illegal, null and void, he said.

According to Nana, the composition of the Committee was also questionable as the Committee Chairman, FESTUS OKOYE ESQ is a close ally and former solicitor of Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Nana Stressed that no justice can be done by the Committee Chairman who is interested in the whole issues and the instant circumstances.

He pointed out that this was proved by the fact that PDP and Yakubu Dogara on Facebook pre-empted the outcome of the Committees finding before formal publication by INEC.

The APC chairman said that the decision of INEC based on the Committees Report was already prayed for at the Federal High Court, Bauchi in Suit No. FHC/BAU/CS/18/2019 filed by Bala Mohammed and PDP against INEC.

Unfortunately, the extant decision of INEC reversing the cancellation of Tafawa Balewa Results was earlier sought for but refused by the Court in the said suit at interim stage. Now INEC has granted what was refused by the Court of law in the interest of justice, he said.

Nana said the Party rejected in totality, the report of the fact-finding Committee on the disruption of collation process at Tafawa Balewa and the subsequent decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse its earlier resolution cancelling the entire results of Tafawa Balewa LGA.

He said the position taken by INEC is illegal, null and void having regards to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and INEC Guidelines for 2019 General Elections

Source: NAN