Wow! How PDP Exposed APC Governorship Candidates in Kogi and Bayelsa States

Wow! How PDP Exposed APC Governorship Candidates  in Kogi and Bayelsa States 

 

The attention of the people of Kogi and Bayelsa States has been drawn to the alleged corruption credentials of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship elections in the two states by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

PDP described as a shameful irony and display of crass hypocrisy, the fact that a ruling party that prides itself as an anti-corruption crusader, would field candidates being held on corruption charges, saying such act has further exposed the insincerity of the APC.

The PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, today said: “It is a mockery of strategy that the APC which has been touting the fight against corruption as its major policy, would present to the people of the two states, candidates whose public questionable credentials are further evidenced in the charges brought against them by anti-graft agencies.

“In Kogi State, we have the APC brazenly fielding for the November 21 governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu, a former governor of the state who was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for corruption, and who is now facing charges before the court of breach of trust, embezzling and misappropriating the sum of N10.9 billion meant for the development of his state.

“In the same vein, in Bayelsa State, the APC is fielding for the December 5 election, Chief Timipre Sylva, also a former governor of the state who is similarly before the court on charges of embezzlement of a staggering sum of N19.2 billion belonging to the state.
“This APC candidate in Bayelsa State is being charged by the EFCC for embezzling funds meant for state workers for a period of four years, 'under false pretence' of using the funds to augment their salaries.

“Now that the APC is brazenly fielding candidates with questions of corruption, we ask, do they in all honesty expect Nigerians to take them seriously on their much-hyped anti-corruption crusade?
“Does the APC expect the people of Kogi and Bayelsa States to be fooled into voting for the same individuals who are facing charges of looting funds meant for the development of their respective states?
“Also, the controversies trailing the primaries conducted by the so-called APC’s best hands to produce these candidates with questionable credentials further foreground the corruption prevalent in the party, which has also manifested in the presence of some persons with debatable reputations in the 21-man list of ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for clearance.

“Evidently, the APC has clearly established itself as a party enmeshed and thriving in corruption, even as it tries to hoodwink the public into believing that it is on a mission to fight graft in the country, a contradiction we urge all Nigerians to take copious note of.
“It has therefore become manifest that this administration’s anti-corruption agenda is dead on arrival, and only applicable as a tool for witch hunting against the PDP and those holding views divergent to those of the government. 

The party said: “Consequently, this is an open invitation by the APC to corrupt persons to join them as a party that accommodates, protects and promotes corruption in the country.
“Our joy remains that the people of Kogi and Bayelsa State will definitely reject this attempt to use immunity to cloak and protect friends and associates of the ruling party and government from further prosecution.

“It is on this note that we urge the people of the two PDP states to remain unrelenting in their support for our great party and its candidates: Governors Idris Wada and Seriake Dickson respectively, to ensure their deserving overwhelming victory at the polls.”

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WAR IN APC CAMP as Party Chieftain Says Fowler's Assumption of FIRS Office is Illegal *Advises him to vacate office

 WAR IN APC CAMP as Party Chieftain Says Fowler's Assumption of FIRS Office is Illegal

*Advises him to vacate office

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, today described the takeover of operational duties of Dr. William Babatunde Fowler as the Executive Chairman of the Board of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as illegal.

Frank, therefore, asked the new FIRS boss to toe the path of honour and step down now or be prepared to face legal action.

In a statement he issued in Abujat oday, the APC Deputy Spokesman called on the National Assembly to do their job and invoke the relevant sections of the constitution to deal with the ‘illegality’ otherwise, “it may be accused of acting as rubber stamp should it clear Fowler in the face of this gross violation of the constitution.”

He said by assuming office without a corresponding consent and assent of the Senate, Fowler has portrayed himself as either ignorant of the law or acting with impunity.
"Let us look at the FIRS Act before one is accused of crying wolf where there is none. Section 3(2a) of the FIRS Establishment Act, 2007, states that: ‘The Executive Chairman of the Service is to be appointed by the President and subject to the confirmation of the Senate’.  
"Where does Fowler derive his authority with which he now presides over the Board of the FIRS? He has since assumed office and carrying out the duties of the office. Do we let him go in view of the present financial quagmire in the country? I don't think we should be swayed by arguments that we have gotten a czar to address our financial wounds," he said.

Frank argued that with Fowler firmly in office, "the Senate would only be acting as rubber stamp should it clear Fowler in the face of this gross violation of the constitution.
The APC chieftain argued further that all those who have similarly assumed office without getting Senate assent would have disqualified themselves. 
"The Senate would also be setting a bad precedent should it decide to overlook Fowler's infractions and clear him still. It is wrong for an appointee, who is supposed to be confirmed by the Senate before appointment to assume office and then come for confirmation. In such situation, the man is already enjoying the pecks of office and the confirmation is being made to look like a fiat accompli." 
"What we are seeing concerning these appointments amount to an offence and gross breach of the constitution. I am aware that senators are peeved by this conduct and there is the thinking that some of them who have assumed office might have disqualified themselves. The lawmakers consider the development as an abuse of their respect for President Muhammadu Buhari and that the act is undermining the Senate.

“They will also be asked what legal grounds they relied on to assume duty when the Senate was yet to confirm them," he stated.

Frank therefore called on the FIRS boss to step aside and allow himself to be screened and confirmed by the Senate as stipulated by law, adding that should he fail to do this, he will be compelled to seek judicial remedy against “this rape on our democracy and extant laws.”

He said: "The dream of every Nigerian, moving forward under the present administration of President Buhari, is to have a government and country where the rule of law is supreme. Buhari has done well by searching out Fowler-a tax administrator of repute-to oversee the activities of the Board of the FIRS.
"However, I don't think the refusal to wait for confirmation by Fowler can be blamed on Buhari. The onus lies on Fowler to retrace his steps now as he cannot claim not to know that his assumption of office on August 25, 2015, is in breach of the law. We cannot afford to break the laws at will only to administer the laws on citizens who may be in breach of the law in relation to taxes."

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Corruption: Buhari is Dinning, Winning with former PDP Hit Men Who He Said Destroyed Nigeria, Says Shekerau

Corruption: Buhari is Dinning, Winning with former PDP Hit Men Who He Said Destroyed Nigeria, Says Shekerau

The former Governor of Kano State and the immediate past Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau today lashed out at President Muhammadu  Buhari, accusing him of romancing with some of the politicians  who played leading roles in the past administrations he and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) were trying to discredit.

Shekarau however added that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ample opportunity to retake power if only the leadership can have the courage to implement to the letter, all recommendations contained in the report of the party's 2015 post-election probe committee headed by Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in his Abuja residence, Shekarau said he sees President Buhari as being highly hypocritical for condemning the past governments and at the same time having the hit men who participated in the alleged bad governance surrounding him as chief advisers.

The former governor who left the APC to join the PDP, and served as a minister at the twilight of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, described the claim by President Buhari that he was out to correct the mess committed by the PDP as preposterous, “so long as he continues to wine and dine with those who were with the administration he is discrediting.

"Just three days ago, I raised a question while addressing some young men who paid me a Sallah visit on who can give me answer to this poser, ‘Buhari has said that he has come to right the wrongs of 16-year mess by the PDP’.
"So I said ‘Mr. President you are welcome, but I hasten to remind you that 10 out of those 16 years belong to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He had his 8 years and by indirect remote control, two years of late President Umaru Yar'Adua was Obasanjos.

"And Obasanjo was the one who produced Yar'Adua and Jonathan.
Until three years ago, when they fell out (Obasanjo and Jonathan), Obasanjo was in charge. Obasanjo, today, is among the chief advisers to President  Buhari.

“Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru  El-Rufai, was one of the major hit men of Obasanjo; my former Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, was one of Obasanjo boys as well as former Governors Bukola Saraki, Goje among others.

"They were part of those 16 years which President Buhari said the PDP messed up Nigeria, and today, because they are in APC, they are saints. They are now surrounding the president as his chief advisers. The Amaechi's were all part of the PDP."

Shekarau further likened the president's predicament to that of one claiming to be upright and at the same time wining and dining with the devil he is supposed to be fighting.

He said the entire election crisis that President Buhari was accusing PDP of perpetrating were a creation of these same people who are with him now serving as his key advisers.
"So what sense does it make that I said you are thief for 16 years, I have come to correct the wrongs that you did and now I am calling you the chief adviser in order to right the wrongs that you committed. Does it make sense? We are waiting to see how they will come out of this.
"Buhari kept saying 16 years of PDP mess and that he is here to put things right and he is dinning with the people who were 90 percent the architect of those 16 years of what he called mess. So let him get out of it and let us see," he said.
While speaking on the importance of the findings made by the 2015 post-election review committee of the PDP which he was a member, Shekarau said he is optimistic that the implementation of the key recommendations will go a long way in restoring the party's lost glory.

The former Kano State governor used the opportunity to speak on some of the findings of the 15-member committee, saying key among the factors that led to the party's defeat at polls was its failure to adhere to  the tenets of internal democracy.
"Several portions of the constitution were violated. The issue of failure of internal democracy came up. Vacancies that existed in the party were unconstitutionally filled up. Primaries of the party were not properly conducted.
“The next issue was funding. The funds came from exclusive few. It led to the issue of godfatherism. We degenerated to a point where few individuals funded the party and felt like they owed it. This also led to the problem of denying elected members their roles.
"There was also the problem of poor handling of conflict resolutions. There are a lots of conflicts among stakeholders. There was instability in party leadership, particularly the chairmanship. Between 1998 and now, we have lost count on who and who have been chairmen. This has affected the smooth running of the party.
"Another issue is the non comprehensive database of members. Over the years, the party lost touch of the total number of its members. We discovered that this brought a lot of apathy. We discovered that the party attracted many support groups, but were not properly coordinated. We got memoirs from over 200 volunteer groups. They were neglected.
"Campaign organisations and election management were not thorough. There are other petty issues, but if you address these major ones, then we will not have issues,” he stated.