Full text of Tambuwal’s speech at APC’s special convention in Abuja

It is an honour and privilege to join you all today at this Special Convention of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I am really glad to be part of the APC family. Indeed, I have been overwhelmed by the massive outpouring of goodwill and welcome that I have received from the members of our great party and other well meaning Nigerians since the formal notification of my membership of APC. From the depth of my heart, I say, thank you. And in appreciation of your warm hand of fellowship, I hereby rededicate myself to the task of building and growing our Party, and helping our party achieve its mission of lifting Nigeria to glorious heights and restoring hope to the citizens of our great country. In this regard, I hereby call on all other like minded Nigerians to join this movement to deliver on the promise of a new Nigeria. The APC is the party where the progressive ideals of good governance to which I subscribe are wholeheartedly embraced and applied for the betterment of Nigeria. I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development. We must constantly remind ourselves that Nigerians yearn for true change and APC represents the hope for this change, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow. The Programmes of the APC are very attractive and will bring about radical changes in the way we do business in Nigeria. The kind of change Nigeria truly needs. The work may appear tedious and the road ahead may appear long and hard, but our party is amply endowed with all the key ingredients of success. We need unity and solidarity in our ranks in order to face the challenges ahead. In the weeks ahead, we will engage party men and women and Nigerians on the future direction of our nation and means of rescuing her from the malaise of youth unemployment, insecurity, institutionalized corruption, poverty, socio- economic decline and infrastructural decay. May Almighty God guide our deliberations at this Special Convention, guide our path, bless our great Party, the All Progressives Congress. And may He bless and protect the Federal Republic of Nigeria

After collecting their N24m, PDP rejects two presidential aspirants

A fresh crisis is brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party over the insistence of some of its members to contest its presidential primary with President Goodluck Jonathan. But the national leadership of the party has refused to sell its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms to two other presidential aspirants. Two of the aspirants, Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, were at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Tuesday to purchase the forms, but they were turned back. First to arrive was Tafawa-Balewa, who hails from Bauchi State. He is also the son of Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, the late Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa. It will be recalled that all the caucuses of the party, including the National Executive Council had endorsed President Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate. Tafawa-Balewa had on September 21 condemned the action, which he said was a plot by the leadership of the party to frustrate other presidential aspirants. He insisted that he would not be intimidated by such a decision and vowed not to be cowed. He wondered the type of democracy that was being practised by the PDP. He had asked, “What type of democracy do we have? Is the PDP a communist party? Where is the place of internal democracy?” On Tuesday, Tafawa-Balewa stormed the party’s national secretariat with his supporters and bank tellers, with which he had hoped to purchase the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms. The bank tellers indicated that he deposited N22m into the account of the party with Zenith Bank. The breakdown of the fees showed that he paid N20m as nomination fee and another N2m for the expression of interest form. He paid the money into the party’s account Number 1012436478 with the Zenith Bank. Rather than being issued his forms, the aspirant claimed that he was told by officials of the party that the forms were not ready. The party is expected to stop the selling of forms to all the aspirants on Thursday (tomorrow). Tafawa-Balewa said he was told that all other forms were on sale except the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms. He said, “I have paid for my forms. I was however told that they don’t have the forms ready. No matter, I am still here. I will send some of my people here on Thursday to come and pick the forms.” He said he went to the office of the Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, but was denied the forms. Asked whether he was not aware that all the party organs had endorsed the President, Tafawa-Balewa said those organs were mere little organs of the party and were not superior to its Constitution. Speaking on the refusal of the party to present her with her forms, Duke-Abiola, who is one of the widows of the late Chief MKO Abiola, described the action of the party as questionable. Displaying the Diamond Bank Teller with which she paid her N2m to the party’s bank account, Duke-Abiola wondered why the party would issue her receipts and refused to sell the forms to her. Female aspirants, like her, are expected to pay just N2m for the expression of interest form while the nomination form is free for them. The party claimed it took the decision to encourage female aspirants to run for elective offices. The presidential aspirant said she was told by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and Mustapha that the party printed only one form. She said, “I have the receipt from the party after paying my money. But they said they printed only one presidential nomination form, even though the guidelines do not say that. “The NOS and the National Chairman said the party printed only one form. I asked that they should give the one they printed to me since I was there. They laughed and said whether I didn’t know who they printed it for. This is a fraud.” She said that she would not ask for a refund of her money, but that the party must sell the forms to her, having paid for them since she said there was vacancy in Aso Rock. In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said he was not aware that the aspirants came. He said he would need to find out from Mustapha before he could react to the allegations. Asked if the party would sell presidential forms to other aspirants, he said he would also consult Mustapha. “I will have to find out from the national Organising secretary, because I’m not directly involved in the selling of that forms. I’m only involved in the management of the image of the party,” he said.

Jonathan blames Abuja explosions on overpopulation

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday blamed the ceaseless bomb attacks in the Federal Capital Territory on over population. Jonathan made this observation while receiving a delegation of the FCT Council of Chiefs, area council chairmen, appointees and legislators at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The delegation was led by the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Muhammed; and the Minister of State, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide. Jonathan, however, noted that the population growth was putting pressure on infrastructures in the FCT. He said, “The idea behind the creation of FCT is to cater for less than one million people. According to the last census, the FCT’s population was less than a million. “But today, because of the crisis we have in the South: militancy and kidnapping in the South East and South South and of course the terror activities in the North, the population of the FCT has expanded. “We don’t even know the exact population now until the next census will hold but definitely, the population has increased much more than anticipated. “When population growth is so fast that it cannot meet up with infrastructural development, people are under pressure of facilities: whether water, electricity etc

Falsehood: Osun APC warns PDP

The All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun has warned that the PDP in the State is gravitating towards creating anarchy in the community through a wickedly relentless propagation of lies, capable of destabilising the state. According to the APC, ‘it is high time those charged with the responsibility to maintain law and order in the state, called the PDP to its senses and stop the party from stoking negative passions that could lead to anarchy’. The party was officially reacting to the latest in the offensive campaign of lying through the media to create confusion within the state in a bizarre attempt to install itself in power after it had woefully failed to win the August 9 election. Citing the latest Internet spat that created a stir recently over the senseless claim by PDP – sponsored falsehood that Omisore is about to be declared the ‘actual’ winner of the August 9 election, the APC said that it was a close call to anarchy and a criminal action, which should be addressed by law-enforcement agencies in Osun. For the information of the law enforcement agencies and the general public, the APC hereby states the authentic and verifiable state of affairs regarding the PDP petition pending at the election Tribunal in Osogbo. In fact, the first sitting of the newly constituted Tribunal will take place Thursday, October 30, 2014. *As you read this, only six local governments have had their election documents inspected, and no strange ballot paper has been found. *The PDP in its petition filed at the Tribunal, did not ask for a recount of the ballot, and it (Tribunal) could not have ordered a recount. So that piece of information was a deliberate falsehood. No hearing has taken place; the judges have made no pronouncement whatsoever on a recounting of votes. *PDP’s claim therefore that following a phantom recount, Omisore has more votes than Aregbesola exposes that party’s original plan which failed to materialise. It shows that the PDP already had a pre-recorded result which could not pass through INEC’s security of the votes!!! That is the result they now want to force through the Election Petition Tribunal. To demonstrate the criminal potential of this false information, a major television station had already used the story on its web before it discovered that it was a complete fabrication. The TV station has since apologised for the embarrassment it caused. The APC therefore appealed to all media organisations following the Osun Election Petition Tribunal case to carefully cross-check and confirm the truth or otherwise of any story, press release or privileged information they may receive from the PDP in Osun, before publishing same for public consumption. Similarly, the APC urged citizens of the State never again to be agitated whenever similar falsehood of the PDP slips into the media. ‘The people who run the party (PDP) in Osun have become sick with lie telling’, the APC said, adding that, ‘nobody should worry any longer when the PDP speaks because they are hopeless liars.’ Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, APC, State of Osun

No plan to field Muslim-Muslim ticket – APC

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, has dismissed insinuations that the party was planning to field a Muslim-Muslin ticket in the February 2015 presidential election. He described as “very unfortunate,” but unnecessary the controversy which trailed the interview granted an online newspaper, The cable, by a leading presidential aspirant of the party, Muhammadu Buhari, in which he said he would keep an open mind on the issue of his party’s presidential candidate and running mate. Mr. Buhari, a Muslim, had in the interview, said he had demonstrated to Nigerians in the past that he was not a religious fundamentalist by picking Christians as his running mates in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections in which he ran. “Nigerians will always uncover impossible room for manoeuvre for politicians. I had to face one of the governors during one of our party’s meetings [over the issue of religion],” Mr.Buhari, Nigeria’s former head of state between 1983 and 1985, said. “In 2003, I chose Okadigbo as my running mate. He was a Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked Ume-Ezeoke. He was a Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a pastor. Pastor Tunde Bakare. “Honestly, what do Nigerians want me to do? If they don’t believe I’m not a fundamentalist, what else can I do?” He recounted that the late Moshood Abiola, a southern Muslim, picked Babagana Kingibe, a northern Muslim, as his running mate in the 1993 presidential election. The Muslim-Muslim ticket won the election generally considered the fairest and freest election in Nigeria’s history. There had been speculations that Mr. Buhari might be looking in the direction of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who is also a muslim, or his predecessor, Bola Tinubu, also a Muslim as his as his running mate, if he picks the APC ticket in the December presidential primary of the party. However, a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday warned parties against fielding candidates of the same religion, saying it was dangerous for the country. “Sensitivity is a necessary ingredient for enhancement of peace, security and stability at this point in the political discourse and arrangement for Nigeria and for encouraging confidence and trust,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “It will be insensitive to the point of absurdity for any leader or any political party to be toying with Muslim- Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket at this juncture,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “Nigeria cannot at this stage raise the spectre and fear of Islamisation or Christianisation. The idea of proselytisation in any form is a grave danger that must not be contemplated by any serious-minded politician at this delicate situation in Nigeria, as this time is different from any other time. “Therefore, disregarding the fact that there are fears that need to be allayed at this point will amount not only to insensitivity of the highest order but will also amount to very bad politics indeed.” But Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said the APC had never contemplated fielding a presidential and vice presidential candidates who belong to the same faith and that the current debate over the matter was just a distraction to the party. He explained that the party was pre-occupied with the process of choosing its presidential candidate and that it had not toyed with the issue of who becomes the running mate yet. “You know what triggered these things. It is very unfortunate. We are trying to get a presidential candidate now. Once that is sorted out, the issue of running mate becomes a simple matter,” the APC national chairman told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Monday night. He said Mr. Buhari might have been misunderstood on the matter, stating, “It is his usual way of speaking. You know he is a straightforward man. It (running mate) is not an issue. But that is his own way of putting it and should not be misunderstood.” Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said the APC has a mission of rescuing the country from alleged mis-governance and therefore would neglect any segment of the country by being insensitive in the choice of candidates for the elections According to him, “We want to rescue this country; we want to save this nation. And so we will not do anything to make us loose votes, especially from a very large segment of the society. That is the simple truth. We don’t have to. “We are looking at somebody who will contribute to winning the election. These things are commonsensical things that will be taken care of when we get to that bridge.” On the reaction of Mr. Obasanjo to the issue, the APC national chairman said the former president’s comment on the matter was a non-issue for his party but generally okay. He stressed, “We, as a party, haven’t gotten to that bridge. People shouldn’t forget that we are a new party. We do not want these distractions. We are taking all those issues gradually.” Asked if the party was planning to pick a former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, as the running mate to Mr. Buhari, Mr. Odigie-Oyegun said, “I’m the national chairman. Whoever we will choose as our presidential candidate, whether it is Buhari, Atiku, Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha or any other person, the party will then sit down with him and say this is the type of running mate that will contribute maximally to the success of the party in the election.” He denied claims that the party was reluctant to address the issue and that an official of the party was mandated to clear the air on the issue, but refused