Author: admin

27Sep

Anambra Gubernatorial Election – Four governors in Ngige’s campaign team

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State will lead the Governorship Campaign team of Sen. Chris Ngige in Anambra State. Other co-leaders of the campaign team are Governor of Edo State Adams; Oshiomole, Governor of Osun State; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Governor of Nasarawa State; Alhaji Umaru Al-Makura.

Sen. Osita Izunaso will serve as the Secretary of the Committee, while Chief George Muoghalu will be the Chairman of the campaign team. The National publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Sen. George Akume, Chief Tom Ikimi, Gen. Ahmed Aboki Abdullahi and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai will serve as members.

The APC Interim National Committee will on Tuesday to inaugurate the national campaign committee for the election. Other members of the team are – Dr. AnyimNyerere, Madam Sharon Ikeazor, Abubakar Lado Suleja, Olisaemeka Akamukali, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Abubakar Kari, Hon. Charles Odedo, Chief Uzoma-Igbonwa and Rt. Hon. Donatus Onyemena. Also in the team are members of Interim National Executive Committee from the South -East Zone, Hon. GozieAgbakoba, Barr. C.J Chinwuba, Hon. Chibuzor Obiakor, Eng. (Mrs) Constance Iloh and Dame Dozie Ikedife

05Sep

It is about Nigeria, not about Buhari

By Muhammadu Buhari

THE registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) -which was a merger of the main political parties in the country, has generated a great deal of excitement and rekindled the prospect of strengthening democracy and hope in our country, in place of national despair. By this act alone, the leaderships of the merging opposition parties have demonstrated that Nigeria, its future, progress and prosperity of its citizens are greater than individual ambitions. The APC is therefore a platform for Nigerians to have an alternative to fulfill their aspirations and realize their potential with a party that is strong and nationally based. What is more, it will help to arrest the drift towards oppression and anarchy.

Democracy is not just about free and fair elections, the consequence of which parties alternate to form governments. It also provides opportunities for fresh policies to move the country forward. That is why presidential systems have term limits, such as we have but the failed third term attempt is a clear indication that given the opportunity, some politicians will try and subvert the system. In Parliamentary Systems, where there are no term limits, members of the governing parties remove the head of government, however successful she or he is in government and popular with the voters. That was the fate of two British Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, in recent times. Alternatively, provided there are free and fair elections, the electorate will vote out unpopular governments such as what happened with Mrs. Ghandi in India.

The dangers of one party or an individual remaining in power for too long are two-fold: first is corruption of power. Power, it has been said, corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The second element is the temptation to absolutism, the rule of one party has the tendency to become the rule of a faction of the party and ultimately the rule of one person, a forbidding path to a Stalinist state.
Regrettably, after the euphoria of its registration, public discussion has been more about personalities and less on the benefits of the emergence of a strong alternative to the governing party and the prospects it offers to widening democracy and stemming the drift to impunity, where an elected President can say he doesn’t give a damn about public opinion.

The issue is not just about Buhari, but something greater than Buhari or any individual or parts of its whole, it is about Nigeria – its future, progress and prosperity of its citizens, living in peace, harmony, its evolution and integration.

By joining the army, I had signed up to lay my life for my country. This was what my colleagues and I faced during our tragic civil war to keep our country united. Nigeria has been good to me. I was an orphan but it educated me and trained me and offered me the ultimate prize any citizen can hope for – its leadership.
My involvement in the political process is another call to duty and my desire to give back to Nigeria a little of what it gave me, by joining hands with others to provide viable options to our fellow citizens and evolve social and economic policies that are sustainable and all inclusive, by a caring leadership that is dedicated to the efficient management of the economy, social justice and individual liberty.
Such leadership is not restricted to government alone, we all have roles to play – the National Assembly, the judiciary, the security services, the press and civil society groups, to ensure checks and balances, protection of all under the law, and accountability.

If some politicians find it more convenient to drag public discussion towards the weaknesses of Nigeria, in order to hide their incompetence and divert attention from their theft of public funds, it is the responsibility of the press to steer the debate to policies and programs, notwithstanding the diversionary self-destruct antics of the PDP.

* General Buhari, former military head of State, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, September 5, 2013

05Sep

APC choses Senator Chris Ngige as APC Governorship Candidate for Anambra State

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen Senator Chris Ngige to fly its flag at the November 16 governorship election in Anambra.

This was as a result of the APC governorship primary election in Anambra state on September 2, 2013. There were three contestants, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Deputy National Chairman South APC and Godwin Ezeemo. In a deal brokered by the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, Senator Okonkwo had stepped down for Chief Ngige as a consensus candidate. Because Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not recognize consensus arrangements, APC insisted that there must be primaries for the aspirants running on the platform of the APC in Anambra State.

In the primary elections, Senator Ngige Chris Ngige won the direct primaries election conducted in 21 local council areas of Anambra State for the governorship ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) with 63,255 votes against 9,564 for Engineer Godwin Ezeemo. Meanwhile, Senator Annie Okonkwo has agreed to lead the APC gubernatorial campaign in Anambra State.

21Aug

APC Launches its Manifesto

Chief Bisi Akande, the Interim Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday August 21, 2013 in Abuja presented the Manifesto of APC with a seven point cardinal program covering the areas of electricity generation, war against corruption, food security, integrated transport network and free education, devolution of power, accelerated economic growth and affordable health care. The program envisions a progressive state anchored on social democracy. The chairman projected electricity generation and distribution of 40,000 megawatts up from the current 3,311 MW by making power available from renewable energy sources such as coal, solar and wind.

The APC Interim Chairman stated that as a change agent, APC would halt the dangerous drift of Nigeria into a failed state; with a conscious plan for a post-oil-economy. “The country can only succeed when all of us have equal rights, where no one is above the law; where the culture of impunity is abolished and where there is a level playing field.” APC would restructure the country and devolve powers to the units with the best practices of federalism and wage a stringent war against corruption. On agriculture, the APC noted that Nigeria, which used to be a leading exporter of agricultural produce, had become import dependent. The future lies in embarking on a massive and progressive re-organization and revolution of the agricultural industry. APC envisions a national infrastructural development program through a private-public sector partnership involving the construction of 4,000 kilometers of “super highways,” revitalization of the railway system, with a projected building of 200 kilometers of rail lines annually. Ten percent of the country’s annual budget will be devoted to education. On Health, it will reduce infant mortality rate by 2019 to three per cent and reduce maternal mortality by more than 70 per cent while providing free ante-natal care for pregnant women and free health care for babies and children up to school going age. Free health care would also be provided for the aged and people living with HIV/AIDS. APC will conduct a census of ailing industries in the states and create an industrial resuscitation fund and new development banks that would make affordable credits available for industrial growth. APC would maintain “a sound macro-economic policy environment, run an efficient government and preserve the independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria.” APC promised to amend the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act “to create freehold/leasehold interest in land matching grants.”

Chief Akande remarked that during the past over 50 years of its Nigeria’s independence, the country had suffered seven coups d’état and endured 28 years of military rule. “Trapped in a vicious cycle of political crises, social upheavals and economic under-development, Nigeria has become, not only one of the most unstable countries in the world, it is also, regrettably, one of the poorest despite its huge human and material resources.” APC would therefore confront the seven major challenges facing the country which include: national unity and integration; perennial threats to security, law and order; ensuring rapid economic growth with equity people-centered economic management, consolidating Nigeria’s emerging democratic tradition; human development; and instituting a sustainable management of the environment. “The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the APC,” Chief Akande continued, “therefore is the determination to bring the country back from the brink of collapse, despair, and possible disintegration; reposition it decisively on the route to emerging into a modern stable democratic nation, with a productive economy that is based on equity and justice for all citizens.” APC would further harness the abundant energies, enterprise and intellect of all Nigerians, particularly the Nigerian youth and women, to move the country forward so that Nigeria can assume its proper place in world affairs commensurate with its size and status as the leading black nation in the world.

Click here for APC Manifesto

08Aug

APC sets up committee on structure and mobilization

All Progressives Congress Interim National Executive Committee on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, met in Abuja, Nigeria and set up a committee, headed by former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari to build a structure for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The National Chairman of the party’s Interim National Executive Committee, Chief Bisi Akande stated that APC was ready to draw members from all groups, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that even President Goodluck Jonathan was free to join APC whenever he is fed up with the crisis-ridden PDP.

Chief Akande observed that Nigeria was politically heading towards a two-party system. “Our major preoccupation is to set up the structure of our party – the All Progressives Congress.
“It is after that, maybe in November or December when we hold our national convention where our national executives will be elected. There is no idea about who becomes president or who becomes a governor. But the only exemption is Anambra State where the committee is already working on that.” “We are going to register our members in Anambra State, we are going to conduct congresses and we are going to elect a candidate that will contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. I think these are the very few things I have to tell you that we did at today’s meeting,” he continued.

Chief Akande indicated that several committees were set up to advise the party on how to go about the elections in some states, such as Anambra and Delta as well as some local government elections in Kwara, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu and other places. “If you know the INEC timetable, you will appreciate that we are going to work within that frame work and we are going to be ready, before INEC closes their door to nomination in Anambra State.”

The APC Interim National Chairman said the party has banned those arrogating to themselves some political offices or positions when the APC structure is yet to be erected. “But because the party has not been given the directive,” he added, “some people are just talking on behalf of the party. We are putting a stop to that. Any statement about the party should emanate from the Publicity Secretary of APC and that is Alhaji Lai Mohammed. And whatever he tells you, you should know it is the mind and decision of the All Progressives Congress.”

“We are warning people that are arrogating to themselves chairmanship of APC in the state or in the local government, they are all unauthorized. All those who are printing papers, printing forms, calling rallies in the states in the name of APC, are not yet authorized. The authority will soon begin to flow down from the national level to the state level, and to the local government. And when it is going to be done, the National Publicity Secretary will keep you informed.”

He said the mobilization of members into the new party will begin from the bottom to the top and the membership would be thrown open to all Nigerians, including President Goodluck Jonathan. “If Jonathan is tired of the crisis in the PDP, he is welcome in the APC.”

He said: “We have just finished the first meeting after the INEC registration of the merger of the five committees that came together. And we know our duty as the Interim Leadership of the APC is to mobilize people into APC. Our duty is to register members into the party. “Our duty is to stage congresses, from ward level to local government level, at state level and at the national level. It is to hold a convention to establish a proper structure for the All Progressives Congress. And until that is done, we are having the party in the interim. I hope you will understand that.” Former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari has been chosen to head the committee to advise the party on its structure.

31Jul

INEC Registers APC

PRESS STATEMENT

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress.

On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger, and has accordingly granted their request.

Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.

Abdullahi A. Kaugama
Secretary to the Commission