Archive for the ‘Progressives’ Category

UPDATE: I graduated alongside YarAdua, had Grade II Buhari

Former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the February election, Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), has said the campaign by his opponents regarding the status of his secondary school education, is borne out of mischief.

Speaking in Kano on Wednesday on the controversy, which has suggested that Buhari might not have sat the West African School Certificate Examination as he claimed, having failed to tender the results, the APC flag bearer said he sat the Cambridge University/WASCE in 1961 and graduated in Second Division.

Buhari, a former Head of State, said, I attended Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, now Government College, Katsina, and sat the University of Cambridge/WASCE in 1961, the year we graduated, alongside (now the late) Shehu Musa YarAdua (Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters under Gen Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State) and Justice Umaru Abdullahi, a former President of Court of Appeal . My examination number is 8280002.

He added that he had requested his old school, Government College, Katsina, to make available his result.

Buhari said the controversy was the outcome of his vow to tackle unemployment, insecurity and corruption, accusing the Federal Government of employing every weapon in order to stay in power.

The Nigerian Army has said it is not in custody of the original certificates of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The Army, at a news conference by its Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Olajide Laleye, in Abuja on Tuesday, added that it was also not in possession of the photocopies or statement of results of Buhari.

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UPDATE: I graduated alongside YarAdua, had Grade II Buhari

APC condemns attack on Jonathans convoy in Katsina

The All Progressives Congress has condemned the reported stoning of the campaign convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina State on Tuesday.

The party says violence of any kind is totally unacceptable to the party.

In a statement in Lagos on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Jonathan should be free to campaign anywhere in the country without hinderance.

It said even though the attack on the Presidents convoy took place a day after the provocative death-wish-for-Buhari newspaper advertorial that was put out in the name of the President, nothing justified the stoning of the Presidents convoy anywhere in the country.

APC restated its commitment to a continuous enlightenment of its members and supporters to eschew violence before, during and after next months general elections, urging other parties to follow suit.

We consider election as a celebration of democracy, not a do-or-die affair. Whether or not one agrees with the campaign message of any party, engaging in violence negates the very essence of democracy and should be condemned by all, the party said.

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APC condemns attack on Jonathans convoy in Katsina

APC kicks as NCC bans networks from advertising

National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress has berated the National Communications Commission for directing telecoms companies not to run political adverts.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said during a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday that the directive was issued in order to give the Peoples Democratic Party an unfair advantage.

Mohammed said the directive was suspect as it was issued shortly after the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, unveiled the platforms through which Nigerians could make monetary contributions to the campaign of its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

He noted that Fashola had disclosed that apart from receiving contributions through bank deposits, Nigerians could make donations through SMS, ringtones and scratch cards.

Mohammed, however, said the NCC instructed telecoms service providers not to accept political promotions and adverts so that Buhari would not be able to get enough funds.

He said the directive would not affect the PDP because President Goodluck Jonathan had already been able to raise over N21bn.

He wondered why traditional media like newspapers, televisions and radios would be allowed to carry adverts while the telecoms were being barred.

He said, The NCC has now written to all the service providers to avoid running political/advertisement promotions that will portray them as being partisan and has threatened to sanction any service provider that will flout this directive. Effectively, the NCC is seeking to block our ability to use the platforms of SMS, ringtones and scratch cards to raise funds.

By doing so, the same body, a national institution, that is warning telecoms companies against running political/advertisements in order not to be portrayed as partisan has become a tool of crass partisanship! What an irony!!

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APC kicks as NCC bans networks from advertising

Ekiti APC alleges plot to arrest members

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has raised the alarm over alleged plan by Governor Ayodele Fayose to instigate the police to carry out mass arrests of its leaders ahead of Saturdays presidential campaign in Ado-Ekiti.

The party in a statement by itsState Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said it had uncovered plans by the governor to coerce the police to arrest APC leaders through trumped-up charges.

It appears that the Commissioner of Police has lost control over security management of the state because we have it on good authority that the governor is threatening him to carry out his orders.

From our investigation and information available to us, we believe the man is overwhelmed by the directives to commit illegalities against the APC and the man appears helpless in the situation he finds himself.

Our investigation has further revealed that the governor called the Commissioner of Police and gave him a marching order to begin mass arrest of APC leaders from today,Wednesday, January 21.

The man said he cannot be arresting people who commit no offence but the governor assured him that he would instigate trumped-up charges against APC leaders that would create excuse for the police to arrest our leaders. We have it on good authority that the governor warned the Commissioner of police not to sabotage his plan, Olatubosun said.

The APC urged the police and the Directorate of Security Service not to allow the governor ruin their professional career on the platter of executive lawlessness.

The Ekiti Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, did not answer calls placed to his phone.

But reacting through his Special Assistant on Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi, Fayose said the allegations by the APC were mere conjectures.

Thatcannot be valid. You must have done something to be invited by the police. We dont control the police.They are mere conjectures.

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Ekiti APC alleges plot to arrest members

Buharis certificate controversy needless Onu

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu

The Chairman, All Progressives Congress Presidential Screening Committee, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, has described the controversy over the certificate of the partys presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, (retd), as unnecessary.

Onu spoke to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday.

He explained that his committee screened the presidential candidate in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and found him worthy to seek the partys nomination.

He said that the APC committee found the affidavit deposed to by the former Head of State as sufficient and in conformity with the laws of the land.

He also argued that the fact that the APC candidate went to secondary school and attended several military schools at home and abroad was not in dispute.

Onu said, Really, that issue shouldnt create the kind of problem that we are seeing today in the polity. When this matter came before us in the presidential screening committee, we had to rely on the constitution of our great country. You have to be a Nigerian by birth, he has to be 40 years of age; he has to be a member of a political party and that political party should sponsor you and finally should obtain education, at least, up to secondary school level or equivalent.

He said in the case of Buhari, Our presidential candidate has attended military schools in Nigeria, in India, in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America. He attended the US Army War College. So, there isnt any reason whatsoever to create this type of problems that we now have in the polity.

In response to a question on whether the APC screening committee requested for the copies of the certificate in question, Onu replied, We demanded for that but there was an affidavit and you know once you swear to an affidavit, that definitely gives you whatever protection in any matter not just in this case.

He accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party of making a mountain out of a mole hill because the Nigerian constitution was superior to any other operational law in the nation.

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Buharis certificate controversy needless Onu