Angry Lai Moh’d/MM supporters tear Buhari’s posters to protest lock out
Factional members of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faced reality weekend at the party’s National Convention on Sunday as their delegates were shut out of the exercise.
Former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was sworn-in after he emerged the party’s chairman in the exercise that began on a rainy Saturday and lasted through Sunday evening.
Their ordeal reportedly started following the directive of the national leadership of the party for accreditation to be done at the state’s liaison office in Abuja.
Many of the members, it was gathered loyal to the faction of Ministry of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Moshood Mustapha who had travelled for the event were out-rightly rejected by the APC.
Pictures of their failed efforts to enter the venue through the back door for the exercise and their frustration went viral in many social media platforms back in the state and generated huge debates within the political circles.
It was gathered that the development reportedly led to destruction of the posters and flyers of President Mohammed Buhari and his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo pasted on the vehicles that conveyed them to the venue.
Sources who spoke on the issue with this medium said the factional members who had been living on false hope and promises faced reality at the venue of the convention and were roundly humiliated.
An online report quoted one of the members of the group from Moro who craved anonymity lamenting that they had been abandoned to suffer in Abuja despite assurances that they had the backing of the President.
“It’s unfortunate. It’s unfair to treat fellow party members like this. No matter what, we deserve some respect. How can you order security men to be flogging us like animals?”
“President Buhari needs to step up his game. If it continues like this, we will be left with no other option than to leave the party for them.” He said.
Efforts to get the factional party’s reaction to the issue proved abortive last night as several calls to its chairman, Basheer Bolarinwa and Kayode Zubair respectively were not answered.
But the chairman of the recognised faction in the state, Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani described the issue as confirmation of Saraki’s leadership and the recognition of his (Balogun-Fulani’s) chairmanship by the national leadership.
Balogun-Fulani who spoke during a telephone conversation with our reporter described the convention as a very successful exercise against all odds adding that the event was the recognition and affirmation of Saraki as the state leader of the party and one of its national leaders.
“The convention was a very successful especially with the emergence of one of our own, Bolaji Abdullahi as the national publicity secretary of the party. Everything went well. It was a clear recognition of our leadership elected the last congress in the state and the affirmation of our leader and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as the authentic leader of the party in the state and a national leader of the APC.
On the factional members, Balogun-Fulani said “they were not recognised contrary to what they made us to believe back in the state and their claims that they have been appointed into committee were punctured as they were nowhere near the convention list. Apart from our leadership, any other person laying claim to the APC in the state is an onlooker”, he added.
He however said they are still members of the APC and advised them to shelve the factional idea but recognised the present leadership in the state led by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Meanwhile, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has retained his position as the national publicity secretary of the APC.
Bolaji who contested the position with another Kwaran, Lanre Issa Onilu and other candidates of the party zoned to the North Central as emerged as one of the top candidates of the party from the new nPDP which had complained of marginalisation before the congress.
He polled 2002 votes to defeat Abu Sidiq (243), Duro Meseko (148), Onilu (56) with 95 invalid.
I knew I would win – Bolaji Abdullahi
But Bolaji Abdullahi, says his re-election at the just-concluded National Convention of the party did not come as a surprise to him.
Shortly after Abdullahi was declared winner of the election for his position by Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, on Sunday in Abuja, he told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was confident that he would return to the position.
Reminded of issues around the rift generated by aggrieved APC members of nPDP stock, which was likely to affect his chances, Mr Abdullahi said: ”Not at all, it was democracy.
“I don’t know where that is coming from because I have not heard it. We belong to APC and this is where we belong.
”Have you seen a farmer that plants and then walks away from it after it has mature? So I’m just hearing it from you.
”We have never heard such a rumour. So things are going accordingly and we are happy that God has granted us victory.”
He expressed joy at the success, adding that he was proud that the party had been able to demonstrate to Nigerians and the world that ”APC is a party that has evolved”.
”I am happy that we are now stronger than we were. People were expecting that we will not be able to hold this convention; they thought coming to this convention, our party is going to implode right here.
”We thank God Almighty that this has not happened. Our party has demonstrated that we are very strong and resilient and that we are capable of providing leadership quality,” he said.
The spokesman pledged that with his re-election, he was ready to build relevant institutions to project the image of APC towards 2019 general elections.
The story of my defeat may never be known, says Issa-Onilu
Lanre Issa-Onilu, one of the aspirants who contested against Bolaji Abdullahi, publicity secretary seat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has reacted to his defeat saying the story of how he was defeated may never be known, but would be told one day.
Issa-Onilu who hails from Kwara state like Abdullahi, and had earlier dismissed rumours that he was withdrawing from the race.
Minutes after Abdullahi was affirmed winner, Issa-Onilu took to his Facebook page to express his seeming dissatisfaction in pieces titled “I declare victory for the voiceless”.
“So you’ve all heard what was eventually announced for the position of the national publicity secretary of APC,” he began.
“You may never know the whole story. But that’s not even important now. What matters is what we have achieved. We have achieved a major breakthrough in Kwara state by standing up for the first time, at a national space, to those who have held our state under a gluttonous grip.”
He added; “the message has been delivered loud and clear back in our state. We feel very proud of how far we have come. We are encouraged by the overwhelming support across the state. Hundreds of solidarity phone calls and tonnes of prayers kept us going. We shall take the positives from this, going forward. I salute all the people of Kwara state who are men and women of conscience, who have continued to play active and dignifying roles as we continue to challenge the few who have been gang raping the people of Kwara state over the last 16 years, holding the socio-economic conditions of our people as hostage to poverty. You have every reason to be proud of yourselves. You’re the winners in this difficult journey to freedom.”
Issa-Onilu was the preferred candidate on the lists said to have been endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party, for the convention.
APC Gov’s candidates thrashed contestants ‘anointed’ by Buhari, Tinubu
Three different lists of “anointed” candidates were given to delegates at the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention in Abuja on Saturday.
The three versions of the “Unity List” were attributed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party, and APC governors.
However, most of the candidates anointed by the governors for various national positions won although there is a unanimity on Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo state, as chairman.
On the list attributed to Buhari were: Oshiomhole as chairman, Farouq Adamu as deputy national chairman (north) and Maimala Bunu Yadi, the incumbent national secretary, to retain his position.
Tina Adike was listed as the president’s preferred national woman leader and Lanre Issa-Onilu as national publicity secretary.
On “Tinubu list”, Oshiomhole was also to be chairman, but against Buhari’s “preference”, Tinubu allegedly preferred Lawal Shuaibu as deputy national chairman (north), and Salamatu Baiwa as national woman leader.
The two lists also differed on preferences for the party’s organising secretary. The Buhari “list” picked Christopher Osuala, while the Tinubu “list” went for Longers Anyawu.
The 34 name governors’ list, unsurprisingly, had Oshiomhole as its pick for chairman of the party. While “Buhari” and “Tinubu want Issa-Onilu as the party’s publicity secretary, the governors would prefer the incumbent Bolaji Abdullahi to carry on.
Fatima Adams is the governors’ favorite to lead women in the party.
On Saturday, Oshiomhole, who eventually ran unopposed, was declared chairman of the party.
Bit by bit of voting exercise
4.30pm: President Buhari has cast his votes for other elective posts just before departing the Eagles Square, venue of the convention
4.20pm: Voting begins for other top positions in the APC leadership after the national chairman position has been confirmed.
4.16pm: Oshiomhole is declared winner after all other candidates chose not to oppose his election.
4.12pm: President Buhari’s aide Bashir Ahmad confirms the good news on his Twitter account
4.06pm: Ex-Edo state governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is declared as the new national chairman of the APC by the chairman of the National Convention Committee Abubakar Badaru.
4.00pm: There was a minor scuffle among delegates as President Buhari delivered his speech.
3.53 pm: The president says the party will emerge stronger after the convention
He appealed all to all those that are aggrieved to keep faith.
3.52 pm: Buhari makes his way to the stage. He congratulates all those who emerged as executives at the ward, local government and state congresses.
12.30 PM: Amidst rain, delegates arrived Eagle Square with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state one of the early arrivals.
12:35: officials arranged ballot boxes for the election of party officials.
12.40 PM: Delegates fill the seats for Kogi and Kwara States. Security operatives are equally in the area apparently to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
List of New Leaders
Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, has announced some of its newly elected leaders.
The chairman of the convention committee, Abubakar Badaru, announced the results and elected officials on Sunday evening at the convention.
“We have accredited 6800 delegates for the convention and starting with the ex official south East
“I announced yesterday 18 positions unopposed. And later with the intervention of the leaders, another eight positions became unopposed making 26.”
Below are the names of the newly elected officials. Some others were yet to be announced at the time of this report.
Nduka Ayongo – Ex-Officio South-South
Aminu Tumnaga – Zonal Woman Leader
Blessing Onuhua – Zonal Woman Leader South-East
David Okumba – Zonal Secretary South-South
Zuera Bakare – Zonal Woman Leader North-West
John Uwede – Zonal Secretary South-East
Timothy Amah – Zonal Organising Secretary South-East
Femi Ibedeyi – Zonal Organising Secretary South-West
Ade Fadileri – Zonal Organising Secretary South-South
Shuaibu Abdulrahman – Zonal Organising Secretary North-East
Gabriel Osuori – Zonal Youth Leader South-South
Onyeka Osimeka – Zonal Youth Leader South-East
Laoke Olanrewaju – Zonal Youth Leader South-West
Abubakar Sa’adu – Zonal Youth Leader North-West
Kasim Bello Maigari – Zonal Youth Leader North-East
Afeez Bolaji – Deputy National Youth Leader
Abubakar Shiuab – National Youth Leader
Onye – Deputy National Woman Leader
Salamatu Umar – National Woman Leader
George Mohgalu – National Auditor
Bolaji Abdullahi – National Publicity Secretary
Sunday Chukuma – Deputy National Financial Secretary
Adamu Fanda – National Treasurer
Ado Oguta – Deputy Legal Adviser
Hillary Ekpe – National Vice-Chairman South-South
Emmanuel Omachukwu – National Vice-Chairman South-East
26 Unopposed candidates
Adams Oshiomhole National Chairman
ex-Governor Niyi Adebayo (Deputy National Chairman, South)
Hon. Babatunde Ogala (National Legal Adviser)
George Moghalu (National Auditor)
North Central
Nelson Alapa (Ex-Officio)
Hassana Abdullahi (National Women Leader)
Zakari Mohammed (Zonal Secretary)
Ibrahim Abdul (Zonal Organising Secretary)
Makop Masoic Danladi (Zonal Special Leader)
North East
Mohammed Abba Isa (Zonal Special Leader)
Abubakar Sadiq Ajiya (Zonal Secretary)
Mamman Isa Azare (Ex-Officio)
North West: Nasiru Dano (Ex-Officio)
Misbahu Lainan Didi (National Special Leader)
Abdulmunaf Mohammed (Zonal Organising Secretary)
Tukur Abdulkadir Gusau (Zonal Secretary)
South-South
Rachael Akpabio (Zonal Women Leader)
Koteten Ibadan (Ex-Officio)
Johnson Maafo (Zonal Special Leader)
South -West
Olu Kemi Titilola Nelson (Zonal Women Leader)
Olusegun Tomorin (Zonal Youth Leader)
Tajudeen Lamboye (Zonal Organising Secretary)
Tajudeen Bello (National Financial Secretary)
Omolaoye Oluremi Akintola (Ex-Officio)
Adelabu Paul Ayolade (Zonal Special Leader)
South-East
Uzoma Bright Ikechukwu (Zonal Special Leader)
Deputy National Chairman (North) was contested between the incumbent, Shuaibu and his challenger in 2014, Farouk Adamu Aliyu.
