PDP, APC bicker over issue-based campaign about 9 hours ago • Ruling party seeks dismissal of Obanikoro’s suit against Agbaje • How I am raising funds, building support base, by Buhari HAVING resolved to pursue a rancour-free, issue-based campaign towards a peaceful 2015 polls, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday restated its commitment to the objective while decrying what it called the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) flagrant violation of same. It also vowed to protect the PDP-led Gombe State Government against distraction as “agents of the opposition party” threaten its peace. In a swift riposte yesterday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, dismissed the APC’s claim that the description of its presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as “semi-literate jackboot” by the PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, amounted to reneging on the commitment. In the same vein, the PDP yesterday accused former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, of plotting to thwart the party’s effort to field a credible candidate for next year’s governorship election in Lagos State. The party further urged the Federal High Court, Abuja to dismiss Obanikoro’s suit seeking to nullify its December 8, 2014 Lagos governorship primary when Jimi Agbaje emerged as the candidate. However, The Guardian gathered yesterday that a political solution to the impasse has already been agreed between the warring parties with Obanikoro accepting to return to the cabinet as Minister of State for Defence, the office he left in November. Meanwhile, Buhari yesterday said that his strength lied with the Nigerian masses who are desirous of a change in the leadership of the country. Giving an update on his crowd-funding platform at his campaign headquarters in Abuja, he likened his fund raising effort to that of the American President, Barrack Obama, who enjoyed the goodwill of Americans to actualise his presidential bid. Buhari, responding to whether he could match Jonathan, who got over N21.2 billion donation from top government functionaries and corporate outfits for his campaign, disclosed that he has so far received about N54.4 million through direct deposits and sales of cards to the First Bank account number 2026724405, opened to raise campaign funds from Nigerians. Calling for more donations from the citizenry, Buhari, who joined chieftains of the party and members of his fundraising committee to cut the Christmas cake, said he remained the sole signatory to the Buhari campaign account with First Bank Plc to ensure transparency in the usage of monies generated. According to him, there are 82 support groups that have been registered under the BSO, with over 475,796 coordinators and a total membership in the region of 8,492,226 drawn from across the country. “I know we live in difficult times in Nigeria. There is insecurity, corruption, poverty, and above all, the uncertainty of life as it is becoming unbearable. I want to appeal to all our supporters to continue making sacrifice till we get the needed change. It is a real demonstration that when people come together and put their minds to it, change is possible,” he said. In related development, Nigerians under the aegis of House-to-House Educational Initiative, yesterday kick-started the campaign to garner support for the success of the Buhari/Yemi Osinbajo presidency bid. National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Kunle Ehinlanwo, explained at a media conference in Abuja that the initiative aimed at ensuring the election of Buhari, who is capable of taking the country out of the woods. “Our initial idea was to support the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, believing that continuity will better secure our democracy considering the stage we are in the democratic ladder, but on a deeper review and careful analysis of the situation in the country, we are not convinced with the performance of the present administration.” However, the APC has described the PDP as a Janus-faced bumbling party for serially mudslinging it and its leaders, especially in the aftermath of its national convention. In a statement in Abuja yesterday by Mohammed, the party said the same PDP that has been preaching issue-based electioneering campaign has done nothing but mudslinging against the person of Buhari, his running mate, Osinbajo, its leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and indeed the entire party. In its counter affidavit to the claims made by Obanikoro in a suit he filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, seeking to nullify the said primary, the party said contrary to the former minister’s claim, it was he who stormed the primary election venue with about “30 heavily armed mobile policemen.” The party contended that, as against Obanikoro’s claim, it complied with its Electoral Guidelines in the conduct of the Lagos primary. It also denied Obanikoro’s allegation of over voting during the primary election. Besides the counter affidavit, a notice of preliminary objection and affidavit to show cause filed for the party by Paul Ananaba (SAN) articulated its position. The PDP, which prayed the court to dismiss Obanikoro’s suit, argued that even if there was non-compliance with the Electoral Guideline, “it was not substantial to warrant the prayers sought by the plaintiff.” In its affidavit to show cause why Obanikoro’s prayers should not be granted, the PDP denied that there was over voting, arguing that its electoral committee acted within the guideline and conducted a free exercise. “Voting was by the modified open ballot in accordance with Article 19k of the Guidelines. At the conclusion of voting, a total of 864 ballot papers were issued to the accredited delegates. In the Electoral Committee Chairman’s opening remarks, he had mentioned that 806 delegates were accredited. “But this initial remark was a tabulation error, which occurred by the omission to tabulate the following list of delegates even though they had been duly accredited for the exercise: Ikeja adhoc delegates (30); Ikeja automatic delegates (7); Ojo automatic delegates (6); Mushin automatic delegates (8) and Alimosho automatic delegates (7), bringing the total omitted in tabulation to 58,” the party said. In its counter affidavit, the PDP stated that the suit by Obanikoro was intended to “improperly frustrate and deprive the PDP from fielding their lawful governorship candidate in Lagos State. The party, in its preliminary objection, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case on the grounds that the suit was wrongly commenced, and without the necessary parties; that it was frivolous and amounted to an abuse of court’s process. The PDP argued that despite his allegations to the effect that Chief Bode George and Agbaje allegedly manipulated the election and disrupted proceedings during the primary election, he (Obanikoro) failed to name the two as parties in the case. According to sources, the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, would be in Lagos today to meet with party leaders and stakeholders to brief them on the resolutions reached, some of which include Obanikoro’s return as minister and the deputy governor slot reserved for him or his appointee. The truce, which was brokered yesterday, began on Sunday when party leaders met at the villa for over eight hours. The meeting, which began at 4:00 p.m. didn’t end until past 12midnight Monday morning, with President Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo, Senate President David Mark, PDP Chairman, Muazu, Obanikoro and Agbaje in attendance. And continuing his attack on Jonathan since his defection from the PDP, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that only Buhari can fix Nigeria and end the ongoing insurgency and corruption Amaechi, who addressed a press conference in Lagos yesterday, expressed confidence that Buhari would not only defeat the incumbent President Jonathan but that the APC would as well dust the ruling PDP in the 2015 elections. He refuted the rumour that Buhari had promised to do a single term if elected president, saying: “Buhari never said he would do one term, it is mere speculation. When he becomes president, Buhari would run a prudent government. Our expectations of winning the presidential elections are very high.” According to Metuh, “in the PDP, we occupy the moral high ground as far as our commitment to issue-based campaign is concerned. Our word remains our bond; since we made that commitment, we have focused on issues. “We have also taken up the responsibility of drawing the attention of Nigerians to the obvious cases of incompetence and failings of the APC and those who aspire to the leadership of our nation through that platform.” Metuh added: “There has never been any instance that we have maliciously attacked the character of those on the presidential ticket of the APC. Rather, we have been alive to our responsibility of offering public service so that Nigerians will not be deceived. “The particular statement by Prof. Oladipo, referred to by the APC, which we even consider complimentary, does not in any way compare with the many instances of vicious, malicious and provocative attacks on the person and office of our presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, after we made the commitment to engage in a decent campaign. “It is on record that a few days after the commitment alluded to by the APC, Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso, attacked the person of President Jonathan, describing him as an ‘incompetent Commander-in-Chief.’ No personal attack could be more vicious and unconscionable.” He continued: “Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has consistently prosecuted a hate campaign against President Jonathan, describing him as ‘an enemy of Rivers people.’ I ask the APC and my friend, Lai Mohammed, if this destructive campaign sounds like a love song to him?
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 08:51:10 +0000