14082018 - Saraki: Showdown on hold as NASS fails to reconvene

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
VANGUARD, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018—9
NEWS HOTLINES
018773962,
08052867058
BRIEFING: From left, Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad;
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Acting President,
Mr Laolu Akande, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,
Garba Shehu, during a news conference at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo:
NAN.
PDP behaving like militant organisation
—Presidency
•Weekend’s hat-trick, endorsement of
By Omeiza Ajayi
& Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
A BUJA—THE
Presidency and All
Progressives Congress,
APC, yesterday, celebrated
the party’s victory in the
senatorial and House of
Representatives by-election
in Katsina, Bauchi and Kogi
states, flaying Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, for
rejecting the outcome.
While Presidency described
PDP as one behaving like a
militant group, instead of
following the democratic
tenets in its activities on
national issues, APC said its
victory in the elections was an
endorsement of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
The Presidency also said the
victory recorded by the party
in the elections was an
indication of President
Buhari’s acceptance by
Nigerians and what will be
expected in 2019 elections.
Briefing State House
correspondents at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja,
Senior Special Assistant to
the President on Media and
Publicity, Malam Garba
Shehu, flanked by his
colleague in the office of the
Vice President, Laolu
Akande, said each of the byelections
was considered to
be epic in nature.
He said the allegation of
bribery for votes and votebuying
alleged by PDP was
a serious offence and that it
was the duty of citizens who
have evidence of such
infractions to report to the
appropriate quarters.
He said: “One is to say that
bribery of voters or vote
buying is an offence in this
country, I think that citizens
who have evidence
regarding this, have a duty
to report to the law
enforcement agencies. This is
the way to help the country.
PDP behaving like
Buhari — APC
militant
organisation
“Second, I think it is not the
right attitude for a political
party, a so-called opposition
leader to conduct their affairs
like a militant organisation, a
political party cannot be run
like a militant organisation.
"If you have disagreement
on the outcome of an election,
they know the process and
they know it because they
abused it before. You can see
this is the clear difference of
the kind of democracy the
APC administration is trying
to put in place from what they
are used to.
“(Governor) Willie Obiano
of Anambra, same afternoon
he won election, President
Buhari said congratulations
and welldone, we were
happy we came second in the
elections. That is the way it
is.
“We lost a Senate seat in
Osun, we didn’t try to bring
down the roof, and this that
has happened in Cross River
(by-election for state
assembly), did you hear
Adams Oshiomhole saying
he wants to shoot people? I
think this is the difference we
need.
“It is clear that from election
after election, Nigerians are
reposing confidence in the
Buhari/Osinbajo Presidency.
Each of these election
victories is considered to be
epic in nature because none
of these elections was an
ordinary election.
“We are happy that we have
won and on behalf of the
President and the acting
president, we like to say thank
you to Nigerians who
continue to repose their
confidence in the leadership
of the APC administration."
Weekend’s hattrick,
endorsement
of Buhari—APC
On its part, APC said its
“hat trick” victories in last
weekend’s National
Assembly by-election
signalled Nigerian’s
endorsement of President
2019: PDP to prune number of
Presidential aspirants
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA—AHEAD of the
2019 Presidential
elections, there are
indications that Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, has
concluded plans to cut
down the number of its
presidential aspirants
before the primary election.
The plan, our
correspondent gathered, is
aimed at preventing
unnecessary dissipation of
energy by supporters and
members of the PDP as well
as nipping in the bud,
possible fragmentations
within the ranks of the
party.
Although the leadership
of the party has
continuously reiterated its
commitment to fairness and
justice, the current move is
being orchestrated with the
active cooperation of some
of the aspirants.
A highly-placed party
source told this medium in
confidence that those that
have been told to drop their
ambitions would be
“compensated in one way
or the other,” adding that
what is of utmost
importance is victory at the
polls for the party.
The sorce said: “The
number of Presidential
aspirants keep increasing
by the day and this is a bit
worrisome for us as a party.
Yes, all those that have
indicated interest in the
ticket are eminently
qualified but we must be
realistic that this is not the
time to have our house
unnecessarily divided.
Buhari’s administration,
ahead of the next year
elections.
In its first formal reaction to
the outcome of the elections,
APC noted that since
assuming office, President
Buhari had demonstrated
political will and “remains
solidly committed to the task
of building a new Nigeria, in
line with the Change Agenda
we promised to the electorate
and the progressive ideals we
stand for.”
According to the Acting
National Publicity Secretary
of the Party, Yekini Nabena,
“the All Progressives
Congress, APC’s hat-trick
victories, following
weekend’s by-elections for
Katsina North, Bauchi South
senatorial seats and Lokoja/
Kogi Federal Constituency
House of Representatives
seat have again powerfully
demonstrated the confidence
and trust by our people in
President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration.”
“It is very easy to say all
of them should battle it out
at the convention to choose
the Presidential candidate.
There is a need to cut down
the numbers whether we
like it or not, these people
(aspirants) are already
leaders in their own right.
“So, whether they
emerge the candidate or
not, they have paid their
dues. The party has made
steady progress in this
regard and I believe it will
turn out a win-win situation
for all of us.”
Beyond the need for an
efficient conduct of the
Presidential primaries, our
source added that the
leadership of the party is
also mindful of the
Memorandum of
Understanding it signed
with 37 other political
parties a few weeks ago.
A-Court halts execution
of arrest warrant on
INEC boss, Yakubu
•Orders trial court to hands off
till Sept 17
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
A BUJA—ABUJA
Division of the Court
of Appeal, yesterday,
ordered a stay of execution
of the bench warrant
directing Nigeria Police
Force to arrest chairman of
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, Prof. Mahmood
Yakubu, for disobeying
court orders.
A three-man special
panel of the appellate court
held that the arrest order
should be placed on hold,
pending the hearing and
determination of an appeal
the INEC boss lodged
before it.
The Justice Abdul Abokiled
panel also ordered the
Federal High Court in
Abuja to temporarily handsoff
the case, saying it would
be prejudicial for the
contempt proceeding
against Yakubu to continue
while his appeal is still
pending.
The court held: “Since the
court below is aware that an
appeal has been entered in
this court and is pending
here. Also considering that
the legality of the warrant
of arrest is an issue in this
appeal, it will be prejudicial
to the appeal for the trial
court to continue dealing
DSS denies recovering
N21bn, weapons, PVCs
from Daura’s homes
By Soni Daniel
A
B U J A —
DEPARTMENT
of State Services, DSS, has
described as false and
wicked, fake news being
widely circulation in the
social media claiming that
N21 billion, 400 assorted
weapons and permanent
voter cards, PVCs, were
recovered from the homes
of its sacked Director-
General, Lawal Daura.
Spokesman of DSS, Mr.
Tony Opuiyo, in a
statement released in
Abuja, yesterday, made it
clear that neither the
agency nor any other
security outfit in the country
had carried out any
recovery either in the
homes or residence of the
sacked D-G.
Opuiyo described the
video as the handiwork of
dishonest elements bent on
creating tension and breach
of the peace in the country
and tarnishing the image
with the issue.
“We, therefore, stay the
execution of the warrant of
arrest pending the
determination of the motion
on notice, which will be
taken together with the
main appeal.
“The application is
adjourned till September 17
for hearing.”
Besides, the court
directed Chairman and
Legal Adviser of Anambra
State chapter of Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
Chief Ejike Oguebego, and
Chuks Okoye, respectively,
who are respondents in the
appeal, to file their brief of
argument before the
adjourned date.
Yakubu had through his
lawyer, Chief Adegboyega
Awomolo, SAN, begged the
appellate court to stop trial
Justice Stephen Pam from
sitting on the contempt
charge against him on
Tuesday.
The INEC boss told the
appellate court that he was
apprehensive that the high
court Judge would send
him to prison if allowed to
proceed with the case as
scheduled.
“My lords, it will appear
that the trial judge is bent
on committing the
appellant to prison at all
cost and our worry is that
he has dragged himself
into the arena."
of the DSS.
The agency said: “These
non-existent items include
N21 billion cash; 400
assorted and sophisticated
small arms and light
weapons/rifles; and
thousands of Permanent
Voters Cards, PVCs,
belonging to Niger
Republic immigrants.
“In another video also in
circulation, some persons
believed to be personnel of
a security outfit were seen
forcing open safes stocked
with money. The security
operatives were described
as executing a recovery
operation at the Katsina
home of the former D-G.
“Consequently, the
service wishes to inform the
public that these videos are
false and should be
disregarded. So far, no such
recovery operations have
been undertaken by the
EFCC or any other security
agency at DSS’ office or
residences of the former
DG."