Don’t Defect, Buhari Urges Saraki

[Edoman]

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Thursday made deft moves to avert an impending exodus of its bigwigs to the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The peace initiative, Akelicious gathered, was being spearheaded by President Muhammadu Buhari, who Thursday met with Senate President Bukola Saraki, believed to be the arrowhead of the impending mass movement, and appealed to him to stay back in the party.


Saraki and other aggrieved top members of the APC massed in the reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC), including Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) had met with the leaders of the PDP on Wednesday in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, to consider the absorption of the rAPC.

Akelicious had reported Thursday that although the PDP leaders, including Governor Nyesom Wike and the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had gone to Ilorin ostensibly to commiserate with Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, an rAPC chieftain, over the death of his mother, a meeting to discuss their possible crossover to the PDP actually held.

Buhari’s meeting with Saraki, the outcome of which was not made public, held simultaneously with another, between Ortom, who had indicated on Tuesday that he had technically left the APC, and the National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

The former Edo State governor publicly appealed to Ortom not to return to the PDP.

Akelicious gathered that Saraki’s meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa Thursday was set up by APC governors, including Alhaji Aminu Masari (Katsina State), Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) and Senator Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi State), who after initial discussions with the Senate president at his Abuja residence on Wednesday night, prevailed on the president to meet with him and persuade him not to defect from the party.

The APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole too, Akelicious learnt, spent much of Monday at Saraki’s house trying to straighten things out.

Oshiomhole’s effort was said to have been followed up in Ilorin on Wednesday by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Niyi Adebayo, who led a delegation on a fence mending mission.

Masari, Amosun and Bagudu were said to have advised Buhari to meet with Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to persuade them to reconsider their decision to move out of the APC as this could adversely affect the fortune of the party in 2019.

The president, Akelicious learnt, agreed with the governors and met with Saraki Thursday even as he is expected to meet with Dogara around the weekend.

Although there was no statement after the presidential fence-mending, it was learnt that there was no concrete resolution as both leaders left the meeting with all options left open.

Meanwhile, Oshiomhole vowed Thursday that the party would not allow Ortom to defect to the PDP.

He said the national leadership of APC would do everything possible to ensure that peace returned to the Benue State chapter and that Ortom remained in the party.

Oshiomhole, who spoke to journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja after meeting with Ortom, described the governor as a man of honour that could not afford to eat his vomit.

He said: “In Benue, we are going for a win-win solution. Governor Ortom is not going anywhere, he is a very prominent member of our party, we appreciate his leadership in Benue and we will do everything possible to help those who have issues to have those issues resolved.

“People like Ortom who have honour cannot leave PDP just three and a half years ago with his eyes open and then later there are some tensions in his master bedroom and is thinking of returning to deceiving people. That cannot be an option.

“He is a man of honour and he knows that one should look for one step if you want to take the second step to concentrate the first step, that’s the way to go.”

He said the problem between the governor and his erstwhile godfather, Senator George Akume, would be resolved.

However, Ortom told journalists that the issues were yet to be resolved.

He accused Akume of trying to push him out of the APC.

He said, “I was given red card by Senator Akume, who is the leader of the captives in Benue State and I took it as I was serious enough to make myself available.

“But the leadership of the party told me that the decision of the party leadership at the national level is superior to any individual and I think that is good enough.

“We have spoken to him, he has spoken to me, stakeholders are going to be spoken to and that is where I belong. We have not concluded the matter, it is an ongoing process because I have always stood for peace and I always want peace to prevail.”

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.this...araki/amp/

[Edoman]

Saraki Seeks At least N10bn, Others In Damages From Buhari, APC, To Remain In Party
By
 Abdullahi Maikudi
 -
July 20, 2018

[/url]



[url=whatsapp://send?text=Saraki Seeks At least N10bn, Others In Damages From Buhari, APC, To Remain In Party %0A%0A http://thewillnigeria.com/news/saraki-se...-in-party/]
[url=whatsapp://send?text=Saraki Seeks At least N10bn, Others In Damages From Buhari, APC, To Remain In Party %0A%0A http://thewillnigeria.com/news/saraki-se...-in-party/][/url]
[img=0x0]http://thewillnigeria.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SARAKI-MEETING-696x464.jpg[/img]Senate President Saraki at the presidential villa for Thursday's meeting with President Buhari.
[img=320x0]http://thewillnigeria.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-will.jpg[/img]
BEVERLY HILLS, July 19, (THEWILL) – Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki is allegedly seeking at least N10 billion in monetary compensation from President Muhammadu Buhari in a high stakes deal as part of conditions to remain in the ruling party.
Saraki, who is the arrowhead of the splinter group of the APC, Reformed All Progressives Congress, R-APC, is also demanding that he returns as Senate President in 2019 should the APC emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections as part of the agreement.
The Kwara State native and his group have threatened to leave the party for the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if his terms are not met.
THEWILL gathered authoritatively from a source privy to the negotiations that Saraki, who is still ecstatic following his victory at the Supreme Court over charges of false assets declaration, is going for the jugular of the president and the ruling party over his perceived politically motivated prosecution, which lasted about 3years.
“President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, our National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole have been begging and urging Saraki to remain in the party because he is central to our plan to win in the North Central, where marauders masquerading as Fulani-herdsmen have killed hundreds of people and made our party look weak,” our authoritative source said.
The very influential politician amongst members of the National Assembly and his home state Kwara, who somehow managed to survive the onslaught of the presidency after defying his party to emerge Senate President via a forbidden alliance with the PDP, has been openly meeting and flirting with leaders of the PDP and is believed to be ready to dump the APC. In fact, some of his associates sympathetic to the group have already formally exited the party.
The R-APC, a group of aggrieved members of the ruling APC claim they have been sidelined by the party and have been in talks with the PDP, where most of them were before their mass defection to the APC just before the 2015 general polls.
THEWILL also gathered authoritatively that Saraki has been negotiating with Oshiomhole via telephone all week and on Thursday met with Buhari, Osinbajo and some APC Governors that are very close to Buhari – Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Abdul’ aziz Abubakar Yari (Zamfara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Governor-elect of Ekiti (Kayode Fayemi) at the presidential villa for about 50 minutes.
Saraki declined to speak to the press after Thursday evening’s meeting. “Nah! I have no comments,” he said as he slid into the back seat of a sleek Mercedes Benz S-500 that brought him to the President’s office.
The other governors also declined to speak to state house correspondents.

[Edoman]

•Senate President summons meeting of loyalists, strategists for final decision

•No timeline for defection, says Ologbondiyan

Posted By: Yusuf Alli


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be in a hurry to get its deal with members of the Reformed -All Progressives Congress (R-APC) done and sealed.

The two sides have been locked in intense talks and negotiations over the last few weeks for the aggrieved members of the APC to switch camps ahead of next year’s elections.

But President Muhammadu Buhari and the new national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have also launched peace talks of their own to persuade such APC members to reconsider their plan to dump the party.

With no defection of note happening as expected by the PDP, the party has given Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and others a two-week deadline to make up their minds and rejoin it.

Also being wooed by the PDP are : Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto); Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue); ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, many Senators and members of the House of Representatives mostly in the Reformed-All Progressives Congress(R-APC) and other willing defectors.

The Nation gathered that the Senate President who met with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, has summoned an emergency meeting of his associates, loyalists and strategists to take a final decision on whether or not to defect.

The meeting, which may hold anytime this week with tomorrow said to be the target date, if all those concerned could make it to Abuja.

It was learnt that Saraki has been in Lagos and Ilorin on whistle stops over the last few days for last minute consultations with his allies.

Sources told The Nation that a committee empanelled by Saraki has recommended that defection is “appropriate and popular” among his loyalists.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the two week deadline was conveyed to Saraki in Ilorin by Governor Nyesom Wike on Wednesday during a closed door session that took place after the Fidau for Hajiya Aishat Baraje, mother of a former National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Baraje, who was also chairman of the New PDP (nPDP), is one of the key promoters of R-APC.

A top source familiar with the development said: “there is no doubt that the PDP delegation came for the Fidau and to mount pressure on Saraki to hasten action on the proposal to accommodate likely defectors from APC to PDP.

“Wike, who led the team, asked Saraki to wrap up decision on the defection within the next one week or two weeks in order to enable PDP adjust its structures ahead of primaries for various elective posts in 2019.

“Do not forget that the defection might alter the party structure at the state level and the power sharing formula. The PDP has clearly stated that it will give equal rights and a sense of belonging to all defectors.

“This deadline applies to Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, other governors, Senators, members of the House of Representatives, Speakers and members of the State Houses of Assembly; and other party chieftains.

“The conduct of primaries by all parties is expected to begin on August 18. Any serious defector, technically, has less than three weeks to do so in order to be able to integrate with the structure of the party.

“And the National Assembly will soon go on break to enable the lawmakers participate in the primaries.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “I think Wike, who is a key facilitator in strengthening PDP ahead of 2019 poll, is working on a deadline to prevent undue pressure on the APC bigwigs which might make them change their decision.”


No timeframe for defection, says Ologbondiyan

However, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan said last night that there is no timeframe for defection.

“There is no timeframe for defection. Our constitution says those who are coming to our party can contest election within one month to the conduct of any elective post. And even that one month can still be waived,” he said when contacted by
The Nation.

Continuing, the PDP spokesman said: “I am not aware of the two-week deadline given to those who are defecting and it could not have been true.

“It is natural for those defecting, who want to contest for elective offices in 2019, to join PDP before the primaries.”


What INEC time table stipulates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in January released the guidelines and schedule of activities for the 2019 poll.

According to the guidelines, all political parties are expected to collect forms for all elections latest by August 24, 2018.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the notice of election would be communicated on August 17, 2018 in line with Section 30(1) of the Electoral 2010 which provides that the notice of election be made not later than 90 days before the election.

He said the conduct of party primaries and resolution of disputes from the exercise will hold between August 18 and October 7, 2018.


Saraki summons meeting with associates

Sources said Saraki is currently on the last lap of his consultations with his associates on whether to defect or not.

A final decision is expected to be taken at the meeting which will take place anytime this week.

Although it was reliably learnt that the session might take place on Monday, it could not be officially confirmed as at the time of going to the press.

“There is pressure from the two main parties on the President of the Senate. I can tell you that Saraki is on the last lap of consultation on whether to remain in APC or defect to PDP,” a well placed source said last night.

“You can see that even the President, Vice President and some governors met with him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

“A committee, set up to consult widely in all the zones and local government areas in Kwara State, has strongly recommended that he should defect. Left to members of the immediate family of Saraki, they do not want him to stay a day longer in APC because of his ordeal in the last three years.

“As a leader, the president of the Senate will hold a session with his associates, loyalists and strategists on whether to defect or not. The meeting will hold this week with Monday tentatively in mind. It is a moment he did not expect will come so soon after joining others to form a coalition which led to the birth of APC.”

The source added: “The greatest concern of Saraki and his loyalists borders on whether President Buhari and APC leaders will keep faith if he remains in APC. No one has trust in the presidency and the APC leaders.

“If APC returns to power in 2018, the Buhari administration will be going through its constitutionally acceptable second term in which there will not be anything at stake. Are you sure Saraki will be safe enough?”

http://thenationonlineng.net/defection-p...-deadline/



PDP Gives Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Others 2wk Deadline