May-May Nwa' Africa

The governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has described those behind the agitation for the break up and restructuring of the country as real enemies of the country.

The governor stated this yesterday in Lokoja during a meeting with leaders of the organised labour in the state.

He called on Nigerians to disregard calls for the restructuring of the country, describing such calls as mere political deceit.

Bello said: “Nigeria under President Muhammad Buhari is on the path of restoring its lost glory.

“I appeal to Nigerians to support the federal government in its determination to right the wrongs of the past.

The President has since assumption of office made practical efforts to unite every segment of the Nigerian federation.”

According to him, “Every country has their unique challenges, but are making effort to overcome these challenges collectively irrespective of their cultural, religious or political differences.

“Nigeria is a blessed country with the prospect of a great nation. I urge every Nigerian to support the government by being patriotic and peaceful.

“Those agitating for disintegration of Nigeria are enemies of the country. Even, their call for restructuring is mere political deceit.”

The governor noted that his administration had since assumption of office in the state taken bold steps to improve critical infrastructures such as: roads, rural electrification, water and quality health-care for the people of the state.

He further stated that he had paid workers’ salaries and arrears up to May this year, adding that efforts were on to ensure that arrears of pensions were completely paid off.

“One of the gains of Civil Service Reform is that Kogi has a reliable data base for its workforce,” he added.

Earlier on, the state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Comrade Onu Edoka, commended the governor for his giant strides in infrastructure and Security.

The Alliance of Collaborating Political Parties (ACPP) has denied alleged adoption of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate for the forthcoming Osun West Senatorial by-election, Mr. Ademola Adeleke by political parties in Osun state. 

A claim made by Pastor Popoola Olatunji, the state chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) during a radio programme on Rave 91.7 FM last week that all political parties under the aegis of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Osun state had adopted Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate Mr. Ademola Adeleke as a sole candidate of the opposition parties for the forthcoming Osun West Senatorial election.

This was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo yesterday by the Chairman and Financial Secretary of the association Comr. Waheed Lawal and Adesoji Massilo Adeleke. 

Comrade Waheed Lawal described the adoption statement made by Pastor Poopola as a joke of a thousand nights. According to him “APGA fielded no candidate in the forthcoming senatorial by-election and the CNPP he said is administering has no parties as members. Then why the noise?

Prince Massilo Adesoji Adeleke in his statement said “Pastor Popoola who was once his secretary in CNPP has no right to speak for all the registered political parties in the state. APGA is not among the contesting political parties for the Osun West Senatorial by-election. His political party has a case in court, why is he interfering in issues that doesn’t concern him. It has been made known from a reliable source that only eleven political parties will be participating in the forthcoming senatorial by-election. The parties include ACD, APC, GPN, LP, MPPP, NCP, NNPP, PDP, PRP, SDP and UDP. Please where is APGA? My sincere advice to him is to leave APGA and join his vague civil rights association for it is no more news that he is becoming irrelevant and extraneous. 

The Alliance of Collaborating Political Parties (ACPP) however cautioned PDP to deal with Pastor Popoola as an individual and not on behalf of all the registered political parties.

Outspoken Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has spoken out on abandoning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as he attends the

inauguration of APC governor in Ondo state. Gov.

Fayose pictured at the inauguration

While speaking in Akure, Ondo State during the inauguration of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as the governor of Ondo State, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Friday said the welfare and unity of Yoruba people were important for anybody to play politics with.

The chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum said that being a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party should not stop him from attending the inauguration of an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor said such an occasion was a national one that well-meaning people should identify with.

”This is a Nigerian affairs. When a governor is sworn in we have to support him. We are talking of regional integration and unity and Akeredolu is one of us. We have to support him and electioneering has come and gone and a winner has emerged and we have to work together in the spirit of the people of our region.

“We cannot play politics with the welfare of the people of our region. We have to support Akeredolu to make the difference. This is a matter of the Yoruba nation and after Nigeria, Yoruba nation comes first. We don’t need to play politics with the welfare of Yoruba people,” he said.

On whether he is planning to join the APC, the governor said nothing of such was in the offing. “I am the main issue of the APC. They don’t have my size. They are wearing babaringa and they don’t have the size of my cloth. The other time we gave them 16-0 and this time around, if it’s possible to get a local government from another state, we will give them 17-0 in the 2018 governorship election,” he added.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has prayed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resolved its leadership crisis soon to enable it take up responsibility as a viable opposition.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja on Tuesday, the party said there was need for PDP to be vibrant to provide the critical opposition.

It said, “we pray for them to put their house in order soon because we believe that democracy is better served when the opposition is alive.

“However, we also know the PDP can only begin to take steps towards recovery if they stop peddling conspiracy theories and blaming imaginary enemies.’’

It recalled that Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party had alleged that the APC instructed the Police to prevent its members from meeting at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.

Makarfi, according to it, had also alleged that the APC had somehow influenced the Appeal Court decision which ruled against him as the PDP National Caretaker Committee Chairman. 

 

 

“Neither of these allegations is true in any respect, the Police does not take instructions from the APC.

“The police have explained why they stopped the Makarfi group from meeting at the ICC. 

“If the factional PDP is dissatisfied with the police explanation, they could seek further clarifications from the police or pursue alternative means of redress,’’ the APC said.

It added that so far, the Makarfi faction of the PDP had not faulted the police or provided any proof for its allegations against the APC, a development that was surprising.

It said that this was “especially so considering that Makarfi and his group had in their ranks, individuals who are experienced to know that without evidence, such allegations can easily be dismissed as baseless.

“Such allegation without evidence can, therefore, be ignored by all right thinking members of the public, including the APC.’’

The APC added that Nigerians should be worried by the behaviour of PDP factions which was capable of eroding the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary.

It added that even as the PDP battled for survival, Nigerians should observe restraint in the interest of the country`s democracy, saying that APC had no interest in the internal crisis of PDP.

(NAN).

  The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC already enmeshed in fresh crisis as the Southeast zone of the party has denounced the selection of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani as the National Leader of the party in the zone.

The Imo State Governor, Rochas Owelle Okorocha had a few weeks ago announced Ken Nnamani as the zone's leader.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the zonal meeting, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige and the National Vice Chairman, Chief Emma Eneukwu said the party constitution did not provide for such position.

 

Ngige said: “There’s no such position in our party constitution. No clause or section of the party constitution provides for such position in our party. It’s a storm in a teacup; we don’t want that to cause disunity. So, this is a non-issue at all; it is just that the press made it look like a mountain out of a small molehill.”

Ngige stated that the party leaders extensively deliberated, as well as, call to order those championing the issue to be guided by the constitution, stressing that what mattered to the party presently was not leadership, but how to win elections.

According to Thisday,The deputy chief of staff to Plateau state governor, Barrister Simon Lalong, is dead.

According to the report, Barrister Yusuf Gambo Hawaja died on Sunday, February 19 at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BhUTH) in Jos the state capital.

Daily Post gathered that he collapsed in his house and died in the car as he was being taken to the hospital.

A member of Muslim Ullamah in the state. Alhaji Sani Mudi, confirmed the development according to the report.

He died at the aged of 54 years old leaving behind his aged mother, Hajiya Maryam Hawaja, four children and his wife Hajiya Fatima Hawaja. 


He was appointed deputy chief of staff by Governor Lalong in 2015. He has since being buried according to Muslim rights.

The incident is coming almost three weeeks after Agunola Omomowo, chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and chairman of Ilaje local government area of Ondo state slumped and died in his hotel room

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has registered over one million new members in south east states, it was revealed at the weekend.

The south east zone of the party has also requested for extension of the time allotted for the on-going continuous registration exercise of the party.

It also requested for more materials from the national leadership of the party.

A communiqué by the national vice chairman south east zone of the APC, Hon. Emma Eneukwu, at the end of a one day meeting of the party’s stakeholders in the zone in Enugu, stated that the exercise had recorded a huge turnout  in the zone.

Eneukwu stressed the meeting re-confirmed the ongoing registration exercise was very much on-track.

He commended state chairmen of the party in all the South east states for a job well done.

”The meeting re-confirmed that the ongoing continuous registration exercise in APC South east, which recorded a huge turnout, is very peaceful. 

“The state chairmen of the South east states were also commended for a job well done at their states. Over one million members have been registered so far.

“The zone requested from the national leadership for the provision of more materials and extension of the time allotted for the exercise.
“The South East APC is united and heartily welcomes all the prominent Igbo politicians who recently joined the party.

“The South East zonal stakeholders pass a vote of confidence on the national, zonal, states, local governments, wards leadership of the party as constituted before the 2015 general election,” the communiqué stated.

It maintained the APC was favored to win in Anambra state given the quality of the governorship aspirants in the state.

The meeting, it further stressed, ratified the zonal disciplinary committee for the zone with Hon. Uche Onyeagocha as chairman and Barrister Mrs Ngozi Udodi as secretary.

It also ratified the fund raising and finance with Chief Gbazuagu N. Gbazuagu as chairman and Amara Iwuanyanwu as secretary.

The meeting was chaired by Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha and attended by  Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, among others.

There are indications that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, are making moves towards clinching the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 election.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that both politicians had been discussing with the leaders of the party with the hope of gaining their support for the ticket.

It was gathered that Atiku, though a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was already tinkering with the idea of returning to his former party if he would not be allowed to contest the ticket in his current party.

He is said to be considering other options on the premise that President Muhammadu Buhari might want to run for a second term.

In the event that he would not, the President would also be expected to “anoint” his successor in the party.

Though Atiku had denied plans to leave the APC, sources in the PDP, however, said Atiku’s hand could be felt in the current moves to reposition the former ruling party.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said Atiku was neck-deep in the activities of the party.

He explained that it was wrong to assume that the current travails of members of the party were rubbing off on its acceptability across the country, adding that Nigerians would be surprised with the calibre of people currently speaking with the leadership of the PDP.

The source added, “Atiku knows that he may not have the chance to contest the APC ticket, and that’s why we have been talking.

“He wants to be President and as it is, nothing is sure for him in his new party. He still believes that his former party, which is the PDP, is a formidable party on which platform he can realise his age-long ambition.”

Atiku recently visited a former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), in Minna, who recently returned to the country from his medical trip to Switzerland.

It was believed that the former Vice-President used the occasion to discuss his 2019 presidential ambition, but the former presidential aspirant denied such insinuation.

Media aide to Atiku, Mr. Paul Ibe, said Atiku was not the first person to visit Babangida, who annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, believed to have been won by the late businessman, Bashorun Moshood Abiola, since his return to the country.

Apart from the former military dictator, he said the former Vice-President could not be said to have visited any other person of recent.

Babangiga, who reluctantly “stepped aside” from office after eight years in the saddle as military President, is believed to still be a member of the PDP.

“He just came back from a medical trip abroad. Atiku isn’t the only person that has visited him,” Ibe said.

Ibe declined comments on whether the former Vice-President would run for the Presidency in 2019 or on which platform.

He said Atiku had yet to make up his mind on whether to run for the nation’s number one seat, stressing that until such a decision was taken, it would be too early to talk about which platform.

Ibe added, “I can’t say whether he would contest now. The desire to contest has to be there first before we can talk about the platform.

“Until when the decision to run is taken, the issue of which platform remains secondary.

“I’m aware that there is pressure on him to run in 2019, but no decision has been taken yet.”

He added that the Turaki Adamawa like other Nigerians, is disappointed with a lot of things going on in the country.

It was also gathered that the national leadership of the PDP, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, was planning to visit Atiku with a view to wooing him back to the party.

A member of the Strategic Review and Inter-Party Committee of the party, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, said the party would visit all those who had left the party.

Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and an aspirant to the office of the national chairman of the party, would, however, not disclose if and when his committee would visit Atiku.

He told The PUNCH on the telephone on Wednesday that the PDP was desirous of returning to power in 2019, adding that those who could be instrumental in its success at the polls, would be visited.

The former minister stated, “We are meeting everybody. We are going to have meetings with all those who are ready to open up and return to the PDP.

“Everybody is important; so, and we will not mention the names of those we are going to visit, but let me say that those who share in the vision of the party’s founding fathers will be visited.

“We know that the PDP remains a popular party across the country. Therefore, we will also do our own homework in order to make sure that we return to power in 2019.”

It was gathered that the party’s hierarchy was divided over the likely return of Atiku to the party as some leaders were said to be of the opinion that only those, who had stood by the party from inception, be trusted with its presidential ticket.

The former vice-president had left the PDP twice.

Lamido, who is also said to be eyeing the party’s ticket, was believed to be engineering subtle moves against Atiku.

The former governor had stated publicly that he would run for the Presidency in 2019.

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the party has said it will not react to the gale of defection in the party.

It also said it would not comment on the defection of Senator Andy Uba from the party to the APC.

The spokesperson for the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.

Adeyeye also refused to comment on the rumours making the rounds that some governors in the party from the South-East were also planning to ditch the former ruling party for the APC.

 “No, it is not an issue I would like to comment on,” the former Minister of State for Works told our correspondent on Wednesday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday failed to make good its promise to open its defense at the Edo State elections petition tribunal sitting in Benin City, the state capital, citing logistics challenges and constraints in bringing corps members as witnesses.

It also applied for more time to contact and interact with its witnesses as well as prepare adequately for the defense.  

Counsel to the commission, Onyinye Anumonye, during the proceedings, had applied for adjournment till Friday this week due to what he called logistics reasons. He told the three-man tribunal that most of the witnesses could not be readily reached before yesterday.

According to Anumonye, “Most of the times, INEC staff are not stationed in Edo State, but are members of the National Youth Service Corps scheme who have passed out of Edo State. From text messages sent to them, they were unable to make it.”

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustee member, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has debunked reports alleging that he defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He maintained that nobody, including Governor Rochas Okorocha, has approached him to join the ruling APC.

He stated this when he addressed the founding fathers of the PDP in Abuja.

Iwuanyanwu explained that in his capacity as the President-General of Owerri Peoples’ Assembly (OPA), he was bound to attend and socialize at events organized by members of the APC from Owerri.

The business tycoon said at the age of 75, he has no need to dump the PDP he helped to build and position to acquire political power at all levels of government.

He said: “I want to observe that in some rumours and speculations it is said that I have joined APC.

“I want to say it clearly today that nobody in APC has approached me to join the party. Nobody has approached me. The governor of Imo state has never made an approach. So, people who say they are approaching them are telling lies. They are people who want to go away.

“They have never approached me. Of course, they know that they cannot approach me.

“In Imo state, I’m a political leader; I’m a social leader, I’m an economic leader. Imo people belong to all parties. I’m for example the President General of Owerri People’s Assembly, which is non-political.

“If any member of OPA, irrespective of party affiliation is hosting an event, I will go there, Please be convinced that I am in PDP.

“At the age of 75, I don’t want anything in politics. I don’t want any appointment. I have enough money to keep me going for the rest of my life. I’m here because of my belief in the ideology.

“I want to thank you very much; we pray God almighty to bless us and keep us.”

Via Daily Post

Seven political parties reportedly in merger negotiation with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of 2019 general elections, News Punch understands.

The PDP leadership, last night, towards forming a formidable political front to capture power in 2019, met with leaders and selected delegates from the seven parties, report earlier published by New Telegraph says

Though names of the parties are yet to be disclosed, but our source revealed that that Labour Party (LP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) are among the parties PDP might be forging an alliance with.

About two weeks ago, Chairman of the PDP Strategy Review and Interparty Affairs Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, met with the SDP leader, Chief Olu Falae in Lagos.

The meeting might be in connection with the moves to merging with the SDP. At the submission of the committee’s final report to the PDP leadership yesterday, Gana announced that the initial contacts made by the committee “have yielded positive responses from seven people-focused and social democratic parties.”

He, however, said the meeting between the PDP National Caretaker Committee and leaders and selected delegates of the seven parties has “nothing to do with the rumoured mega party, but a separate and highly principled initiative of the PDP.”

According to Gana, “Our desire is to have all genuine democrats and friends of the people to flow together and provide a fresh and trustworthy leadership to promote and ensure a people-friendly process of national development.”

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, confirmed the meeting later at a press conference.

A source, who confided in our correspondent yesterday, said that PDP and PRP met penultimate Saturday and have raised a six-man Contact Committee each, for further negotiations.

“Professor Jerry Gana will head the PDP six-man committee, while the National Leader of PRP, Alhaji Balarabe Musa will head his party’s team,” the source confided in New Telegraph.

Although details of the maiden meeting, which held in Abuja about 12 days ago, remain sketchy, the source said that PRP had insisted on an alliance and not a merger because it wants to maintain its unique pro-masses ideology.

When contacted, Balarabe, a former governor of Kaduna State, confirmed that a meeting between his party and PDP actually held, but didn’t divulge the details.

He, however, told New Telegraph that: “PDP has approached us even before the 2015 elections. And we had an understanding that in the event that they lose the presidential election, we will come together to strengthen democracy in Nigeria. That time, they will be in the opposition.”

The chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, was specifically mandated to get across to Balarabe in order to sound him out on the possibility of working together.

It is still not clear what kind of alliance will exist between PDP and PRP, but another source said that the working relationship is aimed at making inroads in the North, the stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“In spite of the failure of the APC-led government, the masses still love President Muhammadu Buhari. Balarabe and PRP are also very popular in the North, so we intend to slice into Buhari’s heartland,” he revealed.

PDP had maintained that it is not part of the rumoured mega party and does not want to change its name.

Meanwhile, the submission of the Gana report attracted many founding fathers of the party. Among PDP elders present at the occasion included former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma; businessman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; former Jigawa State governor, Dr. Sule Lamido and Ambassador Aminu Wali.

Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said the party’s leadership does not want to be distracted by the plan of people who want to make PDP remain irrelevant.

“We have been facing challenges. One of the ways evolved to hold PDP down and destroy opposition party in the country  was to tie us down and make us irrelevant by using the court to tie us down,” he added.

Makarfi said the party has realised its mistakes, which he stated include imposition of candidates and taking people for granted, which the report identified. He apologised on behalf of PDP leaders for these mistakes, and described the Gana report as “excellent”, which he added, would help in repositioning the PDP.

Ciroma, who felt elated at the gathering of members of the party since PDP lost the 2015 general elections, said he was convinced that the party is still alive.

“I feel very proud of being here. I feel proud of being involved with the PDP. I feel very proud of being one of the members who initiated the formation of this party.

And I can say today that the party is alive and well,” he said. Iwuanyanwu, who dismissed the report that he has left the PDP, described the Jerry Gana’s report as a very important milestone in the rebuilding process of the party.

Massive defection on Tuesday hit the All Progressives Congress in Benue State as scores of its chieftains dumped the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors numbering over 2,000, who were led by Hon. Thomas Mlanga joined the opposition party in Ucha, Ukum Local Government Area of the state. The ceremony was performed by former governor Gabriel Suswam.

In a statement signed by the state PDP publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, the party commended the decampees for taking the wise decision to cross over into the light having realized they were only tricked with empty promises by the APC.

“As rightly stated by the lead decampee, Thomas Mlanga, at the occasion, the immediate past PDP-led administration of Rt. Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam, brought unprecedented prosperity and development to the people of Sankera area through the execution of massive infrastructural projects, pointing to the Zaki-Biam-Afia-Gbeji Road which passes through Ucha, as one of such projects.

“We like to emphasise here that, after sixteen years of stable existence during which period the PDP steered the ship of the Nigerian state to entrench democracy, and having emerged as one of Africa’s foremost political parties, our great party remains the only viable alternative for the Nigerian people, irrespective of tribe, religion or social status. 

“The doors of the PDP are still wide open to receive more and more of Benue people who, realising their mistakes and are returning home”, he said.

Reacting, however, Berger Alfred Emberga, State Publicity Secretary, APC, described the claim by the PDP as false and misleading, insisting that no member of the APC defected to the former ruling party.

He said, “We wish to clear the air on the misinformation making round on social media that over two thousand members of the governing All Progressives Congress,APC, yesterday defected to the outlawed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at Afia in Ukum Local Government.

“We find this news not only misleading but a desperate plot by the factionalized group of PDP to give her supporters false hope to believe that all is well with the party in Ukum local government, even when there is absolutely no hope of survival for the party in the local government.

“It should be recalled that the mass burial of the party in Ukum local government took place early this year when RT. Hon.Bar. Emmanuel Undende led thousands of his supporters to dump the party in a grand style which culminated into closing the chapter of opposition politics in the area.”