Politics

10th NASS Speakership: Don’t Expect Us To Be Loyal If Your Preferred Choice Stands – G7 Tells APC

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2023

Following the zoning arrangement for National Assembly leadership positions released on Monday by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, seven aspirants for the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives have come together under the G7 platform to reject the declaration.

The members of the G7 group are Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase; Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, Hon. Sada Soli. Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji. Hon. Mariam Onuoha and House of Representatives Majority Leader, Hon. Al Hassan Doguwa.

The G7 lawmakers, during a meeting with the APC NWC members in Abuja on Wednesday, described the zoning arrangement as unfair, unjust and inequitable and threatened to oppose any attempts by outside forces to impose a leadership on the 10th House of Representatives.

Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, while addressing the APC Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said, “I supported every member of APC and some of our leaders contesting for elections when we were going in for the election. I was shocked when I heard that I did anti-party. My unit is in Biu my result is in INEC. You can request my result for my unit if anti-party it going to show.

“Another thing I need to clear here, sir, i was told that the same group are saying I gave monies to a presidential aspirant. So if there is any transfer to anybody, the banks are there. I want to still tell you as leaders if I should give money to a presidential aspirant and he wins, what is he going to give me? On my own, I want to become speaker in my party. If another party wins, can I become speaker? No. So we don’t need to blackmail ourselves. Politics is about give and take.

“Our colleagues here can testify, I have done well for the National Assembly when I was Chairman of the Army, Chairman of Defence and now Appropriations. Sir, I have 38 members, including my deputy chairman of the Appropriations Committee and me, but for me to stabilise the House, I co-opted 100 members to my committee just for me to stabilise the House for Femi. But today, we are aspiring for the speakership, the deputy speaker, the House leader, myself, Gagdi, Miriam, Sada, etc.

“We are not against our leaders, but if we should sit down and say sit amongst yourselves and pick somebody you think you can work with, it is easy, but the person the speaker is trying to even pick there are some of our colleagues that don’t know him. That’s the truth, I am not lying. If today the party said we zoned to the north west, I have to sit and think because now the party is zoning the deputy senate president and the speaker to the same zone. We have been in this Assembly. There is no time that two presiding officers are zoned to one area. It has never happened.”

Also, Speaking Hon. Gagdi emphasised that the proposed arrangement by the NWC was wrong, stating that ”the party should not hope that our loyalty will be guaranteed at the detriment of justice, peace and fairness. We will respect justice, unity and equity in the chamber, but only if your instruction is in line with the principle of this party. Do not hope that we have come here to succumb to any instruction and directive given to us.’’

‘’Do we want unity, to say that the Deputy Senate President should go to North West and the Speaker should go to North West when in the true sense of the word, sir, in the presidential election, North-Central known to have majority number of Christians, with utmost apologies let me say this, and the religious and tribal affiliations attributed to 2023 elections, yet North Central resisted the temptation, delivered four states to the President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; delivered 11 senators.

“The North-west delivered 10 with two states and North-east 1 State with ten senators, and the zone that has performed like this for Mr President will be relegated to have party chairman and perhaps, as they insinuate, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; positions that the president or whosoever can scream at them and they have no locus to speak for the people of North-central. We need fairness. We need justice.”

Politics

By-Election: Edo Is Home To APC — Deputy Gov, Idahosa

Published

15 hours ago

August 14, 2025

Editor

The deputy governor of Edo state, Hon Dennis Idahosa, says irrespective of the setback experienced during the immediate past administration of the state, Edo is originally home to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Friday Aghedo, Idahosa stated this during the final campaign round for the Ovia federal constituency by-election in Ovia South West local government area that took place at Iguobazuwa.

The deputy governor expressed optimism that the party will come victorious in the bye-election scheduled for Saturday.

Idahosa, who was the occupant of the seat before his election as the state’s deputy governor, said he was sure of the APC candidate, Hon Omosede Igbinedion, securing a minimum of 90 percent votes for the by-election.

“All that is needed is for us to fully mobilise and encourage our supporters to come out enmass to exercise their civic responsibilities on Saturday.

“It is very obvious that from our engagement with the people these past days and across various communities in the federal constituency, we are sure of not less than 90 percent of total votes cast.

“In fact, is not for the misdeed of the immediate past administration, Edo is home to the APC, it has always been right from the AC to ACN, and before the APC”, Idahosa stated

Meanwhile, the APC candidate for the bye-election, again reiterated her commitment to the betterment of the federal constituency.

Omosede Igbinedion noted that her synergy with the deputy governor was sure to attract developmental projects to the federal government.

She appealed to the people to come out on Saturday without fear or intimidation, to do what is required of them, cast their votes for the progressives party.

Notable leaders at the grand finale of the campaign at Iguobazuwa were the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Osamwonyi Atu, former deputy governors of the state, Dr Pius Odubu, and Chief Lucky Imasuen.

Others are Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the party former governorship candidate,Mr Lawrence Okah, the state Secretary of the party, Senator Neda Imasuen, Chief Billy Osawaru, amongst others.

Politics

Osun LG Crisis: INEC To Relocate CVR Centres, Releases Gov Poll Timetable

Published

2 days ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State said it will relocate registration points for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration exercise from local government secretariats currently under lock.

Osun LG secretariats have been shut since February 17, 2025, due to a tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress over control of councils.

The APC had claimed that the February 10, 2025, decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, had returned its candidates elected in the October 15, 2022, local government elections, but sacked by the Osogbo Federal High Court in December 2022.

But the PDP insisted that the officials who emerged on February 22, 2025, are legally recognised to manage the affairs of council areas in the state.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, said the affected INEC offices had been identified and would be moved to alternative locations to ensure the CVR proceeds without disruption.

Agboke said, “The CVR will start on the 18th day of August, 2025, with online registration.

“By this, the prospective registrant will visit www.cvr.inecnigeria.org to supply the necessary information about himself or herself.

“Thereafter, he or she will generate a slip to take to INEC local government office within his place of residence.

“Later on the 25th of August 2025, the registrant will visit the local government office for his or her biometrics, i.e the fingerprint and the facial.

“INEC offices located inside local government secretariats are not shut down.

“However, INEC has harvested the number of those local government offices. We want to bring them out of the LG secretariats. We are working on that. Our headquarters had requested for their details and we have forwarded to them.”

Agboke also announced that activities for the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election have officially begun, with notices posted in all INEC LG offices.

Party primaries are scheduled between November 24 and December 15, 2025, while submission of candidates’ particulars will run from January 15 to February 9, 2026.

He stated, “This is necessary to enable political parties democratically nominate candidates for the election as required by section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022. The submission of forms EC9 ( personal particulars of candidates) and EC9B (Names/list of nominated candidates) online at the nomination portal of the commission at 9 am on the 15th day of January, 2026, to 6 pm on the 9th February 2026.

“Access code for the submission of nomination forms shall be available for collection on 15th December, 2025, at the headquarters of the commission. I implore all the political parties and other stakeholders to follow the timetable for the 2026 Governorship Election for Osun State with a view to tracking the various activities contained therein. Copies of the timetable shall be made available to the political parties at this meeting in a short while. The 2026 Governorship election shall be conducted on the 8th day of August,2026.”

He appealed to political parties and other major stakeholders to work against the menace of vote buying, saying the electorate should be educated not to sell their votes.

The REC also called on all stakeholders to continue supporting INEC in the state for it to deliver a credible election, noting that the commission alone cannot deliver a peaceful and successful election without their cooperation.
(PUNCH)

Politics

JUST IN: Total Loyalty Non-negotiable, PDP Tells Members

Published

2 days ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party has warned that it will not tolerate disloyalty from any member, stressing that total commitment to the party’s cause is non-negotiable.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said the party will rely on its constitution to ensure members remain committed to its cause.

Responding to a question about the recent conditions set by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the success of the November 15 and 16 National Elective Convention, Ologunagba emphasised that the PDP is about the people, not any individual.

He said, “We have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. We expect and demand total loyalty from all our members. Anything short of that will not be tolerated, and we shall invoke the relevant sections of the party’s constitution to enforce this.”

Details shortly…