Politics

2023: Enugu APC Stakeholders Boycott Tinubu’s Really In Enugu

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2023

Editor

The All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders in Enugu State on Wednesday boycotted Presidential campaign rally of Ahmed Bola Tinubu in Enugu State.

The APC Presidential candidate, Tinubu was in Enugu where he addressed a rally at the Michael Okpara Square.

Major leaders of the party in the State, including foreign affairs minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, former Enugu Governor, Barr. Sullivan Chime, former Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odoh, former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, among others stayed away from the event.

Also absent were the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the immediate past chairman of the Party in the State, Barr. Ben Nwoye and a presidential aide, Barr. Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku.

The stakeholders were at the Akanuibiam International Airport Enugu earlier in the day to welcome the presidential candidate of the party Tinubu and disappeared from there to Chime’s residence in Enugu.

Briefing journalists, Chime disclosed that the stakeholders were at the airport to receive the Presidential candidate but because of the internal issue they had with the state chairman Chief Ugochukwu Agballah they would not appear at the venue properly for rally.

He said that their absence at the rally was to send a clear signal to the national leadership of the APC that something urgently must be done over the crisis in the Enugu State chapter of the party.

While calling on the national leadership to address the Enugu crisis, recalled that the issue made them to lead a peaceful protest to the National Secretariat in Abuja, adding that nothing had been done about it till now

Hear him, “we received our guber candidate at the Airport. We believe in him, he is the best.

“However, we are not there at Okpara square because of internal crisis within the party in Enugu state. The party had been in disarray, since the imposition of someone who is not a member of the party as the chairman.

“The party leaders went to Abuja, complained but nobody took them seriously, the issues continued. So, we have to distance ourselves from the local chapter of the party.

“We will ensure that he gets more than the required 25 percent. Enugu must be counted” he assured.

He also complained that the governorship candidate of the party and the deputy were from the same senatorial zone nothing that it had never happened since the history of democracy in the state.

The former governor said they would all work hard to ensure APC’s victory during the general election but they were left with no option than to distance themselves from such illegal act.

Also, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, while expressing anger, regretted that the party had been hijacked by an external body from Imo state.

He lamented that the imposed party chairman in the state and the governorship candidate were running the party like sole administrators.

Nnamani said that they neglected their leaders in all the party’s activities, noting that the calibar of people they had in APC before Agballa’s intrusion were people that could have taken the party to greater heights.

Also contributing, former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Chief Eugene Odo, said that the chairman’s attitude was the reason why stakeholders boycotted the rally.

Odo said that Gov. Hope Uzodinma as the leader of the party in South East should ensure the unity of the party instead of using mediocres to run the party and cause crisis in Enugu state party.

Meanwhile, at the rally attended by a large crowd, Tinubu begged for South East support, assured that he would make Igboland an industrial hub if elected.

He said that Nigeria is a blessed country and that her citizens have no business running to foreign countries for greener pastures.

Tinubu, said that there was no country like Nigeria in the entire Africa and as such, he should be supported to renew and rebuid Nigeria.

He said that people who go overseas face hardship and suffering, urging Nigerians to help to make Nigeria great.

“Those who are running to overseas are suffer, suffer. We have been there. Anybody who tells you that you cannot do something, pray you can do it,” he said.

According to the APC presidential flagbear, Lagos as a state was better than most countries in the Western world, adding that if Ndigbo should collaborate with his expected government, he would make the zone an industrial hub where things are produced.

Politics

Atiku Hints On Supporting Obi For 2027 Presidential Race

Published

18 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that if in 2027, the party decides that it is the South-East’s turn and selects Peter Obi as its candidate, he will readily offer his support.

“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.

“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku declared in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.

He added that a merger between the PDP and Labour Party is possible.

Atiku added that members of the party would decide his fate in the 2027 general elections.

The former Vice President mentioned that his recent meeting with Obi might indicate a possible alliance leading up to the 2027 general elections.

Responding to questions about the meeting with Obi, Atiku said, “It’s just a normal friendly meeting that we often have, particularly among us in the opposition parties. Such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.”

On whether this will bring about a merger, he said, “Yes, it’s very much possible. We can merge to achieve a common goal. So, it’s possible, and nothing can stop it if we wish to achieve that.”

The former Vice President, who denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion, said, “That’s not true. That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue.”

On why he’s still in active politics, Atiku said, “Yes, we can’t keep quiet and watch things go wrong. People are suffering and we are committed to making Nigeria a better place.

“It means you are not tired of politics of Nigeria? Not at all. I am still in active politics in Nigeria, at least, as long as God permits.

“My age doesn’t stop the young ones from testing their fate. Everybody, irrespective of age, is allowed to aspire to be anybody in the society, politically or otherwise.”

Regarding his 2027 Presidential ambition, the former Vice President said “That would depend on the decision of my party. I can’t make any categorical statement on that. It’s the duty of the party to decide on the way to go in the next election.

“Until that time comes. Let’s just wait and see how it will turn out.

“It must not be interpreted like that. I must not be eyeing elections to have meetings with political friends and associates. Currently, we are practising democracy in this country which we fought for with our blood.”

Last week, Obi held a private meeting with Atiku and some other PDP leaders in Abuja.

Obi also met separately with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, sparking speculation about a possible coalition for the 2027 general elections.

Obi was a PDP member until 2022, when he left to pursue his presidential ambitions with the Labour Party.

He finished third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

Atiku blamed Obi’s departure from the PDP for his loss to Tinubu.

Analysts argued that Atiku’s 6,984,520 votes combined with Obi’s 6,101,533 votes could have secured a win against Tinubu, who received 8,794,726 votes.

Monday’s meeting marked the first public interaction between Obi and Atiku since the election.

Social media and online platforms were flooded with viral photos of Obi’s meetings with the three PDP figures on Monday.

In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran together on the PDP ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

However, due to internal conflicts, Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and ran as the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.