Politics

APC Crisis Worsens As Sen Marafa Slams Gov Buni, Says He Didn’t Go To School

Published

2 years ago

November 14, 2021

Editor

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, assumed a curious twist on Sunday following the declaration by a chieftain of the party from Zamfara state, Senator Kabiru Marafa that the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC is an illegal contraption, unknown to law.

At a media parley, Sunday in Abuja, Marafa who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate for eight years, said Gov. Buni cannot operate as a governor and also superintend the party.

Marafa said; “Mai Mala Buni’s CECPC is an illegal committee. It cannot conduct anything. Whatever it does is a nullity and it cannot stand in this country. We are going to challenge him on that in court and I don’t care what anyone will say. Buni looked for my trouble and I will give him ten times of that.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear that you cannot hold an executive position and hold party position at the same time. Our APC constitution is also very clear in Article 2 which is the supremacy of the constitution.

“In Section 17(4), it says no officer of the party shall hold any executive position in government concurrently with the party position. He is an Executive Governor.

“He cannot be the Chairman of APC and if he can, let the courts tell us. I am going to court, I am going to challenge that.

“And whatever he did from the time he was appointed to this time will be questioned. We have one APC.

“Remove this man so that he doesn’t bring everybody down. I am on a salvage mission.

“Article 20 of the same constitution says all party posts prescribed by this constitution shall be filled by democratically conducted elections at respective national convention or congress subject where possible to consensus…

“Who elected Buni and his committee? At which convention or congress? Are we throwing away this constitution?

“Then the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ondo election is a clear indication of where APC is headed but because some people who have never gone to school but who God has elevated to certain positions, have forgotten how they got to the positions.

“For God sake and with all sense of modesty, I and Gov. el-Rufai of Kaduna state almost single-handedly with the help of some people made Buni the National Secretary of the party some years ago.

“We will force him to resign and I am sure the President will also do that”, he added.

Senator Marafa also declared last Saturday’s purported Congress of the party in Zamfara state as an exercise in futility saying it was dead on arrival.

According to him, the law requires the party to give a 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for the conduct of such Congresses.

Marafa recalled how the CECPC had earlier appointed one Ahaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari as Chairman of the State Congress committee for Zamfara.

He said; “Another letter was issued on the 5th of November. It was addressed to the same Alhaji Kabir Masari and it reads ‘suspension of ward congresses’.

“By that letter, that committee was suspended, the congresses entirely were suspended and it said the action was for further consultations to engender a seamless exercise. This was a welcome development because there were problems on ground.

“This was on the 5th November. Then, just on Friday, some of our friends called us to tell them that there would be congresses in Zamfara.

“They said they saw a letter addressed to the INEC chairman intimating him of congresses in Zamfara for the 12th.

“Less than 24 hours. We said that was not possible but we sent our people to INEC and verify, and they (INEC) said that they are in receipt of a letter and the letter said notice for the conduct of state congresses.

“This confirms to us that the Mai Mala-led APC, as it is today, is on a mission to destroy APC but we don’t care, they have a right to destroy APC but in Zamfara we have interested parties and it is our state and we are not ready to destroy our own house and anybody desirous of doing so, we have a right to say no.

“Now, notice is very key. Section 85 of the Electoral Act made it mandatory. It says INEC must be given a notice of 21 days. This is the provision of the Electoral Act. The law supersedes the APC guidelines. The Electoral Act comes second to the Nigerian constitution.

“I don’t know where Mai Mala got this thing but I’m not surprised because he didn’t go to school. I googled everywhere, I didn’t see the primary or secondary school he went to.

“They are operating the party as if they are operating an ‘Amalanke’ (local toy truck). What they are doing is wasting the party’s resources and the people’s time.

“This cannot hold anywhere in the world but we only joined them to show them that look, ‘you don’t have a monopoly of madness.’ This 24 hours notice, cannot stand in any court of law.

“We participated just to tell everyone that madness is not an exclusive preserve of some people.

“The essence of this briefing is to tell Nigerians why there is a faction again in Zamfara. Let everyone know that this faction came about because of the way and manner APC national is trying to suppress us in Zamfara state.

“We want to tell Mai Mala, Zamfara is not Yobe state. In an interview I granted recently, I sent a direct warning to him, he should learn to leave the sleeping dog lie. They didn’t heed that warning.

“Now APC looked for our trouble, we did not look for APC trouble. We did everything possible to accommodate our new visitor (Gov. Matawalle) but APC at all the points frustrated us.

“It appears APC national headquarters is at loggerheads with rules and procedures. They want to prove at every point that they are lawbreakers and uneducated.

“Like I said, we cannot see the schools they attended. Look at what happened in the state Congresses.

“Two different committees were sent to Sokoto, Kano and I think Osun. We have participated in the congresses, after this I am going straight to court.

“I told Buni to let sleeping dogs lie but he felt it was an empty threat. He has pressed us to the wall.

“We are going to fight back, whatever the consequences will be and we want the president to be aware of the illegalities that Buni is perpetrating”.

(VANGUARD)

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Politics

PDP Crisis: Why Party Members Are Resigning – Sule Lamido

Published

45 mins ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has explained why some notable members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are resigning the membership from the party.

Lamido blamed the current crisis in the party on the procedures of the court.

He said if the supreme court did not overturn the election of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Imo Governor, he would have remained a sitting governor of the state.

He added that the PDP mass resignation was as a result of frustration occasioned by the leadership of the party and the judiciary.

Lamido stated this in an interview with This Day.

Recall that there has been an ongoing resignation by members of PDP especially in Imo and few other small states.

The former governor said if the court did not insist that Senator Samuel Anyanwu was the National Secretary, when he (Anyanwu) went and contested for the Imo State governorship election, the position of National Secretary would have gone to another person from Imo State.

Lamido said, “Emeka Ihedioha and other chieftains of the PDP that resigned from the party were humiliated and frustrated out. They were humiliated by the leadership of the party, with the help of the judiciary.

“Ministers resigned to contest election. Other government officials and even party officials resigned to contest elective offices. Senator Anyanwu ought to have resigned to contest the governorship election in Imo state.

“What did he (Anyanwu) do. He held to the office of national secretary and contested for the governorship election. You cannot eat your cake and still have it back. You cannot appropriate the two positions. You are the national secretary and the governorship candidate at the same time. This is not done.

“So, when the stakeholders from Imo state complained, the judiciary aided him and affirmed his position as National Secretary when he lost his governorship election.

“So, Ihedioha and his group felt frustrated and humiliated by the action of the leadership of the party by failing to stand up for justice. So, as a person, I don’t blame Ihedioha and his associates. I can understand why he and his associates left. Some external influences are tele-guiding the party.”

On the defection of the former Governor of Katsina the APC, Lamido said the State was formally under the control of the All Peoples Party (APP), adding that it was the influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that made the PDP to win the state in 2003.

He, however, said with the influence of former President Muhammadu Buhari and all his political associates it went back to the APC.

He stated, “I see it as he wants to meet them. I don’t believe that he went to APC because of the EFCC. Though, I remember what the former national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole said that when you defect to the APC, all your sins are forgotten.”

Speaking further on the situation in PDP Imo State, he said, “The leadership of the party was extremely unfair to Ihedioha who first asked if Anyanwu will contest for governor and when Anyanwu said yes, Ihedioha left it for him and yet, Anyanwu still did not leave the post of National secretary. It is not fair.”

On the role of the judiciary in the plights of the PDP, he cited the case of the Supreme Court on Ihedioha’s case, arguing that, “if not the ignoble role of the Supreme Court, Ihedioha will still be governor and the same courts was used to support Anyanwu retaining the office of the National Secretary and the Governorship candidate.

“When the history of the PDP is to be told, the role of the courts must occupy a special place. This is especially with the southeast geopolitical zone.”

When asked if he was likely going to join the APC, he said, “No, they will not accept me. Go and ask President Bola Tinubu, if he and his APC will accept me.”

Meanwhile, those that have left the party in the State include former Military Administrator, Air Commodore Luke Ochulor; Former Deputy Governor, Engr. Gerald Irona; Former Ministers of the Federal Republic, Engr. Charles Ugwuh, Chief Chuka Odom and BOT member of the party – Chief Chris Okewulonu.

Former NEC member of the party- Chief Henry Ekpe; Former elected members of House of Representatives – Hon. ThankGod Ezeani, Hon. Mayor Eze, Hon. Uche Onyeaguocha, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, Hon. Obinna Onwubuariri and Hon. Jonas Okeke.

Others that have dumped the PDP included Chairman PDP elders’ committee – Prof. Jude Njoku; Secretary PDP elders’ Committee – Prof. Obioma Iheduru; Members of the South-east Zonal Executive Committee, Chief Stanley Ekezie; Chief Augustine Elochukwu; Two senatorial candidates of the party in the last election- including Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu, former local government chairmen, several House of Assembly candidates of the party.
VANGUARD

Politics

Edo Guber: We’ll Fight If… – Obaseki Threatens

Published

17 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Editor

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has warned members of Legacy Group within the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to state away from the party else they’ll face his wrath.

Obaseki gave the warning weekend at the inauguration of the state campaign council of the PDP in preparation for the September 21 gubernatorial election in the state.

Obaseki, who described the Legacy Group as disorganised, sheep without shepherd, alleged that they have collected money from the party, adding that is why they are fighting to disorganised the PDP in the state.

The Governor who expressed confidence in the 363-member campaign council, noted that the structure of the campaign council was rooted in all the 192 wards across the state, adding that every organ of the party was captured.

Obaseki, who noted that the PDP has the best candidate and programmes for the people of Edo, said: “The time table is out, can you see any of them (Legacy Group)? Can they organise themselves? PDP leads, others follow.”

Obaseki further said: “PDP is one. Those who are fighting PDP have collected money from the other parties, and they want to sell out, join me so that we can flush them out of our party. Because we are not going to allow anybody to divide us, we are one party; one indivisible party in Edo State.

“The money they have collected is enough, let them go and enjoy it; let them go and spend it outside. We don’t have anything to fear. I will fight them if they try us; we will fight them if they try us. They know us, we never fight and lose, let them come and try. They have collected money, let them stay outside with their money, and not disturb us, because this election is ours and we are going to win by the grace of God.”

Obaseki, who declared that the opposition has no space in Edo, boasted that the PDP has put together hardworking campaign council members who, according to him, were going to deliver 80 per cent of the total votes to the party.

He further said: “By the grace of God, this campaign council will deliver nothing less than 80% of our votes.

“We can’t find them anywhere. They have no place here. They cannot destroy us at the centre and want to still come and destroy us here. We will not allow it. The hunger is too much out there, we are preventing the hunger from coming to Edo.

“Everybody sees what is happening in Nigeria today. You can see the suffering in the land. You can see the struggle in Edo, but we pulled Edo out of those problems. So, our campaign is going to be based on the hope we will give our citizens in Edo State.”

Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, disclosed that the campaign council consisted of 363 members, excluding the women and youth wings.

Politics

Edo Poll: PDP Inaugurates Campaign Council, Obaseki Mocks Legacy Group, APC

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Ahead of the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, inaugurated a 363-member campaign council, with Governor Goodwin Obaseki describing the other faction known as Legacy Group as disorganised, sheep without sephard.

The governor who alleged that the factional PDP members fighting in the party have collected money from opposition parties to distabilise the party in the state, warned such persons to stay away or face his wrath.

Obaseki said: “PDP is one. Those who are fighting PDP have collected money from the other parties, and they want to sell out, join me so that we can flush them out of our party. Because we are not going to allow anybody to divide us, we are one party; one indivisible party in Edo State.

He further said: “By the grace of God, this campaign council will deliver nothing less than 80% of our votes.

“Everybody sees what is happening in Nigeria today. You can see the suffering in the land. You can see the struggle in Edo, but we pulled Edo out of that problems. So, our campaign is going to be based on the hope we will give our citizens in Edo State.”

He noted that the structure of the campaign council was rooted in all the 192 wards across the state, adding that every organ of the party was captured.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, disclosed that the campaign council comprised of 363 members, excluding the women and youth wings.

In his acceptance speech, the Director-General of the state campaign council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, thanked the governor and PDP faithful for the opportunity to serve the party.

Iduoriyekemwen, however, promised to lead the party to victory come Sept.

In his remarks, the PDP governorship candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo, who thanked party faithful and leaders for the confidence repose in him, said Obaseki had laid a functional foundation at every sector that he would build upon.