Politics

APC’ll Lose Edo Gov Poll Like Kano Defeat – PDP

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2024

The Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, told the All Progressives Congress to perish its thought of reclaiming Edo State in the upcoming September 21, 2024 governorship election.

The PDP was reacting to the vow by the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and ex-Edo governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, that they were determined to reclaim Edo State, adding that the state belongs to the party.

While mocking Ganduje, the PDP said he and the APC were defeated in Kano State in the last governorship election, so would they be shamed in the upcoming Edo poll.

Ahead of the governorship election, the APC has fixed its primary to pick its governorship candidate for February 17.

The APC, through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Mesoko, announced on Tuesday that the party had opted for direct primaries to produce its governorship candidate for the state.

Mesoko said, “After due consultations with Edo State APC stakeholders, the NWC has approved direct primaries as the mode of election to be used to produce the governorship candidate of the party for the state.”

The PDP, on its part, will pick its governorship candidate at a congress scheduled for February 22.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting late Monday night in Abuja, the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, said the party was ready to reclaim Edo State.

The APC was the ruling party in Edo State until 2020 when Governor Godwin Obaseki defected to the PDP and won his second-term election on the opposition party’s platform.

Ganduje, speaking on Monday in Abuja, said, “Edo is an APC state. Now we have to take Edo back. We have only one state from the South-South for the greatest party in Africa, it’s not acceptable. We were able to get only Cross River State. After crossing so many rivers, we succeeded in getting Cross River State. But Edo State, we must get it,” he said.

Ganduje declared that it would not be business as usual, adding that the APC was a progressive party with clear-cut objectives.

He stated, “We have to improve our internal democracy; we have to deepen and widen it. We need to understand the party and its manifesto; its rules and regulations. We need to understand its philosophy. We need to move towards having a party ideology so that we will not be an ordinary political association whereby everybody can come in just to win the election. You have to believe in the doctrine of the party, become a full member of the party.

“To widen it, we need to increase our followership. So internal democracy is very very important. We have to be transparent and at the same time, we have to also adopt a guided democracy where we can discuss issues so that we limit, if possible, the number of contests. Even though it’s not a crime if we have a large number, the party will get more revenue but that’s not the issue.”

On the number of APC Edo governorship aspirants, Ganduje said, “The issue is that if we can leave it through agreement, the better for us.

“Some know that at this material time, maybe because of the location; maybe because of some antecedents, they may not be the best candidate at the moment. That doesn’t mean they will never be a good candidate but through that consensus, we will be able to narrow down so that we have candidates.”

Also speaking, Oshiomhole alleged that the APC’s defeat in the 2020 governorship was caused by some party members.

He said, “We are particularly determined; as you can see, everybody here has a robust past and even present. We are determined to reclaim Edo State. I used the word reclaim because Edo is ours. We lost it due to several factors some of which were caused by some APC elements.

“Nobody needs to lecture Mr Chairman on this because even as a governor of Kano State you offered to lead the last campaign and even relocated. Almost all the Kano State executive council members relocated to Benin for days just to ensure that the last governorship election that we won it, but unfortunately not everybody believes in party participation to the extent that you did.

“On our part, we have tried to initiate dialogue among our aspirants. It is no secret, that at the time we had the dialogue, I think they (aspirants) were 27. I learned it has increased to 29 now. The process is ongoing, and the struggle continues. So we are looking forward to a healthy celebration.”

But reacting, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader,Timothy Osadolor, said Ganduje and Oshiomhole were living in the past.

The Edo State PDP chieftain said the APC and other political parties would come far behind in the poll.

He said, “The man, Comrade Aliyu Oshiomhole, is the man giving you the big and bogus talks. He should know that that era is long gone. That era was brought to an end by Oshiomhole himself and his dictatorial and godfatherism tendencies.

“The Edo people are a Republican set of people. They don’t bow to godfathers. They don’t take any nonsense from anybody who wants to serve as an overlord. The only overlord the Benin people recognise aside from God Almighty, I think is the Oba of Benin; every other person is equal before them.

“As such, if you need anything from them (Edo people), you must have the power of conviction and persuasion and not the power of coercion. The minute you start using coercion or intimidation, rest assured that the Edo man in every Edo man will rise and defeat you and that is what has happened to the APC.

“Ganduje and Oshiomhole are still living in the past. Edo is PDP, and PDP is Edo. As we speak today, 192 councillors in the last elections in the 192 wards were cleared by the PDP. The 18 local government councils of the 18 local governments in the Edo State were claimed by the PDP. It had never happened like that in the history of Edo State since 1999. So it shows an overwhelming confidence and capacity and belief in the PDP family by the Edo people.

“Let me remind Comrade Oshiomhole and his adventurous friend from Kano, Ganduje, and the APC that Edo is not Lagos.”

He queried how Ganduje who couldn’t win Kano for the APC, would win Edo for the party.

Osadolor added, “Edo people will vote for the PDP again and again because they are enjoying good governance today. Yes, the quality of roads, the quality of the health care facilities, and the primary health care facilities speak volumes. And the worldwide recognitions by world bodies speak volumes. And the governor in his frugal nature has made sure Edo is one of the most sustainable, most vibrant states economically in Nigeria today. So, all of these are things that are credited to PDP in Edo.”

Politics

Protest Rocks Abuja Over Osun LG Polls

Published

18 hours ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

Protesters under the aegis of the Nigeria Society for Democracy and Good Governance (NSDGG) and the Coalition of Civil Society for Justice and Equity (CCSJE) took to the streets of Abuja on Wednesday, demanding that the Federal Government enforce court judgments declaring the occupation of Local Government Council Secretariats in Osun State by All Progressives Congress (APC) officials as illegal.

The protest, which began at the Unity Fountain and proceeded to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance, highlighted the escalating tension over the alleged disregard for judicial authority and its threat to democratic governance.

The civil society organisations urged the Attorney General, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Minister of Finance to intervene by recognising and funding only the duly elected officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the protesters, the PDP Chairmen and Councillors were validly elected on 22 February 2025, in an election conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

However, despite court rulings voiding the appointments of APC officials, the party’s functionaries allegedly continue to occupy council offices across the state.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, Chairman of the CCSJE, Comrade Collins Idowu, described the situation as a ‘profound threat’ to the rule of law and democratic governance.

He emphasised the financial and constitutional dangers of the ongoing crisis, calling on the Minister of Finance to withhold further allocations to illegally occupying APC officials and instead channel funds to the duly elected PDP Chairmen and Councillors.

“The current situation in Osun State is not merely a political issue; it is a profound threat to the rule of law and democratic governance.

“Despite clear court judgments that have invalidated the APC officials’ claims to their positions, they continue to occupy Local Government Council Secretariats, undermining the very foundation of our democracy. This blatant disregard for judicial authority and electoral integrity is alarming and poses significant financial implications for the state and its citizens,” Idowu said.

On his part, the spokesperson for the NSDGG, Ambassador Usman Saidu Calculus, also described the situation as a threat to democracy.

He warned that continued financial support to those without a legal mandate sets a dangerous precedent and may trigger instability and chaos at the grassroots level of governance.

“The NSDGG stands firm in its commitment to promoting democracy and good governance in Nigeria, and we believe that your actions in this matter will reflect the government’s dedication to upholding the rule of law and the principles of democracy.

“We demand that the government act decisively to rectify this situation by recognising the rightful representatives of the people and ensuring that public funds are allocated accordingly. The citizens of Osun State deserve to have their voices heard and their choices respected,” he said.

The protesters submitted letters to the offices of the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance, demanding strict adherence to the rule of law and the full implementation of valid court rulings.

Politics

ADC Unveiled In Benue, Woo Gov Alia

Published

18 hours ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

The Protem State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Benue State, Chief Terngu Tsegba, has said Governor Hyacinth Alia is welcome to join the party if he so desires.

Speaking to newsmen Wednesday in Makurdi shortly after the unveiling of the party and his emergence as the Protem State Chairman, Chief Tsegba stated that members of other political parties were already collapsing their structures into the ADC and more were being expected.

He said: “Members of other parties are collapsing into the ADC, and anybody from any party that wants to join the ADC is welcome,e including the Governor of Benue state. If he wants to join the ADC, he is welcome provided he satisfies the requirements of the party.”

The former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Speaker Pro tempore of the House of Representatives explained that they had already resigned their membership of the PDP and were in the ADC to change the fortunes of the people of the state and Nigerians at large.

While expressing optimism that the ADC would take Benue State, Chief Tsegba said an ADC-led government in the state would frontally address the issues of insecurity in the state.

“For us in Benue state, if there is security,y the farmers can go to their farms, small businesses will thrive, and of course, everything will go as planned. So the first issue we are going to confront as a party and as a government is to arrest the insecurity in the state, return our people to their ancestral homes and then grant autonomy to local governments.

“If the Local Government are receiving their allocation directly from the Federal Government I believe most of the things the state cannot do at the local government level, the Local governments would be able to handle them.

“And to do that we will scrap the Bureau for Local Governments and return the allocation to the local governments.”

Unveiling the party earlier, former Governor of the State, Senator Gabriel Suswam stated that the coalition was born out of necessity, as the PDP, APC, Labour Party, LP, and other parties had been plagued by perpetual internal crises prompting the coming together of like minds in the ADC.

Meanwhile the PDP has described its members who joined the ADC as nomadic politicians seeking to destabilise the PDP for personal gains.

The party in a communique at the end of its Benue North West Senatorial District or Zone ‘B’ Stakeholders meeting held in Makurdi cautioned its members against joining any coalition.

Part of the communique read: “On the excitement over the new political platform, the PDP leaders describe former members of the party who have joined the coalition as an assemblage of nomadic politicians who are only seeking to destabilize the party for their personal and political gains.

“They are aggrieved because they were out manoeuvred when they attempted to seize the structures of the PDP for merchandise. They have no capacity to rescue anyone from anywhere. It is a truism that the PDP remains the only party committed to protecting our heritage, land, and people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP in Zone B remains one and indivisible and rooted in the ideals of our founding fathers. We have no dealing with any coalition or the purported new political party in the name of ADC.

“We are not in any coalition with any political party or parties. We therefore encourage our members to disregard any speculations of any coalition at any level. Those championing the coalition are the disgruntled and self-serving elements amongst us who have long enjoyed the support of PDP but now seek to undermine the party’s unity and progress.”
(VANGUARD)

Politics

‘The Man I Defeated 32 Years Ago Hasn’t Forgiven Me’ – Ita-Giwa Laments Discrimination Against Women In Politics

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2025

Editor

A former lawmaker who represented Cross-River South Senatorial District, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has expressed dissatisfaction over the challenging political landscape for women contesting political office in Nigeria.

In an interview with Arise News, that Ita-Giwa, stated that the election process has become terribly expensive.

She cited several obstacles, including violent political climates, the overbearing influence of money, and entrenched patriarchy, as reasons why most women are unable to gain meaningful traction during party primaries or general elections.

Recounting her difficult journey to office, Ita-Giwa further stated that the political culture in Nigeria is so intensely male-dominated and unforgiving, stressing that the man she defeated in the House of Representatives election in the 1990s has not forgiven her.

She said,“The women would have to contest the election, because if they don’t contest the election, they will not have a voice.

“And if it is just to select, I would not even talk about it, because somebody would just pick, put his hand in his pocket, and pick whoever he likes, which woman he likes to go and represent.

“But the good thing about this is that they’re going to contest the election. And also, it will be subject to review after, like, 16 years, that’s two election cycles, you understand?

“So, but because I’m being realistic, it is extremely, extremely difficult today for women to win elections. Election process has become so terribly expensive.

“Those in the Senate today, they are pioneers. Because somehow, in the course of my doing politics, I discovered that when men get very, very, very successful, and still want to go into the Senate, maybe to protect their empire. So, you’ll be going for an election against one billionaire.

“A poor woman, you understand, if you have your $100,000, the man has $1 billion to put in the election, because there are 40 electorates with too much money. So, the contest is too tough.

“The men prepare more when they are going to face women for election, because what will they go home to go and tell their wives that a woman beat me for an election?

“So, you know, they can’t fight it. Even when you win, they don’t forgive you.

“The man that I defeated 32 years ago, he has not forgiven me for beating him.”