Politics

Atiku In Fresh Move To Resolve PDP Crisis

Published

1 year ago

November 26, 2022

Editor

The need to give the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, adequate time to correct “a big anomaly” in the party before the February polls is the reason five aggrieved governors elected on the platform of the party are open to reconciliation, Saturday PUNCH can authoritatively reveal.

The governors, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia states are demanding the resignation of National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, on the grounds that the party cannot have a presidential candidate and its chairman from the same regional bloc.

Although they (aggrieved governors) have successfully inaugurated their respective campaign councils, the governors alongside their loyalists have been consistent in their stand that reconciliation is possible in the interest of the party if only the right thing is done.

The governors, this medium learnt, did not have personal axe to grind with Atiku and were said to be considering working with him if only Ayu would tender an unreserved apology to them given his failure to keep his promise that he would quit his post if a northerner emerged the PDP presidential candidate.

A source who works closely with one of the aggrieved governors told Saturday PUNCH that “the governors are aware of the implication of teaming up with a presidential candidate of another party. They are not blaming Atiku much even though they believe he could have done more.

“The problem is Ayu who made a promise but reneged on it. I think things would change if the man (the national chairman) can be diplomatic in his speeches. It takes nothing from him to just apologise to these governors for peace to reign,” he said.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that following the group’s declaration of readiness to embrace peace recently, Atiku called on his loyalists to reach out and negotiate with them in a bid to have them return to the fold of the campaign council.

Confirming this development, the Media Adviser to the former Vice President, Mr. Paul Ibe told our correspondent that the PDP presidential candidate had already activated a mediation team to work at brokering peace between the two parties.

He said, “When the aggrieved governors said they were open to reconciliation, we issued a statement in which His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, welcomed the idea and reiterated his commitment to mediation. As we speak, a lot of engagements are going on but we don’t want this to be a media thing.

“Talks are ongoing and we are very sure this crisis will be over and everyone, including the G-5, will come on board and join the campaign council before the February election.”

Meanwhile, an associate of Governor Ortom who does not want his name in print has blamed what he called the arrogance of Ayu in the crisis that had lingered for months.

According to him, the crisis would have been over by now if the former Senate President had been humble enough to reach out to the aggrieved party and talk less.

He said, “Ayu is the reason the party is still talking about reconciliation efforts till now. Governor Ortom called him and said, ‘Chairman, you should be happy that I am part of the G-5’. He promised to take him round to see his colleagues. But Ayu’s utterances have made reconciliation difficult. The man is too arrogant.

“He speaks as if he is the only one that went to school. You know he once called the governors children, who were not there when they formed the party. When he attends public functions, he speaks in a manner no party leader would talk. APC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu will not speak of their governors like that no matter how much they disagree with him.

“Are the governors ready to sheathe their swords? I will say yes. However, the national chairman should be mindful of his utterances. As an elder, he must learn how to stay calm.”

The Board of Trustees of the party empanelled a seven-man committee to wade into the crisis a few months ago.

Their recommendations that Ayu should commit to quit after the elections was neither accepted by the chairman nor the Wike-led group.

Also, the resignation of ex-BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, to pave the way for the emergence of Adolphus Wabara failed to assuage the governors who insisted that Ayu’s seat must go to the South.

Similarly, the reconciliation efforts by former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, have not been able to calm frayed nerves.

All these prompted Atiku to move on with his campaigns even as some of his loyalists have continuously insisted that only Ayu could decide what to do with the promise he made while canvassing for votes before the convention that brought him to power.

PUNCH

Politics

Edo Guber: APC Candidate, Okpebholo, Lacks Cognitive Experience To Govern – Tenebe

Published

2 hours ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Henry Tenebe, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo lacks the cognitive experience to govern the state.

Tenebe, who made the assertion while x-raying major political parties governorship candidates in the forthcoming election in the state, noted that when it comes to managerial experience, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is more experience and competent than the opposition APC candidate, Sen. Okpebholo, whom he dismissed as a non-starter.

According to him, it is unfair to compare Ighodalo with Okpebholo, highlighting that the APC governorship candidate lacks the exposure and experiences that Ighodalo has acquired in both his private and public sector careers.

He noted that these experiences make Ighodalo the best-suited candidate for the job in Edo.

Tenebe expressed his dissatisfaction with how the APC has managed the national economy in the past few years.

He insisted that the party lacks the moral right to even field a candidate for the Edo Guber election.

“If not for the law that allows parties to stand for election irrespective of performance, the APC is not supposed to field a candidate, let alone canvass for support.

“The party is synonymous with hunger, deprivation, kidnapping, terrorism, crude theft, energy blackout, and countless other vices.

“The indices are quite gloomy and they tell the story of a party in utter disarray. In a sane climate, voters would revolt and ensure they used their votes to send them packing”, Tenebe said.

Politics

LP Crisis Takes New Twist As Edo Chapter Suspends Abure

Published

5 hours ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

…accuse him of anti-party activities

…it’s an exercise in futility – Abure

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has been suspended by party executives in Ward 3 Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

This decision was ratified by the State Executive Committee of the party after the ward wrote a formal letter to the SEC.

Abure’s suspension was a sequel to a meeting of members of the ward where allegations of his “high-handedness and anti-party activities in the administration of the party and other acts of financial impropriety were exhaustively discussed.”

The ward executives in the letter of suspension addressed to Abure noted that “allegations of fraud levelled against you, which are (currently) under investigation.”

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday (May 24, 2024) night in Benin, read in part, “While the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself a member of Labour Party, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Ean North-East LGA, Edo State.”

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

The second letter read in part: “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Comrade Barrister Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State.

“The LGA Executive met today, 15th of May, 2024 about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty, and the suspension ratified and upheld.”

The State Executive Committee endorsed the decisions of the Ward and Local Government Committee of the party at a well-attended meeting in Benin late on Friday.

It was gathered that the venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”

The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

With the ratification of his suspension, the basis of his chairmanship of the party at the national level has been vitiated, and by implication, he stands suspended as the party’s national chairman.

In response, Abure, while speaking through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the action of the Edo State Chapter was an exercise in futility because it lacks basis in law as enshrined in the LP constitution.

Ifoh said, “The 2019 Labour Party constitution, Article 17 subsection 1, is clear that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal of the National Chairman with a two-third majority can suspend or remove the chairman. The ward, LG, or even the state have no power to suspend the National Chairman.

“An Edo High Court has also ruled on this matter. Also, an Appeal Court has also ruled on this matter.

“This dimension is a continuation of the attack on the person of Abure as witnessed during the governorship primaries. It will also amount to nothing, and we are not perturbed.”

Politics

Peter Obi And I Will Defeat APC Any Day — Datti Baba-Ahmed Boasts

Published

6 hours ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 elections, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said that his party will defeat the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in any election.

Datti stated that he was confident in the abilities of his principal, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Datti said these during an appearance on Arise TV on Friday. He added that he was not scared of going against the ruling party, the APC in future elections.

According to Datti, “APC and PDP did not have 60 per cent of the Labour Party’s votes in the FCT that they are ruling.

“So, I’m never scared because if we are in a democracy, it’s the people’s power that we will use. And we’re using it. Not the armoured tanks of the Nigerian Army that belong to the Nigerian people, and not the barrels of the gun or the teargas that the Nigerian people are afraid of.

“Any day, if there’s an election again, if they come out, we will defeat them. It’s left for them to go and twist the constitution again, change the meaning of English, and declare by 4 a.m.”

‘We won 2023 election’

Datti also said that, in retrospect, the Labour Party won the 2023 general elections.

He said: “In fact, we hold our heads high. Where are the campaign promises of the APC, or the ongoing government? What have they achieved?

“The iRev was switched off. They returned the results manually. And then the Constitution was twisted, and the meaning of the English language was changed.

“We won the 2023 election. I will never stop saying it. Now the Labour Party, as of today, is in a better state than the CPC was in 2013/2014 leading up to the 2015 election. Far better than it was.

“Continue to look at the failures. The worsening insecurity, declining economy, and aggravated corruption that is now going on.

“Add that to when Nigerians will now wake up to the realisation that beyond 2027, there’s probably a grand scheme to dismember Nigeria into six autonomous zones.

“Because there’s no way to explain the failure, and because the only way is to carry those failures and run away.”