Politics

Benue: Gov Alia, APC Trade Blames Over Clash Between Supporters

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State got to a head weekend when some party youths loyal to the acting State Chairman, Benjamin Omakolo and those loyal to embattled State Chairman, Austin Agada engaged in a free-for-all in Makurdi.

The fight which was reported to have also witnessed sounds of gunshots was quelled by stern looking Police personnel who fired rounds of teargas to disperse the youth.

The crisis started when some youths of the party alleged to be loyal to the acting Chairman barricaded the road leading to the APC State Secretariat supporting the Police to cordon off the area to stop any political meeting there, in line with the ban of such activities emplaced by Governor Hyacinth Alia and being enforced by the Police.

However, another group of youths allegedly loyal to Mr. Agada who led his entourage including the Executive Director, Housing, Finance and Accounts, Federal Housing Authority, Dr. Mathias Byuan tried to penetrate the barricade to access state Secretariat on JS Tarka Road, they were resisted by those that had barricaded the access road from the Kashim Ibrahim Way axis of Old GRA, and a free-for-all ensued. It took the intervention of the Police to save the situation.

Reacting to the development in a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula blamed Mr. Agada and his entourage for allegedly using armed youths to instigate the crisis and violating the embargo placed on political meetings and gatherings in the state.

Kula alleged that: “We have received intelligence reports that the suspended state Chairman of the APC in Benue State, Austin Agada and the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority, Mr. Mathias Byuan have hired armed men into Benue State to shatter the relative peace in Benue State.

“This is against the directive of the governor that all political gatherings in the state be suspended due to the volatile security situation in the state. But shockingly, the armed men who accompanied Agada and Byuan reportedly made their way into the heart of the town in a convoy and started shooting sporadically when they got to Tito Gate, Kashim Ibrahim road, Makurdi.

“The duo led the armed men round parts of the old GRA and were headed to property number 75, J S Tarka way said to be owned by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume when the Nigerian police arrived and began to engage them before they dispersed.

“Recall that Governor Hyacinth Alia had banned all political and social gatherings in the state till further notice. These directives were later publicly communicated to the public through the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command who approved enforcement and equally asked the organizers to call off their meetings.

“The government is worried that some people are still in the habit of insisting to derail the relative peace in the state and hinder development that Governor Alia is bringing home.

“The security atmosphere in Benue State is only gradually returning to calm after it was charged recently following the unprecedented influx of armed herders who were brought in by enemies of the state to destabilize the government.

“We urge Benue people to be security conscious and immediately report activities of these fifth columnists as we call on security agencies to arrest these merchants of crisis and bring them to book to serve as a deterrent to others.”

But in a counter statement, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Daniel Ihomun who blamed Governor Alia for what transpired, alleged that he sent thugs to disrupt the scheduled working visit of Dr. Byuan to the APC State Secretariat by barricading the road.

Ihomun alleged that “Dr. Mathias Byuan who arrived Makurdi and was received by party faithful at Agan toll-gate proceeded to the Secretariat in company of the State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, and other members of the State Executive Committee in a convoy and were blocked by the governor’s thugs along the Tito gate brandishing dangerous weapons and attacking members of the party.

“Benue APC views this as a very desperate and pedestrian outing by the governor highly unbecoming of the Chief Executive Officer of a state. The APC in Benue State is highly embarrassed by this rogue like outing of the governor and urges members of the party at all levels in the state to remain calm and law abiding.

“The party is equally worried that instead of redeeming the image of the state to attract investments across the globe, Governor Hyacinth Alia has taken it upon himself to trade the fortunes of the state on the alter of politics, demarketing Benue as a state highly insecure to do business or even associate freely.

“Previous administrations in Benue State have made serious efforts at demilitarizing youth in the state. It will be highly unpatriotic for Governor Alia to return the state to the era of encouraging young people to take up arms against people of the state instead of seeking ways to empower them.

“The APC in Benue State strongly condemns this outing of the governor and urges him to wear his thinking cap before he causes further damage to the image and prosperity of Benue state.”

Politics

Why Tinubu Didn’t Intervene In Ganduje’s Troubles – APC Leaders

Published

11 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

Following weeks of aborted moves and protests to remove the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, concerned chieftains of the party have explained the reason President Bola Tinubu steered clear of the drama.

The embattled chairman was purportedly suspended by the APC executive of Ganduje ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government of Kano State on April 15, a move that was quickly thwarted by the state chapters of the party, which suspended the ward executive.

The development resulted in legal tussles with the Kano State High Court granting an ex parte order restraining him from parading himself as a member of the party, leading to Ganduje securing a counter ex parte order from the Federal High Court in Kano presided over by Justice A. M. Liman, who ruled out the purported suspension.

A few days after the legal fireworks, scores of demonstrators stormed the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja to demand his resignation and allow the seat of the leadership, previously occupied by Abdullahi Adamu, to return to the North Central.

However, supporters of the APC national chairman have expressed shock over the deafening silence of the president, who political observers believed was his ally and close friend.

Reacting in an interview with our correspondent, the APC Publicity Secretary for North-West, Musa Mada, pointed out that there was nothing suspicious about President Tinubu’s silence.

He said, “The whole thing (Ganduje’s purported suspension) is just speculation. If we look at it from 1999 to date, no president has proven to be more of a party man than Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“His silence does not mean that he is not interested in the party. But he understands that the entire hullabaloo is more of a party affair. One thing people should know is that the moment you find a party so quiet, that party is insignificant.

“But where you find people agitating or fomenting trouble at a party, they are striving to get attention or seek some form of recognition. Tinubu is now the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even though he is still a card-carrying member and leader of the APC. It is not everything he must react to because he doesn’t have the time. He has more important things to do.”

The APC chief also slammed the National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso for allowing his feud with the embattled chairman to degenerate into political blackmail and backbiting among Kano party faithful.

Mada claimed that he was aware that the only thing standing between Kwankwaso and his alleged desire to defect to the ruling APC was the presence of Ganduje as the leader of the party.

“Those fomenting trouble in Kano are of two factions. There are those of the APC extraction and others from the camp of Kwankwaso. If you have been following what is happening in the so-called Ganduje’s Ward, even we in the North know it was the handiwork of Kwankwaso in Kano.

“They are using that avenue to create propaganda. I believe Kwankwaso, as a statesman, should have done better because both of them have been together for about 40 years.”

But another APC chieftain, Sylvester Monidafe, did not share his sentiment.

He stated, “My concern is not about Ganduje himself, but the party and Tinubu’s legacy. I have known Tinubu since 2006 in the ACN days when I returned to active politics.

“We all saw how he stood up to President Olusegun Obasanjo when he tried to undermine the South West states. Basically all the governors except Tinubu fell for his tricks. He stood up to the man and said ‘No way’ before he formed the AD.

“I have been with this man for that long. We used to call him ‘the last man standing.’ He is politically astute and I don’t think he will allow Ganduje or anybody to soil his name.

“On the talks that the president may be attempting to throw him under the bus for Kwankwaso, I have no idea. But I know Tinubu would like to do the right thing. You may want to ask what the right thing is.”

Politics

Edo Labour Party Suspends Youth Leader

Published

23 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Editor

Leadership of the Edo State chapter of Labour Party says it has suspended Youth Leader of the party, Ken Omusi, over an alleged invasion of the party secretariat in Benin City on Thursday.

Omosi, alongside other youths were said to have invaded the party secretariat, sacked the the Kelly Ogbaloi-led State Working Committee and declared himself (Omosi) as the acting chairman of the party.

He further claimed that over the last three months, not less than 350 members had been suspended on the WhatsApp platform of the party by the state chairman without the backing of the party.

While announcing the dissolution of the executives of the party, Omusi called on the national leadership of the party in Abuja to ratify their actions and resolutions.

But addressing newsmen in Benin, chairman of the party, Ogbaloi, while condemning the invasion by the Youth Leader, noted that Omusi has since been suspended for anti-party activities.

Ogbaloi added that the State Working Committee, in the spirit of brotherhood ahead of the governorship election, has lifted the suspension earlier slammed on some members.

According to him, a reconciliation committee would be set up by the state executive to make peace with any of the aggrieved members before the election.

He, however, appealed to members of the party to leverage on the forthcoming new voter registration exercise to expand the voters base as well as ensure broader participation in the electoral process.

“A robust membership drive shall be launched to attract new members and reconcile with the disenchanted individuals who have legitimate grievances”, he added.

He equally urged all members of the party, as well eligible voters in the state, to rally behind the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Barrister Olumide Akpata and his running mate, Prince Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, in the election

Politics

Rivers Crisis: Why Gov Fubura Got Into ‘Trouble’ – Secondus

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2024

Editor

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has said Rivers State Governor, Similaye Fubura, was being haunded by his political opponents for daring to prevent the looting of the state.

He explained that the political crisis in the state was orchestrated by those who demand unfettered access to the finances of the state a demand the governor has refused to accept.

Secondus who spoke in Abuja, on Saturday, also accused the immediate past Governor of the state and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of being the brain behind Fubura’s political troubles.

He explained that Wike’s conduct, utterances and unrelenting fued with the governor, has cast the state in bad light.

Secondus said, “Wike has been Governor for eight years and is now Minister of the FCT. As Minister, what, has he (Wike) attracted in terms of Federal projects to our dear State since he assumed office? Perhaps misery, grief, and anguish. As Governor he had supervised the exit of investors from the state due to his draconian policies.

“He had on an occasion mentioned that he is capable of causing crisis and he is not far from the truth, as he is causing an unfathomable crisis in Rivers State.

“Mrs Patience Jonathan and I worked for his emergence as governor, have we ever breathed down his neck? Instead what we get is disrespect and insults.

“ I can attest to Dr. Odili’s performance as Governor being the State PDP chairman then. I hasten to say without any fear of contradiction that he is the best governor of Rivers State in this dispensation.

“Wike claims that our revered Dr. Odili made him but in his characteristic manner, he publicly ridiculed the Odili’s without any justification. He owes them an unreserved apology and he should do so publicly.

“These media attacks against the political leaders of Rivers State are unwarranted and diversionary.

“For the records you should account for the three hundred million dollars($300m) you collected from the NNPC for the Ogoni Oil well and the cash refund made by the Saipem oil and gas company and subsequently account for your eight-year tenure of over N4Trillion realized, mismanaged and squandered. Rather than trying to cover your inadequacies through media attacks.”

These attacks, he stressed, might dovetail into a national crisis if not properly checked.

While appealing to President Bola Tinubu to reign in the FCT minister, Secondus added, “I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to prevail on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to stop overheating the Rivers State political atmosphere and allow Fubara to work. Whatever Wike thinks he is It must be stressed that Rivers people made him.”