Politics
CAN Scribe Defends Inclusion In APC Campaign List
Published
3 years agoon
By
Editor
The Assistant General Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, on Friday, defended the appearance of his name on the Presidential Campaign Council list of the All Progressives Congress.
According to him, as a member of CAN and an Apostle of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, he has been in partisan politics for over three decades.
Sanyaolu, who was reacting to criticisms that have trailed the “surprise appearance” of about eight members opposed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket on the list of the APC campaign council, clarified that the resolve to serve in the APC campaign council was a personal decision.”
Apart from Sanyaolu who was recruited as Assistant Coordinator; others were the Lagos State chairman of CAN, Stephen Adegbite (member); Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Comfort Chigbue (member); and Testimony Onifade, former Personal Assistant to immediate past CAN President, Samson Ayokunle (member).
READ ALSO: BREAKING: APC Announces Fresh Presidential Campaign Council List
Others were Victor Ivoke, Personal Assistant to Rev. Daniel Okoh, current President of CAN (member); CAN former Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel (member), and Prof. Para-Mallam (member).
Although the tenure of the CAN officials would elapse in ten days time, sources said that Samuel has applied for reappointment.
Since the names were made public, the issue had remained the topic of discussion in several churches and WhatsApp groups of CAN leaders.
But Sanyaolu in a statement titled, ‘Membership of Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Council: Setting the record straight’, said the decision was personal.
The statement read, “I wish to humbly react and set the record straight as regard the press statement signed by the National President of CAN, wherein CAN distanced itself from members of the association in the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 President Campaign Council list. Naturally, I shouldn’t say anything after the President has spoken.
“But reading through the various comments by different people, who have spoken out of ignorance, I consider it necessary to let them know who I am, and where I am coming from.
“CAN as an association has the exclusive and inalienable right to distance itself from the APC presidential list because of its long-standing position against the same-faith ticket of the ruling party. The position subsists and it is the voice of the Christians in Nigeria. Again, CAN is father to all.
“Notwithstanding, we must not lose cognizance of the fact that the party consists of members across all religious divides whom at their individual levels are still entitled to their fundamental human rights.
“It is pertinent for me to state that as a member of CAN and an Apostle of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, I have been in partisan politics for some over three decades. I have been involved in politics from the Grassroot to State and National Level. In the course of my political sojourn I have had cause to be a member of several political parties and lately, the APC. My participation in partisan politics is largely known to the Church, members of the congregation and CAN.
“In 1993, I was the State Secretary of the NRC in Ogun State. Additionally, I was the party representative at the State Collation Centre despite the fact that MKO Abiola, who was keenly contesting that election as an SDP candidate, was an indigene of Egba where I hailed from.
“On the return of democracy, I served in the cabinet of His Excellency Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Governor of Ogun State, as an Honourable Commissioner between 2003 and 2007. I was later appointed as the Chairman of the Ogun State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board based on my publicly known religious postures and involvements.
“Even while as a Director in CAN, I was the Peoples Democratic Party Senatorial flagbearer in the 2019 general election where I contested to represent the Ogun Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly. It was shortly after losing that election to Governor Amosun that I was appointed as the Assistant General Secretary of CAN after its General Assembly, in November 2019, the tenure of which will lapse in November 2023. Because the new President is from my bloc, and the consistitution does not support the two officers from same bloc, I have offered to resign in a few days away.
“I can say without equivocation and with all sense of modesty that along all these engagements, I have comported myself as a true Christian and Apostle of God. I have never discredited, ridiculed or brought disrepute to the name of CAN which is the largest ecumenical body in Africa.
“It was while serving as the Assistant General Secretary in 2020 that I moved into the APC because of the unending internal crisis in the PDP in Ogun State. Yet again, I obtained the nomination form and actually re-contested for the Ogun Central Senatorial District at the primary election held in May 2022 on the platform of the APC, and on the prompting of CAN that members should be involved in politics.
READ ALSO: Edo In Serious Crisis, Obaseki Has Destroy Enviable Legacies, APC Laments
“My nomination into the PCC came in the estimation and recognition of my several political involvements spanning 30 years at the national, state and grassroots levels and not on the basis of being an officer of CAN. Even as a Commissioner, I never compromised my faith, nor hide the fact that I am an Apostle in God’s Vineyard. Anyone who cares to know can verify this.
“I am not a politician without a second address. I am a Chartered Accountant by profession and a big time farmer and therefore, I cannot descend so low or trade the name of CAN or any other body for pecuniary gains. It is not in my character and it can never be. My nomination into the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 President campaign council list is based on my political involvements rather than CAN.
“Above all, permit me to put on record that my decision to serve in the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 President Campaign Council is a personal decision, which has nothing to do with CAN. At moments like these, we may need to separate the man from the office.”
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Politics
PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South
Published
10 hours agoon
August 25, 2025By
Editor
The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.
Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.
However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.
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In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.
Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.
The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.
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“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.
“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.
“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.
“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”
Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.
READ ALSO:PDP Announces National Convention Zoning Committee Inauguration Date
He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.
“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.
“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.
“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”
Politics
Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman
Published
13 hours agoon
August 25, 2025By
Editor
The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.
He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.
Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.
He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.
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Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.
“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.
“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.
READ ALSO:Opposition Will Collapse In Edo Before 2027, Says Okpebholo
“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.
“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.
Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.
He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.
Politics
[BREAKING] Edo: APC Suspends Ex-senatorial Aspirant Of Party
Published
18 hours agoon
August 25, 2025By
Editor
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has suspended a chieftain of the party and a former senatorial aspirant, Hon. Valentine Asuen.
A statement signed by State Party Publicity Secretary, Barr. Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, and Made available to journalists on Monday, said Asuen was suspended from the party in “accordance with the provisions of the APC Constitution 2022, as amended.”
The publicity secretary added that “this disciplinary action became necessary following his conduct, which runs contrary to the spirit of unity, loyalty, and collective progress enshrined in our constitution.”
According to Uwadiae-Igbinigie, “His actions have been deemed to amount to inciting division within the Party, thereby undermining the cohesion and discipline expected of every member.”
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“In line with Article 21:2 (ii) & (v) of the Party Constitution 2022, as amended, such conduct constitutes a violation of the obligations of a member. Furthermore, as clearly stipulated in Article 21:5 (a), (c), (d), (e), (f) & (h), these infractions are punishable offences, warranting disciplinary measures including suspension.
“The APC remains committed to internal democracy, discipline, and the protection of its integrity. No act capable of destabilizing the Party or inciting disaffection amongst members will be condoned.
“Let it be clearly stated that all appointments made thus far by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo, have been evenly distributed across the state, including Oredo Local Government Area, without any undue influence from the Party’s Secretary, Engr. Lawrence Okah,” the statement reads.
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