Politics

DELTA 2023: Ijaw Group Challenges Delta Central, Says No Guber Zoning Since 1998

Published

3 years ago

January 30, 2022

Editor

…Urges Okowa To Call Party Chairman, Amori To Order

The Delta- Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group, DIGAG, in Delta State, Sunday, challenged leaders of Delta Central Senatorial District in the state canvassing zoning of governorship by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying since 1998, the party had never zoned governorship in the state.

The group in a statement by the director general, Augustine Okporu, picked on the state PDP chairman, Barr. Kingsley Esiso and Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Chief Ighoyota Amori, who they accused of “constituting themselves as aspirants to the Delta state governorship primary election.”

Expressing lack of confidence in the two leaders, DIGAG urged the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to “urgently call Esiso and Amori to order before they destroy the party,” adding.

“The two of them are occupying executive positions in the party which requires them to be neutral in all processes of elections within the PDP.

“However, the Delta state PDP chairman and the deputy national organizing secretary have chosen to throw their caps in the rings by openly canvassing for the interest of a particular senatorial district, the Delta Central senatorial district.

“Before Chief Amori was elected as the deputy national organizing secretary, he was the chairman of the 2023 governorship lobby group by name, DC-23. Having being elected into the national office of this our great party, we thought that he would resign from his lobby group since they are canvassing for support for his Delta Central senatorial district.

“To our utter dismay, Chief Amori is still seen leading his Urhobo people to negotiate for the unconstitutional zoning of the governorship office to his Delta Central senatorial district. He is now an unapologetic crusader of Urhobo people’s governorship ambition in a race that other senatorial districts/tribes are also scheming to contest.

“In a similar vein, Esiso who is the state chairman of the party has become the advocate of zoning of the governorship office to the Delta Central senatorial district. Esiso took such despotic adventure in flagrant violation of the known conventional practices in the state PDP.

“The party has been in power since 1999 till date. There was no time a state party chairman has openly canvassed for the zoning of the party’s office to a particular senatorial district. That is a sacrilegious act of impudence in breach of the oath of office and the ethical code of conduct in the party office.

“On the 21st of January, 2022, Kingsley Esiso, while at the Delta state PDP caucus meeting moved a motion to zone the governorship office to the Delta Central senatorial district as if he was an ordinary party faithful.

“His misguided motion would have torn the party in Delta state into shred if not the quick intervention of the governor of Delta state, Sen. Okowa.

“Considering the partisan interest of Esiso and Amori in the Delta state PDP governorship primary, we fear the fortune of our party in 2023. To save the party in the state from the likely precipice, we call on the National Working Committee to immediately suspend Chief Ighoyota Amori from performing the functions of his office. His dual offices within the party amount to conflict of interest.

“Similarly, we also call on Governor Okowa to prevail on the State Working Committee of the party to immediately suspend Esiso as he has veered from his neutral position to become an interested governorship aspirants.

“We have no problem whatsoever, if Esiso and Amori solicit for support for their Urhobo aspirants, but doing same with the toga of their offices is a serious violation of the party Constitution.

“If PDP must survive in Delta state in the next elections, then Esiso and Amori should be relieved of their offices. It is on record that the Delta state PDP has never zoned the governorship office to any senatorial districts since the inception of this democratic dispensation.

“The office is always thrown open for the interested aspirants to contest. If there had been senatorial district zoning arrangements in the party, why then has the Delta Central people always participated in all the party governorship primaries from 1998 to date?

“Chief Amori should tell the world why he canvassed for the support of Delta Central people in 2014 against the ambition of Delta North people if there had been senatorial district zoning in the state?

“Records in the archives have clearly shown that Chief Amori was one of the strongest anti-zoning crusaders of the governorship office in 2014. He clearly displayed his opposition to the zoning by canvassing for vote for his Urhobo brother, Olorogun David Edevbie who is from Central. Why that same man is now making a vault face?”, the group said.

(VANGUARD)

Politics

Confusion In PDP As NWC Counters Damagum, Rejects Anyanwu’s Reinstatement

Published

51 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dismissed claims that the party’s 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Monday, June 30, 2025, has been postponed.

A statement signed by key members of the NWC on Wednesday also denied reports that Samuel Anyanwu has been reinstated as the party’s National Secretary.

The NWC said the statement comes in response to a press briefing earlier in the day by the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.

DAILY POST reports that Damagum had announced the postponement of the NEC meeting and said Anyanwu is to resume as National Secretary.

Rejecting Damagum’s declarations, the NWC said his pronouncements were contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which scheduled the next NEC session for June 30 and referred all matters concerning the National Secretary’s office to that meeting.

“The pronouncements by the Acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the Party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC),” the statement read.

Citing Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), the NWC emphasized that NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party after the National Convention and that its resolutions are binding on all members and organs of the party.

The NWC described the announcement regarding Anyanwu’s resumption as “misleading” and reaffirmed that the matter remains under the jurisdiction of the forthcoming NEC meeting.

The statement was jointly signed by Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Acting National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Auditor, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, among others.

Politics

FCT Polls: APC Releases Names Of Primary Election Committee Members

Published

1 hour ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has unveiled names of members of its primary election committees for the 2026 Federal Capital Territory, FCT, chairmanship polls.

This was contained in a statement on its official X handle on Wednesday.

The committees, appointed for the six area councils, are made up of chairmen, secretaries and members.

The statement said that an inauguration ceremony for the appointed chairmen and secretaries took place on June 25 at the APC national secretariat in Wuse 2, Abuja.

“For Gwagwalada area council, the committee will be chaired by Hon Shafi’u Duwan, with Hon Yahaya Shehu Maradun as secretary,” the statement read.

According to the statement, in Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Habibu Ibrahim will spearhead the committee, while Margaret Duru will serve as secretary.

It added that Austin Agada will chair the Bwari area council committee, with Sanusi Sa’idu Kiru as secretary.

In addition, the statement revealed that in Abaji, Hon Afolarin Mayowa Samuel would oversee the committee, while Hon Abdullahi Maharazu will act as secretary.

For Kwali, the statement named Akombo Benedict Imoter, as the committee chairman, and would be assisted by Hon Gambo Rimi as secretary.

Barr Yakubu Bello chairs the committee for Kuje area council, while Engr Umar Shehu will serve as secretary.

It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, On January 22, said it had fixed February 21, 2026, for the conduct of the FCT area council elections.

According to the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, the last area council election in the FCT was held on February 12, 2022, adding that the tenure of the current chairmen and councillors will end next year.

He further stated said the final list of candidates will be published on September 22, 2025, adding that campaigns will commence on September 24 and end at midnight of February 19, 2026.

Politics

2027: Peter Obi Meets Ex-AGF Malami Amid Coalition Talks

Published

1 hour ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Tuesday met with ex-Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in Abuja.

The closed-door meeting, held at Malami’s office, comes amid ongoing consultations to form a broad-based political coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.

Obi’s visit to Malami follows a similar meeting with former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, at his Asokoro residence less than 24 hours earlier.

Malami and Shekarau are among a growing list of political heavyweights being linked to the proposed alliance, which also reportedly includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

The push for coalition-building gained momentum following the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, in which Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, secured victory with 8.8 million votes. Obi and Atiku came in third and second respectively, splitting the opposition vote and paving the way for the APC’s win.

Observers and civil society groups have since intensified calls for a united opposition front to challenge the ruling party in the 2027 elections.