Politics

Edo 2024: Group Wants Zoning Jettisoned, Open Contest

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2023

Editor

As the Edo State governorship election draws nearer and the agitation for zoning gets to its climax, a civil society organisations knows as People’s Defender Advocate, Saturday, urged stakeholders to jettison the calls for zoning and throw the contest open to all interested.

According to the group, granting the number one seat as a privilege to any “of the warring senatorial districts, the primary elections of various political parties and the main election in 2024, could spell a doom, that cannot be curtailed.” (Sic)

Addressing newsmen in Benin during a press conference held in conjunction with other civil society organisations, the Convener, People’s Defender Advocate, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, said recent and “ongoing unhealthy political developments” in the state warranted his organisation and other civil society practitioners to take the position, adding “in order to stem the tide and take the state away from an avoidable precipice.”

Bishop Ochei, flanked by other civil society practitioners in the state during the press conference said: “That the best solution out of the present logjam, will be for the different parties to avoid zoning in the primaries and main election, by throwing the contests wide open for all the aspirants, and to avoid tribal, religious and other primitive considerations.”

He continued: “…there are raging battle cries, mainly by the three senatorial district of the state – South, Central and North, respectively, with each laying claims to the sole governorship seat and even issuing threats, in the buildup to the 2024 governorship party primaries and the main election.

“The bitter and dominant agitations, which tend to be tribal and
sectional, continually widen the cracks of disunity, even where they do not exist, thus bringing Edo citizens on collusion. Sadly, our once sacred public institutions and some well-placed individuals, including respected traditional chieftains and the related bodies, have joined the fights.”

According to the Convener, regardless of the zone, Edo people should look out for individual who has the educational qualifications, verifiable pedigrees, he who has excellent performance records both in the public and private sectors and has contributed to the development of the state, as their governor.

He added: “A governor of Edo State, in the said election, must pass the litmus test of educational qualifications; that he is well-known and had contributed to the development of his hometown; versed in experience, have verifiable pedigrees of performances in the private and public sectors, as he must not have criminal records.”

Ochei stressed: “He must be a pan-Edo personality, who knows the state and had contributed and must evenly spread the needed development items to the three zones and local government areas of the state.”

The Convener added: “He must not be an imported Governor who has not contributed to the development of Edo State in the time past.”

Related Topics:#Edo governorship Edo Edo 2024

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Politics

Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Seeks INEC Registration For New Party

Published

12 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the registration of a new political party—the All Democratic Alliance.

The application, dated June 19, was acknowledged by INEC on Friday, signalling the coalition’s determination to float a new platform instead of aligning with any existing political party.

The formation of ADA, backed by some other key political heavyweights, including former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeks to capitalise on mounting public dissatisfaction and political realignments to stop President Bola Tinubu at the next poll.

The application comes just a few days after INEC warned political groups that no amount of pressure or public sentiment would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines.

The commission reiterated that party registration remains a rigorous constitutional process—not merely a political declaration.

With Thursday’s application, the national opposition coalition has now put an end to weeks of speculation about whether it would revive a dormant political platform or launch a fresh one altogether.

A copy of the application letter, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, was jointly signed by the association’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.

The letter partly read, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.

“This is a sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.

“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”

The coalition also submitted relevant documents, including the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes of its foundational meetings.

The party’s symbol prominently features a maize (corn), which the applicants say represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance—core ideals they hope to promote.

“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures, and organisation,” the letter continued.

Politics

Rivers LG Administrator Appointed By Ibas Resigns

Published

12 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The administrator of the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, Goodluck Ihemnacho, has resigned.

Ihemnacho is one of the administrators appointed by the state Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), for the 23 LGAs of the state.

The resignation was contained in a letter dated June 20, 2025, addressed to the state sole administrator and obtained by our correspondent.

In the letter which has flooded the social media space, Ihemnacho said his resignation was informed by his desire to return to the private sector.

The resignation letter partly read, “I humbly write to your noble office to convey to you my resignation as the administrator, Ahoada East LGA.

“My sincere gratitude goes to the government of Rivers State and the good people of Ahoada East for finding me worthy to serve as Ahaoda East LGA from 11th day of April 2025 to 20th day of July 2025.”

Meanwhile there are speculations that Ihemnacho resigned to pave the way for him to contest the forth-coming LG elections in the state, though this has not been verified.

Politics

Why I left Tinubu’s Govt — Former Aide Aliyu Audu Declares

Published

5 days ago

June 16, 2025

Editor

A former Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Affairs, Aliyu Audu, has revealed that he resigned from the administration in order to actively campaign against Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Audu said his decision was driven by a matter of “principle and conscience,” as he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

“It confirmed it on one hand, and on the other hand, it strengthened my resolve to not work for him in 2027,” Audu said, referring to Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech where the president claimed to enjoy seeing the opposition in disarray.

“I couldn’t in all honesty and in my conscience be in his government knowing I’m plotting against removal in 2027, because I will, and by God, we will remove him. Collectively, Nigerians will install a leader that will be our chosen, not his chosen. Not emilokan (my turn), but awa lokan (our turn), in fact, gbogbo wa lokan (all of us).”

He also criticised the inclusion of Nyesom Wike, a PDP member and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, in the APC-led government, questioning his loyalty and the legitimacy of such a move.

“What is Wike doing in our government? If he’s going to leave the PDP, he should leave. If we’re doing a government of national unity, you deal with the party, not individuals. The party is what we vote for — not Bola Tinubu but APC; not Atiku but PDP; not Peter Obi but Labour Party.”

Audu’s resignation letter, dated June 8, criticised the APC’s political trajectory and warned against what he described as a deliberate silencing of opposition voices. In a follow-up statement, he clarified that while he does not support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he would not lend himself “as an instrument to reduce Nigeria to a one-party state.”

“If we now begin to silence or crush opposition simply because we have the upper hand, then we are no different from the very system we once criticised under Obasanjo in 2003,” he said.