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Jonathan Is Angry With PDP Over 2015 Betrayal — Clark

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Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, on Tuesday, gave an insight into why former President Goodluck Jonathan stopped attending meetings of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

According to Clark, former President Jonathan is angry with his party because of what party members, led by the former National Chairman and past Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu, did to him when he wanted to be re-elected in 2015.

Clark noted that PDP leaders from the North worked against Jonathan because, according to them, it was the turn of the North to produce the President.

He stressed that many of the PDP governors from the North mobilised funds for the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, against their own flag bearer.

READ ALSO: Muslim-Muslim Ticket Dangerous Signal – Edwin Clark

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The elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, noted that Jonathan had learnt his lesson, which explained why he stopped attending meetings of PDP especially the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.

He spoke at his Asokoro residence in Abuja, when he played host to the Delta Central APC Leaders of Thought, DECALT, led by its National Leader, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi.

The leader of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, lamented that the same northern governors in the PDP, who had rejected zoning, were now talking about competence and integrity in 2022.

He accused the party of what he described as manipulation leading to the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

Clark said: “Now coming home politically, Jonathan was the President for some time as the result of the death of President Yar’Adua. Jonathan ruled for about five years, he is a Christian and the northerners said it was their turn.

“From 2011, they have been worrying Jonathan. Even in 2015, the northern PDP leaders ganged up with APC, Tinubu and removed Jonathan from office. They did not campaign, Jonathan was on his own.

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“So, when people say why Jonathan is not in PDP, not attending PDP meetings, I can safely say that he’s learning his lesson that the people he trusted did not trust him.

“They squandered the party’s money and left.

“So, when people say why is Jonathan not in PDP, he knows how they betrayed him: how the northern PDP governors contributed money towards Buhari’s success, how members of government betrayed him.

“The national Chairman of PDP at the time was Governor (Adamu) Mu’azu. He did not go to his hometown to campaign, he was only following Jonathan about.

“He knew what he was doing. Everyone of them wanted Buhari to win. So, Buhari won. He has ruled for eight years.

“Now, the same northerners are now saying competence, no zoning, integrity.

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READ ALSO: PDP Presidential Primary: Clark Talks Tough, Asks Ayu To Resign

“It fell for the prey, they maneuvered PDP with Alhaji Abubakar who has been wanting to be president of Nigeria over the years, championing the cause of division. So, the PDP, a party we love, PDP a party of southern Nigeria, disappointed us.

“In 2019, 11 million people voted for Atiku Abubakar (PDP). Five million from the North, five million from the South. Now he doesn’t think that we ever did anything for him.

“So, Nigeria has change. If anyone tells you that all is well in Nigeria that person living in a fool’s paradise.

“I’m happy to note that you are members of the ruling party that is APC and I will give you a message to Mr. President, who is the leader of your party.

“But we are in the minority, but in every society the minority and the majority must live together. We have never seen a community where you have only the majority. If that’s the case amongst them some will become minority.

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“We are the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State, but within you some people are dominating. Because we are alive, we don’t need this society where people are not equal.

“That’s what Mandela fought for that everybody is equal. People should live in a country where you grow up to do anything God created you do.”

Clark recalled that when governors of the southern states insisted on zoning the presidency to the South, the SMBLF immediately keyed into it.

However, he regretted, despite agreement for southerners not to accept the running mate position to any Northern presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has been picked as the vice presidential candidate by the PDP even though he hosted one of the governors meeting in Asaba.

According to the South-South leader, the APC he thought the people of the South-South should have no business with, became the party that listened to the yearnings of the region over zoning and the need for the South to produce the next President come 2023.

Clark who noted that he would have voted for the ruling APC, but for his age and its decision to fly a Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket.

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READ ALSO: 2023: Clark Lambasts Southern Presidential Aspirants, Says ‘It’s Madness’ To Have Many

He said: “Several times we met here and before the PDP had their primary, we met here again and repeated the same thing.

“We didn’t know that our own Governor, who initiated this meeting, if you agreed for a meeting to be held in your house and you backed out thereafter; you have betrayed your colleagues. Isn’t it?

“So, that’s why one of my cousins called Okowa miscreant.”

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INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party‘s national convention held in Anambra.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.

The LP had on Tuesday shifted the national convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.

Speaking on the venue change, the LP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Edo Guber: Labour Party Aspirant Withdraws From Race, Cites Monetisation 

No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.

“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.

This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.

(NAN)

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Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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…Oti Gets automatic ticket for Abia Guber

The Labour Party’s highest decision making body, the National Convention, has announced it has reserved its 2027 ticket for the party’s leader, Mr. Peter Obi.

In the same breath, the party also announced a right of first refusal for the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, should he decide to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

This decision was contained in a Communique issued after the party’s National Convention, held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

It was signed by the re-elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

READ ALSO: Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The communique read in part: “The Convention in session based on the antecedents of the Presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 General Election recommend that the 2027 Presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the National leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the Convention in session reviewed ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti and pass a vote of confidence on him and recommend the 2027 Abia state Gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

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Edo Guber: 17 Parties Beat INEC Deadline For Candidates’ Nomination

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Seventeen out of 18 political parties who conducted primaries for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election have beaten the deadline for the nomination of their candidates on the special portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 27 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 p.m. on March 24, 2024, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.”

According to him, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday, March 30, 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Igbinedion Breaks Silence On Obaseki’s Handling Of PDP, Party’s Choice Of Running Mate

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The Commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 21, 2024,” he stated.

 

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