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Just In: Obaseki Officially Joins PDP, Promises To Deliver The State

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The speculations making the rounds for the past few days that governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, was worming up to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), came to an end Friday, June 19, as the Governor officially joined the party.

Obaseki, while finally dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP, promised to return the state back to the party (PDP) in the next September, 19 governorship election.

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“I have officially joined the party  to advance my ambition to seek re-election as Governor of Edo State. 

“I, as always, remain committed to engendering good governance and sustainable development of our dear state”, he said.

READ ALSO: ‘I Have No Plan Of Resigning From APC’, Says Edo Speaker

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Obaseki, had Tuesday, formally announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) immediately after meeting with, Ibrahim Gabriel,  the Chief of Staff to  President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

The governor cited injustice and other anti-democratic practices of the National Working Committee of the party as well as the governorship primary election committee that disqualified him from contesting the primary election.

The governor  was received by the state chairman of the PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, party chieftains including Matthew Urhoghide, Clifford Ordia and the entire state executive committee.

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Speaking further, the governor, who noted that the PDP has demonstrated and shown that it is a party rooted in democratic practices, however promised to provide leadership that will lead the party to victory.

READ ALSO: Obaseki’s Certificate: AAU VC Refutes Social Media Report, Says ‘I Never Called It Fake’

According to him, members of the state executive committee of the PDP, teeming supporters and members of PDP. I am here this afternoon, to inform you that upon my resignation from the All Progressives Congress, I have now decided, having consulted very wisely within the state and across the country, to become a member of PDP.

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“Today, I am here to go through the formality of registering as a member of this great party. I understand fully well the implications of this decision. I know that upon taking up membership of this party, I automatically become the leader of this party, that is the constitution; I read it thoroughly last night.

“The PDP in my view has demonstrated and shown that it is a party that is rooted in a democratic practices; party that believes in justice and fairness”, he said.

He continues, ” I am prepared to provide leadership that will not only put PDP in office in Edo state but I will ensure that the level of progress, level of participation in the political system by  our people is unrivalled.

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READ ALSO: Just In: Edo Guber: Obaseki, Deputy, Entire APC Structure To Join PDP-Chairman

“I am very happy to be here, the reception I have received since I got in here has been ecstatic. The energy I see in this party is the kind of energy I require to take Edo to the level we should go to next.

“If you think we have done anything in the last four year, you have not seen anything yet because with the quality of people I am seeing here, by the grace of God, I am committing to you that I will not only lead this party to victory in Edo state, I will also make that this party establishes an example of how things will be run in Africa.

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“So, today, it is with great pleasure I have come to formally take membership of this party”,he added.

While responding, the PDP state chairman , Tony Aziegbemi, assured the governor of full cooperation, noting that the party does not discriminate.

He said, “Obaseki is free to participate in the PDP governorship primary election coming up on Tuesday June 23, 2020 as he has already obtained the nomination form and have been given a waiver to contest the primaries as other PDP aspirants.

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The governor was accompanied by serving commissioners, APC chieftains loyal to the governor, Kabiru Adjoto, immediate past speaker of the State House of Assembly, local government chairmen among others.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Edo APC Primaries Screening Committee Disqualifies Obaseki, Others

Recall Obaseki was disqualified by the APC Governorship Screening Committee due to inconsistency in his HSC result and NYSC certificate.

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Edo: Need For Waste Management Policy Takes Centre Stage As ERA/FoEN Convenes Stakeholders’ Workshop

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In an effort to addressing poor waste management and attaining zero waste in Edo State, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) on Thursday in Benin convened a workshop for stakeholders.

The enlightenment and sensitisation programme held at Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State was themed: ‘Our Waste and Burden on the Environment.’

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In his opening remarks, the Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Barrister Chima Williams, said the workshop, anchored on ‘zero waste’, was necessary due to the porousity of waste management in the state.

A cross of participants at the workshop.

READ ALSO: Demand For Liability, Payments For Carbon Debts – ERA/FoEN Tells African Govts

Williams, who was represented by Babawale Obayanju, Programme Officer, Media and Communication in the organisation, noted ERA/FoEN was not just concerned about attaining zero waste in the state but the need for government to put policy controlling waste in the state.

According to him, managing waste was a culture that all need to imbibe for a clean and healthy environment.

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He said as an environmental advocate, ERA/FoEN had developed a seven year zero waste plan that could help the state overcome the environmental challenge.

The executive director regretted that the state did not leverage on the potentials in waste recycling to make fortune for the state and the people.

Plastics generation, he said, was becoming extremely high in the state and would soon begin to negatively impact the ecosystem.

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“It is a fact that plastics do not degrade, but it photogrades, the substance which is found in the seas, impose hazard on the fish.

“We may not feel the effect now, but we will soon begin to see it because we all eat fish,” he said.

In his speech, Mr Kessingston Osifo, Chairman Oredo Local Government Area of Edo, described zero waste as a great initiative that all should embrace.

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A cross section of participants at the workshop.

READ ALSO: ERA/FoEN Pushes For Zero Waste Environment

The problem of waste generation, he said, had become a major challenge facing the council as a result of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places.

Also in her goodwill message, Mrs Blessing Ehigiator, Head of Department, Environment in the local government area urged the participants to adhere to the principle of Rs in environment, which include Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle among others.

Ehigiator, however, sought the support of non-state actors on environment in the area of equipment just as she noted that waste management was always capital intensive.

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Edo Election Tribunal Receives 13 Petitions

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The Edo Election Petitions Tribunal says it has received 13 petitions from aggrieved parties and candidates in the just-concluded National Assembly and State Assembly elections.

The Tribunal Secretary, Mr Muazu Sanusi, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin.

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Sanusi said that the petitions were filed within the 21-day period allowed by law.

READ ALSO: APC Suspends SGF Boss Mustapha Indefinitely, SWC Kicks

He said that the petitions were filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress and Labour Party as well as their candidates.

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He said,  “As at today, the tribunal has received a total of 13 petitions.

“Out of the 13 petitions, three are on senatorial election, 10 were received with regard to House of Representatives election.

“One petition is, however, emanating from the conduct of the state House of Assembly election, and the results were announced on March 21, 2023.”

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The secretary said that the petitions were expected to be filed on or before 21 days after declaration of results.

READ ALSO: FEC Approves N454bn For Kano-Niger Republic Rail, Others

Sanusi said that the time within which to file petitions as regards the House of Representatives and Senatorial polls had lapsed.

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The secretary said, however, that the tribunal was still expecting petitions from aggrieved candidates and parties in the Edo House of Assembly election.

Sanusi could not say exactly when the tribunal would begin sitting.

According to him, it will start sitting when processes have been exchanged among the petitioners and the respondents.

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[BREAKING] Alleged Incitement: Keyamo Petitions DSS, Demands Peter Obi’s Arrest

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Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo SAN has petitioned the State Security Services SSS, demanding the arrest and prosecution for “incitement and treasonable felony”, the Labour Party LP Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, Messrs Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed respectively for comments he described as incendiary and capable of causing rebellion.

In the petition addressed to the Director General State Services DGSS and dated March 23, the minister who is the Chief Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress APC Presidential Campaign Council PCC said in a post-election period such as this, there is a need to soothe frayed nerves, lower the temperature and begin the healing process.

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“The President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a statement to this effect a few days ago. However, it appears the President and Vice-Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed are not prepared to toe this conciliatory path for the sake of peace and national cohesion, whilst exercising their rights to pursue duly laid down constitutional means of addressing their grievances”, he stated.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Anti-Tinubu Protesters Ground Abuja, Demand Interim Govt, Fresh Polls

Keyamo noted that since the declaration of the Presidential election results, the duo have been hopping from one media house to the other making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

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According to him, “These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution.

“In some cases, their privies have even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.

“The latest of such are the comments made by Datti Baba-Ahmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would ‘signal the end of democracy’. Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected President-elect as ‘unconstitutional’ and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.

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READ ALSO: BREAKING: Ike Ekweremadu, Wife, Daughter Found Guilty Of Organ Trafficking

“I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest.

“It is noteworthy that Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have submitted Elections Petitions to the courts for adjudication, but their conducts and utterances amount to a subversion of the processes they have instituted in court and a subversion of our Constitution and the laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances. These conduct and utterances are a build-up to something more sinister and it is important you rein them in now!

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“In the circumstance, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge both individuals to court for their conduct which amounts to incitement and treasonable felony”.

 

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