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JUST IN: Tinubu Speaks On Meeting Wike In Francr, PDP Crisis Deepens

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2 years ago

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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, did not meet in France.

Tinubu’s spokesperson, Tunde Rahman, made this known on Friday, describing earlier reports as “fake news”.

This is coming amid reports that Wike shunned the emissaries of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Turkey.

Following the division that rocked the PDP after Atiku’s emergence, there had been reports that Tinubu and Wike over issues concerning the 2023 presidential election in France.

There were also speculations that Wike and some PDP governors are aggrieved over the emergence of the party’s presidential candidate from the north.

READ ALSO: Wike Receives Kwakwanso In Rivers

“It’s time for South to produce president,” one of the aggrieved PDP leaders, Ayodele Fayose, said recently.

Rahman noted that though the APC presidential candidate holds Wike in high esteem, no meeting was held between them in France.

The statement read, “We have seen a viral social media post made by one of the chieftains of All Progressives Congress in Lagos State and media reports emanating from same about a supposed meeting in France between APC Presidential Standard-bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State,” the statement said.

“It has become imperative to set the record straight. Although Asiwaju Tinubu is presently in France, he didn’t have any meeting with Governor Wike whether in that country or anywhere whatsoever.

“This, however, does not detract from the fact that the APC presidential candidate holds Governor Wike in high esteem.

“And given the national and across-party line’s appeal of Asiwaju Tinubu’s candidature, he will not hesitate to meet any important national leader when desirable.

“As made public earlier, Asiwaju Tinubu is in France for some important engagements. He will return to the country shortly.

“We would like, once again, to advice journalists to always cross-check their information with appropriate officers before rushing to press to avoid unintended errors.”

READ ALSO: Again, Shell Speaks On Plan To Sell Nigerian Onshore Oil Assets

Wike’s Turkey trip sparks controversy

Wike’s trip to Turkey has sparked more controversy in the party as some of the governor’s loyalists have threatened to leave the PDP.

Apart from the disagreement on North producing PDP’s next presidential candidate, there is also a crisis over the PDP vice-presidential slot.

Before the debunked report that the Rivers governor met with Tinubu, Wike’s had been seen romancing with some opposition politicians.

The governor had on June 24 hosted the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Port Harcourt.

The visit occurred a day after the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, visited Wike, sparking speculations about their intentions and the Rivers governor’s plans.

Though Wike has refused to speak publicly since he lost the running mate slot to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his recent meetings with political bigwigs have strengthened speculations that he may leave the PDP.

Wike was initially spotted with Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in Turkey. Another picture on Thursday showed the two governors and their Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, together in Turkey.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, hinted that some governors are unhappy with Atiku.

“Atiku should go to him (Wike). Why won’t he ignore their calls? Is that not an insult? Wike is a pillar in the party.

“Currently, Nobody in the party has contributed more for the party to move forward than Wike. If Atiku was not going to honour the decision of the committee, he should have called Wike earlier and informed him. He didn’t do that. You can’t do things anyhow and expect us to be happy,” Ortom said.

But Atiku said efforts were being made to resolve the grievances of party members via his official Twitter handle, @Atiku, on Thursday.

“The Peoples Democratic Party will remain united. Focus on our actions. We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.

READ ALSO: 2023 Presidency: Tinubu Jets Out To France

“Every governor, legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me. When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced,” he tweeted on Thursday.

 

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APC Debunks Viral Video, Says Presidency Not After Ganduje

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18 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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The ruling All Progressives Congress has distanced itself from the report credited to its Kano State chapter of the party that the Presidency may have been behind the move to remove the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, from office.

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, made the rebuttal when he was featured as a guest on Arise TV on Thursday.

The Kano APC through its spokesperson, Ahmad Aruwa, had on Wednesday accused the Presidency of undermining and conspiring against the APC national chairman.

Aruwa made the claims in a viral video circulating on social media where he blamed some forces in the presidency for Ganduje’s travail.

READ ALSO: Police Seal Off Benue APC Factional Secretariat

The Kano APC also criticised President Bola Tinubu for not publicly speaking up for the embattled party national chairman, saying Ganduje personally facilitated his presence in Kano even when some grassroots politicians rejected him.

Reacting, Morka said much as he couldn’t tell the context in which Aruwa made the claim, it was a true reflection of things.

He said, “First, I am just hearing about this. I didn’t monitor that information. I wouldn’t say much about it. I don’t know the context or circumstances in which he made those comments. But the national chairman of APC is still the national chairman and we have the leader of the party who is the president, who to the best of my knowledge recognises Ganduje as our national chairman. So nothing has shifted.

READ ASLSO: [JUST IN] Ganduje: Kano APC Sacks Ward Leaders

 

“We know that the individuals who are behind this move to suspend the national chairman are people without membership in the party and any form of authority. I am sure you saw yesterday that all of the executive committee and members of the ward were at the national headquarters of our party to physically denounce all of the activities that occurred.

“We are in a situation where some imposters and outsiders in the party are invoking legal processes to embarrass, create confusion, and disturb the peace of the party in Kano for no reason. From all indications, many of the members who were at that press conference where the announcement was made are individuals we profiled that are connected one way or the other with very senior officials of the NNPP.”

The political drama in Kano took a fresh twist on Wednesday after a Federal High Court presided over by another judge, Justice A.M Liman, halted the purported suspension of Ganduje by his ward executives in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state.

The ruling was given after Ganduje filed an exparte motion seeking to enforce his fundamental right to a fair hearing.

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PDP Crisis: Drama As Dino Melaye, Ortom Exchange Words During Meeting [VIDEO]

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, was involved in a hot exchange with ex-governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Melaye accused Ortom of anti-party activities during the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking at a North Central zonal leadership meeting of PDP in Abuja on Wednesday, Melaye said Ortom’s anti-party activities led to PDP losing both the presidential and governorship elections in Benue.

READ ALSO: EFCC Obtains Arrest Warrant For Yahaya Bello

He expressed surprise that the former governor could attend a PDP meeting despite his previous disloyalty to the party.

This led to a hot exchange between both PDP chieftains.

During the 2023 election, Ortom had teamed up with the G-5 governors led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to work against PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

While other members of the group worked for President Bola Tinubu’s victory, Ortom backed the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

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NNPP Faction Suspends Kano Governor For Six Months

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3 days ago

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April 16, 2024

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A faction of New Nigeria Peoples Party under the leadership of Major Agbo on Tuesday suspended the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, for six months over his failure to appear before a disciplinary committee to defend an alleged Infraction against the party’s constitution.

Yusuf’s suspension was announced by the National Secretary of the faction, Ogini Olaposi, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat, Olaposi disclosed that the Board of Trustees took the decision to suspend the governor in the interest of the party.

The factional secretary said they have yet to come to terms with what the governor, a national figure who was elected on the platform of the NNPP, was doing at an ‘illegal national convention’ of the Kwankwasiya group led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in Abuja on April 6.

READ ALSO: Man Jailed 27 Years For Stealing N2.3m In Ekiti

He said, “We called this media conference to brief you on developments resulting from the recent invitation to Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano to appear before a disciplinary committee to explain infractions on the party constitution.

“Nigerians need to know the position of the New Nigeria People’s Party following the failure of the governor to appear before the Disciplinary Committee to explain the reason(s) His Excellency, who was elected on the party’s platform and a national figure of NNPP participated in an illegal/ factional national convention of NNPP held by the Kwankwasiya group at Wuse 2 in Abuja on Saturday, 6th April.

“The leadership of the NNPP to strengthen our internal disciplinary and democratic measures, most especially in the area of party supremacy without prejudice, is left with no other options than to decisively take necessary action according to the letters of NNPP Constitution 2022 as amended.

“With the approval of the Board of Trustees of New Nigeria Peoples Party and the unanimous decision of the National Working Committee of our great Party, His Excellency, Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State is hereby suspended for six months with immediate effect.

READ ALSO: NNPP CRISIS: Kwankwaso Moves To Change Party Logo, Amend Constitution

Reacting via a phone chat, the National Secretary of the Kwankwasiyya faction of NNPP, Dipo Olayoku, described the purported suspension as a joke taken too far by ‘a bunch of clowns’ who he claimed had long been expelled from the party.

“Gov Abba Yusuf was suspended in what capacity? These people are not members of the NNPP. They only want to make news. We don’t know them because they are not members of our party. After all, they have all been suspended, and there is a court order banning them from parading themselves as party members.

“So, how can non-members of NNPP suspend a governor? They are just clowns having fun because you can only suspend someone if you have a party. They don’t have a party and INEC has a record of members of the party. They are just out there making people laugh,” he stated.

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