Politics

Ondo Crisis Worsens, Assembly Demands Aiyedatiwa’s Resignation

Published

2 years ago

November 29, 2023

The Ondo State House of Assembly has warned against violating the resolutions of President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the members of the House and other stakeholders over the lingering political crisis in the state.

The House held its first plenary session on Tuesday after last Friday’s meeting with Tinubu in Abuja.

At the end of Tuesday’s plenary, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Olamide Oladiji, disclosed that, as part of the resolutions reached at the meeting with Tinubu, the deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was asked to write an undated resignation letter and submit it to the President.

The Speaker said the President appointed him (Speaker), the Secretary of the Ondo State Government, Mrs Oladunni Odu, and the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Ade Adetimehin, to monitor compliance with the resolutions.

Oladiji, who read the resolutions on the floor of the House, warned all the gladiators and stakeholders against violating the resolutions of the meeting.

The Speaker said, “For the avoidance of doubt, let me present to the good people of Ondo State, the resolutions reached after the meeting of representatives of the Ondo State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council members, members of the National Assembly from Ondo State and the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress with His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leadership of our great part, that all parties shall embrace peace, that status quo be maintained by all parties, that all impeachment proceedings be terminated forthwith, and all court cases withdrawn by all parties.”

Reading further, he said the resolutions also included “that there will be no dissolution of the State Executive Council, that an undated letter of resignation must be written and signed by the deputy governor and submitted to the President, that the party leadership and structures remained intact, that the House of Assembly leadership remained intact and that Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa continues to perform the functions of office as deputy governor.”

The speaker noted that the lawmakers were acting based on the mandate given to them by their constituents.

“We, as elected representatives of the people, have only acted within the precinct of the mandate freely given to us by our constituents. We have demonstrated courage when the occasion demanded it. We asked questions when there was cause for us, to do,” the Speaker stated.

During the plenary session, 51 members of the Interim Caretaker Committee for the 18 local government areas of the state as well as the Local Council Development Areas, who had been screened by the Assembly, were approved, following the request of the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The PUNCH reports that there was a heavy presence of security operatives around the Assembly complex while the Tuesday session lasted.

All efforts to reach the deputy governor on the telephone were not successful as his phone line indicated busy while the text message sent to him was not replied to at the time of filing this report.

But one of his political associates, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Aiyedatiwa was not pleased with the decision of the Assembly as it was against the resolution reached at Friday’s meeting

“You can see that the deputy governor was not in the state yet. He is waiting for the House to declare him the acting governor before coming. But I don’t know what will happen next on the matter because the House has not kept its own part of the ‘deal’.

“The status quo they are talking about is for the deputy governor to be acting as the governor and that is what I expected the speaker to read today but he didn’t put that in his speech. Let’s see what happens next.”

Politics

FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs

Published

15 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress has emerged victorious in a landslide victory in the Saturday Rivers State local government elections, securing 20 out of the 23 LGAs.

According to The PUNCH, the Chairman, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Michael Odey, announced the results at the commission’s Headquarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Sunday afternoon.

According to Odey, the Peoples Democratic Party managed to clinch the remaining three LGAs.

The full list of chairpersons-elect is as follows:

1. Abua/Odual: Ofori Owolabi (APC)

2. Ahoada East: Solomon Achoma (APC)

3. Ahoada West: Eugene Epelle (APC)

4. Akuku Toru: Bob Fubara (APC)

5. Andoni: Lucky Promise (APC)

6. Asari Toru: George Onegiyeofori (APC)

7. Bonny: Abinye Blessing Pepple (APC)

8. Degema: Michael John Williams (APC)

9. Eleme: Obarilomate Ollor (APC)

10. Emohua: Chidi Loyd (APC)

11. Etche: Njoku Boniface (APC)

12. Gokana: Dekor Confidence (APC)

13. Ikwerre: Charles Wobodo (APC)

14. Khana: Bariere Thomas (APC)

15. Obio/Akpor: Gift Worlu (PDP)

16. Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni: Shedrach Ogbogu (PDP)

17. Ogu/Bolo: Vincent Nemioboka (APC)

18. Okrika: Akuro Tobin (APC)

19. Omuma: Obasi Uchechwuku (APC)

20. Opobo/Nkoro: James A. James (APC)

21. Oyigbo: Okechukwu Akara (APC)

22. PHALGA: Allwell Ihunda (PDP)

23. Tai: Mbakpone Okpe (APC)

The RSIEC Chairman also disclosed that certificates of return will be presented to the winners on Monday, September 1.

This election marks the first time the APC has gained such dominance in Rivers State since the return of democracy in 1999.

Politics

Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027

Published

16 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party risks serious setbacks in its 2027 presidential strategy if it opts for former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi as its standard-bearer.

In a long post on his X account on Sunday, Keyamo said the opposition party remains in a “non-enviable position” after failing to zone its 2023 ticket to the South, a decision he said cost the PDP support in its traditional strongholds in the South-South and South-East.

Keyamo argued that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger tied to section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which he suggested could bar anyone sworn in twice as president from contesting again.

“If he is fielded, the Party runs the RISK of NOT HAVING A CANDIDATE AT ALL,” Keyamo wrote, warning that such a legal challenge would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

“The constitutional amendment was made AFTER the court judgment which cleared him (Jonathan) to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment, hence I use the word ‘RISK’ advisedly. All the arguments as to whether the section can be interpreted to affect him will not be decided on Social Media, but at the Supreme Court.

“If he is barred from running AFTER nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it.”

He added that the party would bear responsibility if it ignored the legal risk and lost its candidacy after nominations closed.

“All the arguments … will not be decided on social media, but at the Supreme Court,” he said.

Keyamo also dismissed the likelihood of a successful South-West flagbearer for the PDP.

“If the PDP decides to field its most attractive S/West candidate, no other region of the country will vote for a fresh Yoruba candidate who would be eligible for a fresh two terms in office.

“And that candidate will battle with the well-oiled APC structures in the S/West. You need a majority of at least 3 to 4 regions in Nigeria to win the Presidency.”

On Peter Obi, the minister said bringing the former Labour Party candidate into the PDP fold would not solve the party’s problems.

He suggested doubts about Obi’s credibility, plus his past one-term pledge, could dilute support among his core followers.

“The principled ones amongst the ‘obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit … and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore,” Keyamo wrote.

Concluding his assessment, the minister blamed the PDP’s current predicament on what he called its “original sin” of not zoning the 2023 ticket to the South.

“The young social media warriors may lampoon anyone talking about these zoning sentiments, but that is the REALITY of our politics,” he said, adding that unless “something EXTRAORDINARY happens, the Party may have to wait till 2031.”

The PDP has not publicly responded to Keyamo’s comments.

Politics

Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC

Published

16 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The former Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa has confirmed his resignation from the All Progressives Congress.

Marafa, who confirmed his registration to Channels Television via text message on Sunday, left the ruling party after a meeting with his political structure last Wednesday and Thursday.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the leaders of the group unanimously resolved to dump the APC over what they described as injustice, neglect, and worsening insecurity in Zamfara State.

They expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation, citing recent statistics that placed Zamfara as the state with the highest number of kidnapping cases in the country.

The group also accused the Federal Government of politicising insecurity during the recent Kaura Namoda bye-election, alleging that security forces were deployed to secure the APC’s electoral victory rather than protect lives.

“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people. We shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State,” the communiqué, issued on Friday, partly read.

On political appointments, Marafa’s loyalists faulted what they termed the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara, despite the state’s contribution to the APC’s 2023 presidential victory.

They noted that while other states in the North-West secured multiple ministerial slots, Zamfara got only one, and communities devastated by banditry attacks have received little or no federal intervention.

The statement, signed by Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara (Chairman) and Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe (Secretary), added that the group will soon announce its next political direction in line with the aspirations of the Zamfara people.