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Over 30,000 PDP Members Defect To APC In Edo North

Published

4 years ago

January 25, 2020

Editor

…No One left In Edo North PDP – Oshiomhole

Over 30, 000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saturday, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo North during a unification rally in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area.

Leader of the defectors, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, while disclosing this figure noted that they were joining the APC to work with Oshiomole and governor Godwin Obaseki to succeed in the development of the state.

“A minimum of 30,000 members are leaving the PDP to the APC today. There is nobody left in the PDP in Edo North because aside those who left the APC and are coming back, those who had not leave the PDP since 1999 are also joining us,” he said.

Receiviing the defectors, National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole, said the rally has reinforced his confidence in wining the forthcoming governorship election for the APC, adding that no one is left in Edo North PDP.

While disclosing that he can’t leave local politics because he doesn’t want to be a national chairman who can’t win any election, Oshiomhole said President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated them during NEC meeting to connect to their unit level of politics and listen the views of all members so as to unite the party at the grassroot.

Oshiomole noted that the only permanent position in politics is grassroot while all other position are tenured, adding that by the time his ternure elapsed, he would be coming back to the local politics.

“Some people asked me why I am playing local politics as a national chairman and I told them that every politics is local. I don’t want to be an Abuja politician who cannot win his polling unit, local government and state in election.

“I don’t want to be an Abuja politician because I am a national chairman and on the day of election, I can’t win my unit. I don’t want to be a chairman who campaign and win election in other states and on election day I can’t win my unit, ward, house of assembly member and national assembly member. If I don’t win my place, how will I deliver the president and how will I be a useful national chairman,” he added.

Speaking on the recent Supreme Court judgement on Imo State election, Oshiomole said in reforming the electoral process, APC will push the president and the National Assembly to insert in the electoral law that any INEC official who delibrately declared a loser as the winner of election should be charge to Court when the Court established that a fraud has been commited.

“Everybody knows that you need one quarter of the votes and at least two third local governments in a state to be declared a winner or governor, but INEC recruit a professor of crook who declared Emeka Ihedeoha of the PDP who scored one third in 12 local governments out of 27, so if the professor go free with his loot another person will try it again,” he said.

He added, “That was the mischief that the Supreme Court corrected that they are hiring people to come and make noise. We don’t steal votes, we win votes. So I congratulate the Supreme Court for upholding the constitution of the country.”

He further spoke on the electoral law as saying President Buhari has said that he will take some steps to correct the lapses that have been observed in the electoral process before before he leave office so that the next election will be free and fair and no need to go to Court.

“What that means is that any body who want to rig election is not in Buhari’s country and APC Buhari said he will not rig election for any body and want electoral process where votes counts in the country”, he added.a

News

Anambra: Three Ex-police Officers Bag Life Imprisonment For Murder

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment three former Police officers for killing a 42-year-old man, identified as Chukwunonso Uchenwoke, from Mbosi in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.

The accused persons were said to have killed the man while effecting his arrest over an alleged assault and malicious damage.

The offences were said to have been committed on May 14, 2016, at No. 13 Ibe Street, East Niger Layout, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state and the Onitsha Judicial Division.

After the incident, the ex-police officers, whose names were given as Juliet Ekwueme, Ugochukwu Obiakor and Raphael Chike, were said to be dismissed from the Nigerian Police Force.

The court, presided over by Justice A.O. Okuma, on Wednesday, held that the prosecution counsel proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and found the accused persons guilty of conspiracy and murder charges preferred against them, which are contrary to Sections 495(a) and 274(I) of the Criminal Code Cap 36 Volume II, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991, as amended.

The three of them were all convicted and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for conspiracy and life imprisonment for manslaughter.

Trulaw Chambers, through her principal counsel, C.J. Okeke, prosecuted the case with the fiat of the Anambra State Attorney General.

Reacting to the judgement, the prosecutor, Okeke, described it as yet another victory and a succinct reminder that justice is still tenable with the right legal representatives.

The counsel to the first defendant, G.A. Oluwatuase, said he would appeal the judgment for his client; the counsel to the second defendant, C.E. Ezenwa, and the counsel to the third defendant, C.J. Agbata, said they need a copy of the judgement to determine their next line of action.

News

Three Killed In Abuja Community Clash

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

Three persons, including two women and a young boy, have reportedly been killed in a clash between local scavengers, otherwise referred to as baban bola, and residents of the Byazhin community, in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

An eyewitness, who identified herself as Jessica Adam, told our correspondent that a baban bola attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup, but was overpowered and beaten up after the woman alerted neighbours and passers-by.

The embittered baban bola then went away and mobilised hoodlums who returned at about 8pm wielding weapons including machetes, clubs, and stones and began attacking residents at random, eventually killing the woman whose pot of soup was earlier stolen.

In the attack, two others, a woman and a young boy, reported to be passers-by who unfortunately ran into the middle of the crisis, were also killed, they were, however, yet to be identified.

“They killed two people yesterday. The community has been in chaos since yesterday. The crisis continued till this morning when they killed somebody again. So far, three persons have been killed and many injured. The Police intervened and restored normalcy, but no arrest was made. The Police have intensified their patrol in the Byazhin area of Kubwa to prevent them from regrouping,” Ms Adams narrated.

A resident in the community, who spoke with The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the death of the three persons but said he had no clue as to what may have started the clash.

“Yes, the riot started yesterday. And by this morning, we learnt that three persons have been killed. It happened in Byazhin around that Millionaire’s Quarters, behind that Living Faith Church. That place is usually dangerous, because it is quite lonely, and you cannot pass through there alone, especially in the evening,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, The PUNCH gathered that schools and shops in the area have been closed down, as parents scampered to pick up kids from their classrooms, and shops refused to open as of Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, proved abortive, as her number was repeatedly unreachable.

News

24 Injured In Kano Mosque Explosion

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

No fewer than 24 persons were critically injured on Wednesday following an early morning mosque explosion at Gadan Village, Gezawa local government area of Kano State

The Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.

“Today, 15/05/2024 at about 0520hrs, reports were received that, there was an explosion at a Mosque in Gadan Village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State during “Subhi Prayer” and that some people got injured.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, immediately deployed the command’s combined teams consisting of experts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) led by CSP Haruna Isma’il and other Crime-Scene Policemen led by Divisional Police Officer, Gezawa Division, CSP Haruna Iliya.

“The scene was cordoned-off and twenty-four victims including 20 male adults and 4 male children were removed and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano where they are currently receiving treatment,” he said.

According to him, forensic analysis at the preliminary stage revealed a suspected petrol explosion, of which a full investigation is ongoing.

He said that the principal suspect had been identified and arrested adding that the suspect is now with the Police.

“The suspect is Shafi’u Abubakar aged 38 years who said his action was purely in hostility following prolonged family disagreement over sharing of inheritance of which those that he alleged to have cheated on him were in the mosque at that moment and he did that for his voice to be heard,” Haruna said.

While the suspect is currently in police custody, he noted that a detailed investigation is ongoing and will be made public in due course.