Politics

Prominent APC Leaders Absent As Ganduje Tasks Leaders On Forgiveness, Reconciliation

Published

2 years ago

April 2, 2024

All may not be well with the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-East, as prominent leaders of the party in the zone declined to attend a stakeholders parley held in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, today, April 2nd.

Absent at the stakeholders’ parley were: former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former Labour Minister, Senator Chris Ngige; 2023 Governorship candidate of APC in Abia, Chief Ikechi Emenike; former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; former Ebonyi State Governor and current Works and Housing Minister, and Senator Dave Umahi. Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru was represented by his deputy.

However, ministers from the South-East who attened were the Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Nkeiru Onyejeocha; and Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye.

Also at the event were former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim; Senator Ifeanyi Uba, Senator Ostia Izunaso; the member representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency, Chike Okafor; former governorship candidate in Imo state, Uche Nwosu; five state chairmen of the APC in the South East region among others.

Speaking at the event, National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, called on the members of the party in the South-East to forgive themselves and reconcile in the interest of the APC.

He urged them to join hands with the newly appointed coordinator of the South-East APC, and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to archive a result and make APC a united party in the zone.

Ganduje, who was represented by the Deputy National Chairman, South, Emma Enukwu, said: “We thank God who made this event a success. We are working seriously to continue the success and I want to say this: Hope Uzodimma is a success for the South-East.

“The National Chairman had told me he wanted to congratulate the Imo people for the winning of 27/27 in the last governorship elections and kudos to the people of Imo State. The party will soon start e-registration; the last one we did we registered over 80 million. The e-registration will be biometric. The Chairman of the governors and the coordinator of the South-East, will lead the e-registration exercise.

“The party is working towards making sure that each ward and LGA, has functional offices and that is the usual way to make sure that we are at the grassroots. The most important thing is the reconciliation, we need to join the national grid and the only way to do it is to join the national grid. All we are doing is to make sure that at least the APC produced the President of Nigeria. The chairman has asked me to tell you to reconcile yourselves, forgive yourselves and work together.”

We’re moving round five states to reconcile our members – Uzodimma

Governor Uzodimma, who is the host, said: “What I have seen in this hall made me drop my written speech so that I can talk to my people heart-to-heart and because of the level of attendance. We thank God. This meeting is strategic and symbolic. I commend the President for understanding the precarious situation in the South-East and also the national chairman who understood the South-East is grossly marginalized and he is working to de-marginalize the zone.

“In today’s South-East the setback caused by the civil war should have provoked a new appetite to promote activities of the South-East. Somehow our people have not recovered from the sentiment of the civil war. Given the current situation we must challenge ourselves and leave lamentations and move forward.

“In APC, our task now is to connect to the national grid. The country was formed on a three tripod the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, the two legs have decided to move forward and expand and the one leg which is the Igbo is shrinking. We must stop pulling ourselves down. Let us forgive ourselves. And let us support President Bola Tinubu in his policies and programmes. The Federal government has supported the state governments with palliatives.

“We are going round the South-East to reconcile all our members in the five states of the region. I have been given this assignment. I will not allow the South-East to languish because someone somewhere is gossiping.”

Governor of Ebonyi State, Ogbonna Nwifuru, who was represented by his deputy, Patricia Onyemachi, said: “We need brotherhood. We need to put our house together. We need to use our talents, and what we have to move our party and the South-East forward.”

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who was represented by Matins Azubuike, said said the deputy Speaker was happy with the show of solidarity for the South-East to move forward, and “urged us to be patient as the policies of President Tinubu begins to bear fruit. The passage of the South East Development Commission bill is to reposition the South-East. Therefore, let us in the South-East work together for the success of the party. “

Senator Izunaso, who spoke on behalf of over 18 senators and House of Representatives members, who attended the event said: “APC has seven senators, also in the House of Representatives, we have 12 members across the South-East zone. Why we have been able to still talk about the APC was because Hope Uzodimma was supporting them. We thank Uzodimma for making APC strong in Imo State and the five states of the APC.”

On his part, National Vice Chairman of APC, South East zone, Ijeomah Arodiogbu, said: “It is a crucial meeting. After the presidential election, we saw the winning in Imo where we scored 27 over 27, which has given us the bragging rights. We also won at the Ebonyi off-season election. We need structural funding because of the debt we are owing so that we can function well. One of the challenges is that some of our office holders have given appointments to more opposition members. We appeal that our office holders should focus more on the empowerment of our APC members.

“The mantra of our president is renewed hope and the name of our governor, Hope Uzodimma is resounding to the name renewed hope. We know where we are coming from, we have to endure the pains and have hope we are coming out. We will soon come out of it.”
VANGUARD

Politics

JUST IN: Reps In Rowdy Session, Reject Key Motions

Published

14 hours ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned rowdy after members voted against some motions of urgent public importance, which bordered on the protection of lives and key government assets.

With the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presiding, the session became rowdy, as members dissolved into a closed-door session to restore order.

It all started when the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, drew the attention of his colleagues to what he called the illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex and prayed the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Assets for investigation.

Kuye, a member of the All Progressives Congress is the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets.

Proposing an amendment to the prayers, Delta lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, argued that though the matter brought before the Green Chamber is urgent enough, the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets, should be in charge of the investigation.

Waive was supported by Akwa Ibom lawmaker, Mark Esset, who argued that “It is the Committee on Commerce that should take responsibility on this matter.”

On the other hand, Yusuf Gagdi representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State, supported Kuye, stating that the Public Assets Committee should be allowed to take charge of investigating the allegation of illegal land sale and submit a report to the House.

With no end to the back-and-forth argument in sight, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) on the advice of Kalu, proposed the constitution of an Ad-hoc Committee comprising members of both Committees (Public Assets and Commerce) to conduct the probe.

When subjected to a voice vote, almost an equal number of lawmakers voted in support and against the motion.

Not sure whose voices were louder, Kalu gave it to the nays, sparking unrest in the chamber.

Next on the order of urgent motions was Mohammed Bio representing Baruten/Kaima Federal Constituency, Kwara State.

Bio who lamented the worsening security situation in his constituency, prayed the House to urge the military to establish a base in the crisis-prone areas to stem the tides of attacks.

This time, more lawmakers voted against the motion, to the surprise of Kalu and the Kwara lawmaker.

It became clear to Kalu that members had resolved to frustrate the day’s session owing to the rejection of Kuye’s motion.

So, when again voices thundered against Ayodeji Alao-Akala’s motion which drew members’ attention to the need to address Nigeria’s description as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States President, Mr Donald Trump; Kalu allowed the motion to pass, forcing members to openly oppose the decision.

Voices of dissent rent the chambers and the plenary was suspended for a closed-door session.

…Details later

Politics

Obaseki’s Media Aide Tackles Edo Information Commissioner Over Alleged ₦600bn Debt

Published

16 hours ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

A former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has denied leaving a debt of N600bn, urging the Monday Okpehbolo-led administration to crosscheck from the Debt Management Office (DMO) before “spewing lies.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, had on Monday in Benin claimed that the immediate past administration in the state left a whooping ₦600bn debt.

Reacting to Afegbua’s claim via video call on Tuesday, Obaseki’s Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, challenged the current administration in the state to visit the DMO to see whether Edo drew such debt.

Crusoe, who said no government at whatever level has capacity to draw loans or enter into any debt arrangement without the knowledge and approval of the DMO, said lies being spewed by the Okpebholo’s administration is giving the country a bad image.

He said information of such gives the impression that the state is being governed by people who don’t understand what it means to run a government.

Crusoe described the claim as false and outrightly out of place.

On the planned probe of Mosium of West Africa Arts (MOWA), Crusoe noted that MOWA remained an international brand that entered into a business agreement with Edo State with all T’s crossed and all I’s dotted.

He insisted that every record about the transaction between Radisson Hotel and the Edo State government was contained in the transition report.

He said: “MOWA is an international investment drawing funds from the German government, the United Kingdom’s government, and the French government for its development. You think such an investment will be put on a land that was not ceded to that organization by the state.

“These people just come out there and toss all kinds of irresponsible information out there. At the end of the day what happens is that all of these turn around to form the intelligence that gathered out of Nigeria by the international community.

“It makes these countries think that the country is a failed state and the place is not being governed.”

Politics

Ijaw Leaders Commend Gov Diri Defection to APC, Describe Decision As Bold, Strategic

Published

22 hours ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

The Ijaw Leaders Consultative Forum (ILCF) has commended Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on his decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement signed by the Convener, Hendrick Opukeme, the ILCF described the governor’s move as a “strategic and a “bold declaration of statesmanship”.

The group noted that Governor Diri’s decision has repositioned the Ijaw voice within the national equation, rekindled hope, relevance, and responsibility for the Ijaw people across the Niger Delta and beyond.

The ILCF pledged its unwavering support and collaborative commitment to ensure that the transition becomes a redefinition of Ijaw destiny in the Nigerian project.

The statement reads, “The Ijaw Leaders Consultative Forum (ILCF), on behalf of the elders, stakeholders, and traditional leadership across the length and breadth of the Ijaw nation, conveys its heartfelt solidarity, commendation, and national applause on your courageous and strategic decisions to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Your Excellency, this historic political realignment is not merely a matter of partisan affiliation — it is a strategic national statement, a bold declaration of statesmanship, and a clear assertion of Ijaw political maturity in the unfolding
dynamics of Nigeria’s democracy. By this act, you have repositioned the Ijaw voice within the larger national equation and rekindled a sense of renewed hope,
relevance, and responsibility for our people across the Niger Delta and beyond.

“Your decision resonates deeply with the Ijaw consciousness — that of courage in conviction, resilience in adversity, and foresight in leadership. It has sent a message
of awakening and unity throughout the three zones of the Ijaw nation: Western, Central, and Eastern Ijaw.

“The Stakeholders meeting was coordinated by the Hon. Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs, Bayelsa state government, HRM, God’spower Tam Oporomo, Tara Eza 1st, Pere of Kierebiri – Mein, Bomadi LGA Delta State
At the enlarged stakeholders’ political consultative meeting convened by the Executive Committee of the Ijaw Leaders Consultative Forum (ILCF) on Saturday, November 3, 2025, at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, leaders, youths, women, and opinion moulders from all three zones of the Ijaw nation were in massive attendance.

“The collective resolution of that meeting was an overwhelming
endorsement of your political movement and an expression of total solidarity with your visionary step toward national integration and transformative partnership.

“Your Excellency, this move, properly consolidated, will reposition Bayelsa State and the entire Ijaw nation at the heart of Nigeria’s developmental agenda. We see in your action the dawn of a new political synergy that transcends rhetoric — a synergy of purpose, unity, and strategic engagement with the centre.

“The ILCF, therefore, pledges its unwavering support and collaborative commitment to ensure that this transition becomes not just a change of party, but a redefinition of Ijaw destiny in the Nigerian project. We call on all Ijaw sons and
daughters, at home and in the diaspora, to rally around your leadership and align with this evolving national movement anchored on inclusion, justice,

“May the Almighty continue to guide and strengthen you as you lead our people with wisdom, courage, and divine purpose.With profound respect and patriotic regards”, the group added.

Meanwhile, the governor’s defection to APC was celebrated at a grand ceremony in Yenagoa, attended by top government officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and other governors. Governor Diri stated that his decision was not driven by personal ambition but by the desire to advance Bayelsa’s unity and development.

The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, urged Governor Diri to deliver Bayelsa State to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, saying, “Take this as a symbol of strength, symbol of unity, unite our party, make it stronger and bring all the votes”.