Politics

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

Published

1 year 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

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

5 hours ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.

Politics

PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.

In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.

The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.

“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.

“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.

“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.

“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.

“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.

“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.

“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”

Politics

Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.

He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.

Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.

He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.

Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.

“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.

“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.

“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.

“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.

He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.