Politics

Resign As Atiku’s Running Mate, Clark Tells Okowa

Published

2 months ago

February 2, 2023

….Accuses Governor Of Using Delta Money To Fund Campaign

A Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked Delta state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to resign from being the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday at his Asokoro residence in Abuja, the Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) in a letter dated February 2, 2023, addressed to Governor Okowa, said that the Governor and Atiku will not win the presidency on joint ticket.

Clark who noted that Okowa went contrary to the resolutions of southern governors and other stakeholders that no politician from the South should accept to be running mate to a northerner and particularly, Atiku Abubakar, accused the Governor of using money belonging to Delta people to fund his campaign with Atiku, and asked the governor to publicly apologise to the people of the south and withdraw from the race.

Part of the letter read, “Today, I say with certainty that you are more dictatorial than any other Military administrator that has administered Delta State since its creation in 1991.

“I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on a safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“No, by God’s grace your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.

“In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday 11th May 2021. You gave them a very good reception and provided them a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

“It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded for Southern Presidency and insisted that none of you should accept to be a Vice President.

“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.

“The 17 governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in your Government House Asaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning.

“We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year.

“It would be recalled in 2007, that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore not surprised when you too have decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.

“It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.”

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Politics

What Abians Should Expect From Me – Governor-elect, Alex Otti

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

The Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, on Thursday revealed that Abians should expect general restructuring of the state once he assumes office.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Otti said in the next few days he would appoint a team that would help him, adding that he would create a bigger and more robust economy in Abia.

He added that payment of salaries would be one of his main priorities.

Otti said, “In the next few days, I will appoint a team that will be sworn in on the 29 of May. I will appoint the right people who will help me.

“We will look at a lot of things, but we will take it step by step, including revenue.

“As of yesterday, I have already started engaging banks. Things they will expect is a general restructuring of Abia.”

He added, “There is no problem in taking loans, but the problem is what you do with the loans. Payment of salaries is my priority.”

“We will create a bigger economy, a robust economy, we will do everything possible to ensure our economy grows.”

Otti scored a total of 175, 467 votes cast to beat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who polled 88,529 votes to come second position.

NEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening after the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia.

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Politics

Those Arrested For Electoral Malpractices In Kaduna Released Without charge – Shehu Sani

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

A former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has alleged that some persons arrested for different offences during the just concluded elections in Kaduna State were released without being charged to court.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Shehu Sani said a woman arrested with multiple Permanent Voters Cards and other men arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have all been released.

He wrote, “The woman who was arrested with multiple PVCs and paraded by the EFCC during the presidential election.

“And the men who were arrested for vote buying and paraded by the EFCC during the governorship election in Kaduna have all been released without charges and now at home”.

DAILY POST reports that operatives of the EFCC had, on February 25, during the presidential and National Assembly elections, intercepted a woman with no fewer than 18 voter cards in a sting operation at the Badarwa area of Kaduna, Kaduna State.

The woman, identified as Maryam Mamman Alhaji, who is a member of the support group of one of the leading political parties, also had in her possession a 17-page list containing names of eligible voters, their bank details, and phone numbers as accredited under Badarwa/Malali Ward 01 and 08, Kaduna North Local Government Area of the State.

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Politics

Abia Governor-elect Alex Otti Sends Message To PDP’s Okey Ahiwe, Others

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2023

Editor

The Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti, has sent a clear message to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, among others, that his government would not seek revenge.

DAILY POST reported that Otti got a total of 175,467 votes cast to beat his closest rival, Ahiwe, who polled 88,529 votes to come second position.

NEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, declared Otti the winner of last Saturday’s Abia Governorship election on Wednesday evening after resuming the final collation of the gubernatorial election results in Umuahia.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, Otti, who noted that Ahiwe is yet to congratulate him for his victory, said revenge is not important.

Otti said, “If there is no sin, there will be no forgiveness. I will have four years in the first term and another four years.

“We are not going to try and take revenge [on the opposition parties] because it is not important.

“I have received a congratulatory message from Ikpeazu and I thank him for that.”

He added, “The votes that were cast were authentic votes. I have received a lot of congratulatory messages from candidates even before INEC announced the results yesterday [Wednesday].“I thank them for their maturity because they are not going to court. I’m yet to receive a congratulatory message from Okey Ahiwe, the PDP candidate, he is my brother.”