Politics

Senate President Race: Akpabio, Kalu Draw Battle Line

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2023

Editor

The battle for the number three citizen, the Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate now appears to be between the Southeast and the Southsouth geopolitical zones.

Over the past couple of days, the call for the Senate President to be a Christian from either the Southeast or Southsouth has gained significant momentum.

This latest development has increased the chances of Sen Orji Uzor Kalu and Sen Godswill Akpabio, who are from the Southeast and Southsouth zones, respectively.

In this this article, DAILY POST looks at the chances of the two aspirants and the intrigue within the ruling party.

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the president-elect, Bola Tinubu are expected to decide on the zoning of the offices. There have been countless meetings at the residence of the president-elect on the zoning of the offices.

It was learnt that the deliberations have been divided between those calling for the inclusion of the Southeast and those calling for reward based on the outcome of the presidential election.

Those opposed to Kalu argued that his inability to deliver votes for Tinubu during the presidential election should count against him.

Kalu polled 30,805 votes to win the Abia North-senatorial district election; however, Tinubu only managed to poll 8,914 votes in the entire Abia State.

Akpabio on the other hand delivered 132,683 votes, a tally that is more than the 115,401 votes he garnered in his senatorial district election.

Some loyalists also pointed to the primary election where Kalu backed Senate President Ahmad Lawan for the APC ticket, while Akpabio was the first presidential aspirant to step down and endorsed Tinubu during the primary election in June 2022.

These are the two main talking points that have shaped the conversation on the choice of the Senate President.

It would be recalled that the APC Governors recently sent a memo to the president-elect on the appropriate zoning of the offices. The governors stated that contribution to the presidential election must be a major factor in zoning.

In the memo, governors faulted the voting pattern of the southeast, noting that the region exhibited “exclusionary electoral conduct”.

“The South-east contributed the least to Asiwaju’s victory, consistently exhibited the most exclusionary electoral conduct since the advent of the Fourth Republic, and yet also feels entitled to the Senate Presidency,” it reads.

The APC governors went further to state there is a need to signal to the South-east in order to ensure “adequate deterrence for exclusionary electoral conduct.”

Many believe that the language of the Governors shows that they are leaning toward the South-south zone.

If the South-east loses out in the race for the Senate President, there is a possibility that the region will equally lose out on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President due to zoning.

However, it was learnt that other voices are pushing for the Senate President to be zoned to the South without micro-zoning and that the Speaker should be zoned to the North without micro-zoning to any region.

Head to head

Both Akpabio and Kalu have corruption allegations they are carrying. The former is facing an investigation concerning over N108 billion alleged misappropriation during his time in office.

Also, as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, he has been linked to the alleged corruption that happened in the Niger Delta Development Commission. It would be recalled that Akpabio was accused of corruption by the former Managing Director of NDDC, Joi Nunieh.

Akpabio subsequently appeared before the House during the N81 billion probe of the NDDC by the House Committee on Niger Delta. The probe produced the infamous “Off your mic” moment.

Meanwhile, Kalu was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on 5 December 2019. The judgement was subsequently voided by the Supreme Court in May 2020 and ordered a retrial.

After the pronouncement, Kalu was subsequently released from prison and he returned to the Senate.

If the race is thrown open, both aspirants will have to rely on their connections in their previous party, the PDP for support.

In the last 72 hours, the two have recently met with the president-elect separately. But they must show the capacity to reach out to senators outside their party. The minority parties in the Senate have a combined strength of 50 lawmakers.

The recent visit of Atiku Abubakar to the House of Kalu has already set tongues wagging within the APC. Although Atiku was there to visit the former Abia Governor on the death of his wife, the timing of the visit is raising eyebrows.

The PDP is divided between Atiku and G5 camps; however, going by the outcome of the 2023 election, the G5 lost several seats in the Senate race. PDP lost ground in Abia, Enugu, Oyo and Benue.

On the other hand, PDP has significantly increased its strength in the North— Kaduna, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi and Plateau States now have a significant number of senators. Support from Atiku could change the dynamic of the race in favour of Kalu.

With Aminu Tambuwal in the Senate, the PDP senators-elect will play a significant role in deciding where the pendulum swings with their 36 seats in the House.

Akpabio’s supremacy battle with PDP in Akwa-Ibom State could count against him, as the outgoing governor may be wary of empowering his rival.

However, the opportunity to have the Senate Presidency may override the local squabble.

The race is no doubt expected to be tough between the two Senators.

DAILY POST

Politics

Edo Guber: PDP BoT Member, Idahosa Resigns From Party

Published

9 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Editor

Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Charles Idahosa, has resigned from the party.

A letter dated April 29, 2004 and titled ‘Letter of Resignation’, was
addressed to the chairman, PDP, Ward 1, Ehor, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

Mr. Idahosa, popularly called Charlie Temple by his supporters, wrote that he was formally announcing his decision to resign from both the PDP and his role as a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT).

The former Senior Political Adviser to immediate past governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, however silent on his next move.

Mr. Idahosa remarked that as a representative of the South South Nigerian, the decision came after considerable contemplation and reflection on his personal and political journey.

The top member of the main opposition party, who fell out with Governor Godwin Obaseki over the 2024 governorship ticket of the party, wrote that throughout his tenure within the PDP, he was privileged to contribute to its vision and mission.

He added: “However, after careful consideration. I believe it is time for me to pursue new paths and opportunities beyond the party’s confines.”

The Letter partly reads: “I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the PDP community support and camaraderie during my time of service.

“I remain committed to upholding the values and principles that have guided my political engagement thus far. I look forward to new avenues of growth and contribution, and I extend my best wishes to the PDP as it continues its important work.”

Politics

JUST-IN: PDP Clears All 33 LGA Chairmanship Seats In Oyo

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has declared all the 33 candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winners in the local government areas elections conducted across the state on Saturday.

The declaration on Sunday came amid controversy of irregularities as echoed by the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which alleged irregularities in the voting process.

The APC in the state while the exercise was ongoing on Saturday had described the election as a sham which it noted was capable of causing the Pacesetter state untold disrepute if allowed to stand.

The opposition party then sought the rescheduling of the election for another day when OYSEIC “is ready to conduct a free, fair and credible poll.”

Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in a statement regretted that “another opportunity to deepen democracy and return power to the people at the grassroots has had to be missed due to the insensitivity and insincerity on the part of the ruling class in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most Polling Units across the state, Gov. Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world. He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case. The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct. The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for a proper conduct rather continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land,” the statement read in part.

The Oyo state government however disagreed, insisting that the victory of all PDP candidates in the Saturday’s elections was predictable.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, after the announcement of the results, attributed the victories of the PDP candidates to outstanding performance of Governor Makinde in the last five years.

The Commissioner also attributed the election result to the quality of the candidates which the ruling party presented.

“This is a glowing tribute to the governor and his government as this is the last election under his watch till 2027 when he and the just elected LG chairmen and councillors will end their tenures.”

He lashed out at the opposition for starting to rehearse their complaints barely 30 minutes to the commencement of the elections as early as Saturday morning.

Oyelade charged them to behave like sportsmen and stop mixing fantasy with democracy.

The Commissioner hailed the commitments of the security team, the OYSIEC chairman and his team for daring to make a difference after the challenges of the past two local government elections.

Politics

Ondo 2024: lT Expert Emerges As SDP Candidate

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

An Information Technology expert, Dr. Segun Oyebolu, weekend emerged the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic party, in Ondo state.

Oyebolu, will be the party’s flagbearear in the November 16, governorship election in the state.

He emerged during the party’s governorship primary held in Akure, Ondo state capital.

The election, was supervised by the officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.

Speaking at the end of the exercise, the Chairman of the partys primary committee in the state, Joseph Abu, declared Oyebolu as winner

of the exercise having polled 59 votes of the 60 votes cast by the party’s delegates.

Abu who explained that one of the votes was voided, described the election as free and fair and devoid of any rancour or any trouble.

He said that “We have a single candidate and all the delegates voted for the candidate.

” I want to assure you that SDP will win the next governorship election in the state come November by the grace of God.

“I want to thank the people of Ondo state for embracing our party and I am assuring them that SDP will deliver dividend of democracy at their doorsteps.

In his acceptance speech, Oyebolu, assured that his government will focus in freeing the state from the vested interest that had contributed to the underdevelopment in the state.

Oyebolu said that “enough is enough, we are taking our state back”.

“This is therefore a notice to Governor Ayedatiwa to start parking his bags and baggages as our dear Ondo State prepares to replace him with SDP.

“We are duly set to uproot the APC from Ondo State Government House. This is therefore your quit notice served in advance.

“For many of our people yearning for a new day and a new hope – My administration will bring back the good, old days.

“The many destructions wrought on us as a people shall end and in November 2024, SDP shall indeed begin the emancipation of the South West.

” I want to reassure you that the days ahead will witness challenges which collectively we shall overcome as we prepare to return power and comfort to our people”

According to him, SDP is a better alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He said the ruling party in the state had not changed the lives of the people for better but said the SDP was ready to find solution to the problems of Ondo State if voted to power in the November governorship election.

He noted the current economic crisis facing the people of the state was as a result of the maladministration and ineffective leadership on the part of the party in power in the state.

“We are here today to signal a completely new path, new way and new mindset. What you may call a shift from the unrealisable transformation programme of the APC.

“Our party seeks new way and better alternative entrenched in integrity of managing people, infrastructure and economy for people’s empowerment and emancipation,” he said.

He expressed assurance that the party would defeat the APC and PDP to win the governorship election, said the party is ready to work for the people of the state to rebuild and reposition the state.

The National Secretary of SDP, Dr. Olu Agunloye, while reacting to the primary exercise said “the issue at stake in Ondo State is about ensuring a breakthrough to take the State from its present moribund state to become a prosperous model state.

“This is by leveraging on its abundant human and natural resources, not about the despicable struggle for the purse strings of the State to perpetuate further underdevelopment because of personal interests and unethical agenda.

“In our great Party, the Social Democratic Party we are focused on efforts to move the State forward to social justice, peace, progress, and prosperity”