Politics

Why I Dumped APC – Ex-Edo Speaker, Ativie

Published

3 years ago

September 23, 2022

… Says She Was Duly Elected, Not Imposed As Candidate

Former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly and Labour Party House of Representatives candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency in the forthcoming 2023 elections, Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie says she dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, because the party does not have space for women to participate in politics.

She added that being a female activist who has been in the forefront of politics, she can never be in such environment hence her defection to the Labour Party, LP, where she was duly elected as candidate to represent the good people of Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency.

The former Speaker who disclosed this in Benin on Friday during a chat with journalists, said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, she was never imposed on anyone in her new party, adding that those protesting against her candidature her members of the APC and not LP.

She added that some aggrieved persons who are not even card carrying members of the Labour Party just decided to hide under the umbrella of unregistered civil society organisations to foment problems in the polity, adding “their intention is to destabilize the party.”

She said: “I’m not perplexed by those singing the song of illegality. I have documents to prove that I was elected. My concern is to ensure that Labour Party win elections in Edo State and to deliver Edo State to Peter Obi.

“Labour Party in Edo State remains one united family that is fighting a just course; for the emancipation of Edo people in particular and Nigeria in general. Vote for Labour Party candidates in the forthcoming elections so that at the end of the day we shall be singing the song of emancipation,” she added.

On her former part, APC, not being gender sensitive, the former Edo Speaker said: “I fought for justice for women and that is one of the reasons why I quite the APC. APC as a party does not have provision for women at all. Look at other parties like the PDP, they still brought out some women for House of Assembly; Labour has two for House of Representatives; other parties gave women chance but APC did not produce any woman, and this is unacceptable; I can not be in that kind of environment, being a female activist.

“I have vindicated women that the way men are fighting for elective positions we too can. We will continue to fight for women to be given elective and appointive positions.”

When asked if she was not worried the rate at which women are relegated in the Nigerian political scene, Ativie said: “I am even more worried than you are; for the fact that we do not have the number of women we ought to have in politics.

“In the political space, the men decided not to allow women to occupy positions, it is not easy for every woman to fight the way I fought, maybe because I was brought up in the barracks.

“If the various political parties can open up the space a little to allow women, like the way they do in other countries, women will be well represented.

“There must be a deliberate attempt by government to create, to allow women to occupy elective and appointive positions,” she said.

Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”