Politics

Why I Dumped APC – Ex-Edo Speaker, Ativie

Published

2 years ago

September 23, 2022

Editor

… 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

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.