Politics

Why PDP Performed Woefully In Cross River —Chieftain

Published

2 years ago

March 29, 2023

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Barrister Essien Ita, on Wednesday 29th March, said that the abysmal performance of the party in the just concluded elections was due to the refusal of the state exco to respect the zoning principle that had existed since 1999.

Barrister Ita contended that the outcome of the 2023 gubernatorial polls was a referendum by the people of Cross River State that zoning must be maintained and power must go to the South.

In what appeared to be a consensus and protest votes, the majority of the Cross River state people irrespective of party affiliation decided to pitch their tent with the APC candidate, Prince Bassey Otu, which in turn gave the party the victory.

Reacting to the development, Barrister Ita congratulated the governor-elect for the victory at the polls and also advised him on the key areas he should concentrate on in view of the poor economic status of the state in order to make an impact.

According to him, “The 2023 gubernatorial elections have come and gone and the APC candidate, Prince Bassey Otu has been declared the winner. He trounced Prof. Sandy Onoh of the PDP like a mother would do her little stubborn child and showed Sandy political superiority. Prof. Sandy says he wants to go to court, it’s within his rights to do so but he needs to know that the court will find it extremely difficult to upturn an election that he lost with such a wide margin.

“There is a Chinese saying that a farmer who plants his seeds on “sandy” soil is doomed to a poor harvest, so PDP’s defeat did not come to me as a surprise, it is actually a well-deserved defeat. The treachery in the party has finally nailed the coffin for those who sold their birthright for a bowl of porridge, they failed to understand that when you sell your brother to a stranger for a piece of silver, the stranger treats you with a lot of suspicion and disdain.”

He further stated that ”the Cross River State PDP Exco also contributed to the party’s poor outing in the elections. For crumbs, they blindly supported and officially promoted Wike’s anti-party posture and refused to openly campaign or support the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar. For crumbs, they worked against the laid down zoning formula of the state which culminated in the party’s waterloo at the polls”.

He maintains that “now that the elections are over and the PDP intends to wield its stick of discipline, it should immediately invoke Articles 9.1 (d)(f)(k) and Article 21.1(c)(f)(h) of the PDP Constitution and properly discipline the rudderless state Exco for dividing the party and officially upholding an anti-party posture that led the party to defeat.”

Continuing, he said, “For Prince Otu Bassey, the governor-elect of Cross River State, I don’t envy you at all for the task ahead of you is quite enormous and daunting. The first issue you will encounter I suspect, will be shabby and untidy hand-over documents calculated to conceal discrepancies in your predecessor’s government.

“The proper status of the numerous projects of your predecessor may not be known, and monies spent and profit made on projects may not be known. You have also been incapacitated by Cross River State’s inability to assess loans because of our huge debt burden and our dwindling revenue occasioned by the loss of Bakassi”.

“You must look inward and help Cross River state stand tall on its feet.”

He further continued by stating that “all hopes are not lost, instead of immediately commencing new projects, please leverage on some of the industrial projects that your predecessor has put in place that are viable but not the superhighway please.

“The Automated Cocoa Processing factory in Ikom, Ogoja Ultra-Modern Rice Mill, 23 Megawatt Power Plant in Calabar, Bekwarra Groundnut Mill, and Cally air are some of them”.

He noted that, “the 2nd Subnational Ease of Doing Business Ranking of 2023 shows that Cross River State has dropped from 28th position to 33 positions in Ease of Doing Business, meaning the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is dwindling. It, therefore, behoves you the governor-elect to attract investments and create enabling environments for businesses to thrive with ease in Cross River in order to ramp up the state’s IGR.

“You will also need to demand from the Federal Government an improvement and timely disbursement of the Bakassi Stabilization fund.”

Ita advised that “now that President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the Fifth Alteration Bill allowing states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, you may need to look in this direction with a view to commencing power projects that will bring about the generation, transmission and distribution of sufficient megawatts that will help strengthen small scale businesses and boost Cross River state IGR.”

He concluded by advising that ” Cross River governor-elect should please jettison the idea of having a “food on the table” cabinet, it will not bring you or Cross River State any good. Focus on how to rejig the economy of the state and not the stomach of a few.”

Politics

Use Edo By-election As Template For APC’s Victory In 2027, Idahosa Urges Residents

Published

8 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

Deputy governor of Edo State Hon Dennis Idahosa, has urged the people to show their readiness to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 general elections by using the House of Representatives bye-election scheduled for August 16 as a template.

Idahosa hinged his call on the fact that Governor Monday Okpebholo had shown his readiness for governance within a year in office and deserved to be supported by the people.

The deputy governor stated this when the APC campaign team birthed at Uhiere, Okokhuo, and Isiuwa, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the Ovia Federal Constituency bye-election is for the people to show “capacity” and nothing more.

“The Executive Governor of our dear state, and my Principal, Monday Okpebholo, by the grace of God, through your support, has promised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2.5 million votes.

“The efficacy of that promise starts on August 16 with the Ovia Federal Constituency bye-election.

“This is not a normal election, it is an election to show capacity. The results you give to Omosede unlocks the key to accessing the dividends of democracy.

“The margin of winning is important. This is why we are all here to convince you to ensure that we get at least 70 percent votes from the registered voters in this area,” he stated.

The deputy governor who led the APC team for the campaign said the party’s candidate, Hon Omosede Igbinedion, had the capacity to entrench the dividends of democracy to the area.

At Isiuwa, NIFOR Community, Idahosa praised the people for making the area an APC stronghold.

He said he was not there for the campaign but to introduce their daughter to them and asked them for their support to the party’s candidate for the bye-election.

Similarly, Idahosa also appealed to the people of Okokhuo community for support.

Omosede who was full of praises in visited wards, said “this is the first time, in a long while, since 2015, I am here with a broom, a symbol of development and advancement.

“You know, the umbrella is tattered and scattered, and you know the PDP has fallen. I am grateful to you all who took the time to be here.”

She told the people to hold her accountable for every campaign promise she made.

Politics

2027: Jonathan May Get Automatic Ticket, If… – PDP

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly considering offering former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election, if he returns to the party and plays a more active political role.

This was revealed by Daniel Woyengikuro, the PDP’s National Financial Secretary, during an exclusive interview in Abuja. Woyengikuro emphasized Jonathan’s continued influence within the party and the nation’s politics, describing him as the PDP’s national leader.

“Is he not the best candidate for us at this moment? He is not just a former president; he is the leader of the party now. Aside from [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo, the next person in line is him. Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of this party,” Woyengikuro said.

He confirmed that the PDP has been consulting with Jonathan and his associates, aiming to bring him back into the party’s mainstream leadership as part of a larger strategy to reposition the party and address Nigeria’s growing political and economic challenges.

“Nigeria has reached a point where we need to salvage this country — for our generation and for those to come,” Woyengikuro added. “When we talk about the Southern Presidency, someone like Goodluck Jonathan stands out.”

When asked directly if the party would consider granting Jonathan an automatic ticket, Woyengikuro responded emphatically:

“For me, that’s what I firmly stand for. You can quote me anywhere — I want him to come. An automatic ticket for him, as it stands now. Because we must salvage both this party and the nation.”

He further asserted that Jonathan’s return would significantly reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

Woyengikuro also praised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, calling him a “vibrant leader” and a strong candidate from the South capable of bridging Nigeria’s generational divide.

“These are the two main individuals I stand for: Goodluck Jonathan and Seyi Makinde,” he concluded.

The PDP is expected to intensify its internal consultations in the coming months as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Politics

PDP Announces National Convention Zoning Committee Inauguration Date

Published

18 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The People’s Democratic Party, on Wednesday, announced that the inauguration of its National Convention Zoning Committee will take place on Thursday, August 14, 2025, as part of preparations for its 2025 Elective National Convention.

The party invites key stakeholders to a significant event aimed at shaping the party’s future leadership structure.

This is contained in a press release by PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, on the party’s official X account.

The inauguration is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm WAT at the NEC Hall, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

The event will bring together PDP governors, members of the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, serving and former National Assembly members, as well as other key stakeholders.

“This is to formally inform and invite all our governors, BOT, NWC, NEC, serving and former NASS members, and all our stakeholders to the inauguration of the National Convention Zoning Committee (NCZC) of our great party,” the statement read.