Politics
2 dead, many injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Osun
Two people have been reported killed and many others injured from a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikire, Osun State.
At the centre of the clash which occurred on Tuesday were Amidu Tadese, the APC senatorial candidate in Osun West District and his PDP rival, Lere Oyewumi.
Both candidates were reported to have fixed their campaign rallies for Ikire on the same day.
Mr Tadese said Mr Oyewumi led a band of thugs to attack the gathering of his own supporters when they were about to start their rally.
“Our supporters had already erected canopy and assembled at Ward 9, Ikire before the incident occured. We were about to start the meeting when we saw the hoodlums shooting sporadically shortly after someone offered the opening prayers at the meeting,” he said.
“They were more than 30 in number led by Akogun Lere Oyewumi, the PDP Osun West Senatorial Candidate.
“They were shooting from Naira and Kobo area and before we knew it, they were already at the venue attacking people and destroying property, including our vehicles and commercial minibuses and tricycles,” he added.
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But Mr Oyewumi said it was the APC members that attacked and killed two of his supporters.
“The APC thug attacked our members while coming from our rally in the night and they have killed two people now while some of our members are receiving treatment in a hospital presently,” he said.
“They started attacking us as we were running for the safety of our lives.”
Yemisi Opalola, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident.
Mrs Opalola said one person was confirmed dead while some others were receiving treatment in the hospital.
“There was a fracas between the two parties yesterday and when the police intervened, we settled the crisis amicably for the two parties.
“It was later in the night that they attacked each other again that led to the death of one person and some were injured. The injured have been taken to the hospital,” she said.
“When we interrogated one of the injured victims, he said five people were brought to the hospital and only two of them were seen this morning, so he didn’t know the whereabouts of the remaining three people.”
The police spokesperson said normalcy has been restored in the area in Ikire.
“Normalcy has been restored in the area, people are now going on with their businesses.”
Osun State was run for 12 years by the APC from 2010, until the PDP won the last governorship election in the state on 16 July.
Since the election, many cases of political violence involving the two parties have been reported.
The governorship election petition tribunal will on Friday deliver judgement on a petition filed by the APC against the return of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the election.
(Premium Times)/Platinum
Politics
6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP
6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP
Six Labour Party (LP) members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
They made their defection known on Thursday in Enugu in a letter read by the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, during plenary.
The defectors include the Majority Leader, Mr Johnson Ani (Enugu North); the Chief Whip, Mr Ejike Eze, (Igbo-Eze North 1); and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ms Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural).
Others are Mr Pius Ezugwu (Nsukka East); Mr Williams Amuka (Igbo-Etiti West); and Mr Osita Eze (Oji River).
The defectors, in the letters, said their defection was as a result of the existence of irreconcilable division, incessant crisis within the labour party at the national level and across all the state chapters.
They regretted that the party had evolved into perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, which undermine its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.
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According to them, the Labour Party, once considered a beacon of hope for progressive ideas, have regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.
They cited the cases of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Limido Apapa factions as well as the national treasurer as some of the divisions within the party.
They expressed the hope that the PDP would give them the platform to continue to serve the interests of their people and thanked the leaderships of Labour Party for their supports.
The defectors also acknowledge that the letters were sent to the office of the Speaker by themselves, adding that they would work wholeheartedly for the progress of their new party in Enugu State.
In his remark, the Speaker welcomed the defectors into the PDP and promised that they would be carried along in the legislative activities of the House.
With the defection, the PDP now had the majority in the House with 17 members while LP had only six members.
6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP
Politics
More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover
More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover
- NLC rejects Abure re-election
- INEC disowns national convention
The Board of Trustees at the Labour Party says it has taken over the administration of the party, indicating a fresh trouble in the LP’s internal crisis.
This was announced on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s BoT Chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor.
He said the takeover of the party came after the expiration of Julius Abure’s tenure as LP’s national chairman
Abure was re-elected as chairman t the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, amid leadership crisis.
All members of the National Working Committee were returned at the convention.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also disowned the exercise on the grounds that it did not monitor the national convention.
INEC spoke through Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The BoT’s statement read in part, “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the LP headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the BoT, in line with the party’s constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the LP.
“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the LP.
“Furthermore, the BoT of the LP, in consultation with major stakeholders in the party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP.
“This is in line with the March 20, 2018 Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owners of the LP and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP be held.
“The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former national chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abure, and the NLC and the Trade Union Congress on June 27, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.
“This process will not leave any genuine member of LP out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents, and the general public.”
The Abure-led executive of the party had not responded to the new development as noon on Thursday.
A chieftain of the party was quoted in a report by The PUNCH as saying it was a hatchet job.
“Since many of you journalists have been covering this party, have you heard anything about LP Board of Trustees before? It is non-existent.
“How can one Sylvester Ejiofor wake up one day, tag himself as BoT chairman, and issue a statement that he has taken over the affairs of the party? Let him come over to the secretariat and take over then.
“Too many people and mercenaries are just bent on causing conflict in the party,” he said.
Politics
BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman
BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman
The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.
Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.
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