Politics

2023: Ekiti stands still for Tinubu, as residents pledge total support

Published

2 years ago

February 4, 2023

A mammoth crowd of residents, party supporters and other admirers welcomed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to Ado- Ekiti, Ekiti State capital Friday where he canvassed their votes ahead of the February 25 presidential election.

The APC flag bearer arrived to a tumultuous welcome from a massive crowd who defied the scorching sun to fill up the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, venue of the rally.

Tinubu, who was accompanied by the state Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; two former governors of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Otunba Niyi Adebayo and other notable leaders of the party, assured that he would defy all odds to win the presidential poll.

Addressing the cheering crowd, Asiwaju Tinubu urged Nigerians to be steadfast and not allow temporary hurdles placed before them by fifth columnists to prevent them from exercising their franchise and ensuring his victory and that of his party at the general elections.

The former Lagos State Governor urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by alleged deliberate hoarding of redesigned new currencies, stressing that both the fuel scarcity and currency scarcity are temporary setback which should not distract them.

The APC standard bearer who spoke in Yoruba at the rally declared that “those who kept the new currencies in their vaults would eventually release them” urging long suffering Nigerians not to fall for the ploy to provoke them to take to violence and anarchy over the scarcity of the redesigned currencies.

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Asiwaju Tinubu also slammed suspected saboteurs who are allegedly hoarding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and preventing eligible voters from collecting them, urging those yet to collect their cards to “continue to be on the neck of those holding on to your cards until they release them to you.”

He urged the electorate to vote for all APC candidates in the February 25 National Assembly elections and March 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections because the party offers a platform for good governance and responsible leadership.

Other prominent leaders at the rally include: Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; Wife of the governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji; Wife of former governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Ayeditiwa; former Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola; former deputy governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi and prof Modupe Adelabu.

Others are Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi; Senator Ayo Arise; Senator Bode Ola; Senator Dayo Adeyeye; members of APC National Working Committee and other senior party figures.

The Presidential campaign train led by Asiwaju Tinubu had earlier visited the Palace of Ewi of Ado Ekiti where the APC Presidential Candidate met with Ekiti traditional rulers; and other leaders of thought and unfolded the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Their arrival in the specially-built open-top luxury bus further enlivened the area as Asiwaju and his entourage waved their brooms in acknowledgement of the cheers from the crowd.

Asiwaju Tinubu thanked the people of Ekiti State for standing by the APC and electing Oyebanji during the governorship election held in the state on June 18 last year, describing the forthcoming presidential poll as “the election for the Ekiti people and the election for the Yoruba.”

Asiwaju Tinubu said: “The coming election is your election, it’s an election for your good future. This crowd I am seeing here today has given me assurance that we are winning this election. Have you collected your PVCs? If they are hoarding your PVCs, continue to be on the neck of those who are holding on to your cards until they release them to you.

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“On February 25 vote APC for Presidency, for Senate, for House of Representatives and on March 11, vote APC for Governor and House of Assembly. Thumb print in the box in front of the broom logo.”

Earlier, Governor Oyebanji urged the people of the state to vote massively for APC and Asiwaju Tinubu to reciprocate his good deeds and love for Ekiti in the years past.

Oyebanji said: “All of us have decided to vote for Asiwaju and there is no cause for alarm. Ekiti people, you have all decided to give your votes to Asiwaju and the ballot boxes will be full with votes for him because he has always stood by us and we are going to appreciate him with our votes on February 25.

“Let’s go back to our wards, homes, churches, mosques, markets and other places to spread the gospel of Asiwaju to the electorate. Tell your people to collect their PVCs, those who are still without their PVCs don’t love Asiwaju.

“Asiwaju’s votes is our votes and we must all join hands to ensure his victory. Let us elect all APC candidates for Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly with our votes.”

Former Governor Fayemi said Asiwaju Tinubu had stood by Ekiti when the progressives were in the trenches, urging the people of the state to reciprocate the good gestures of the APC presidential candidate at the polls.

Fayemi said: “This forthcoming election is our own, it is our own turn in Ekiti. The Jagaban (Tinubu) has done his own part, he had stood by us in Ekiti State. In all our past battles, Jagaban had fought our battles for us and it is now time to repay Jagaban.”

“As you all stood by BAO (Oyebanji) in the last governorship election on June 18, 2022, you must stand by Asiwaju on February 25, 2023. Vote for all our (APC) candidates. Use your PVCs to deal with all our opponents at the polls.”

Eagle

Politics

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Umar Iliya Damagum, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Two former Presidents of the Senate, Chief David Mark and Dr Bukola Saraki are leading a fresh charge aimed at removing Amb. Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The push by Mark and Saraki has received the backing of prominent stakeholders, including the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang and other political office holders elected on the platform of the PDP.

Similarly, former governors from the Northcentral zone who served on the party’s platform have also aligned forces with the group.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday night, the party chieftains resolved to produce a candidate from the zone early 2025 to replace Damagum.

According to them, the move to replace Damagum with a substantive chairman from the Northcentral, has received the endorsement of key party stakeholders from the Northwest and the Northeast zones.

Among those being projected as potential candidates to take Damagum’s seat include Mark; a former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam; and a former House of Representatives member from Nasarawa State, David
David Ombugadu.

A communique issued after the meeting, said the stakeholders
reviewed the festering crisis in the party following the exit of the erstwhile National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Ayu lost his seat to the crisis triggered by disagreements over the emergency of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election.

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The crisis has continued to deepen with the apparent overbearing influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on the Damagum-led national leadership.

The Northcentral stakeholders argued that Damagum’s continued occupation of the office breached provisions of the PDP constitution.

The communique states in part, “The PDP’s constitution clearly states that succession of offices in the party at all levels is largely to the extent that any vacant position can be replaced by appointment from the zone, as per Section 47 (6) of the party.

“The party is guided by its constitution at all times. Therefore, the leadership of the party needs to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.

“It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the Northcentral Zone appeal to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the chairmanship of the party back to the Northcentral Zone to serve out its tenure.

“That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of Northcentral zone.

“The Northcentral is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”

The meeting, which was attended by Governor Muftwang, also had former Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Idris Wada (Kogi) in attendance.

Others at the meeting included the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro; incumbent PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); and a former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana.

Also at the meeting were former senators Tunde Ogbeha, Philip Aduda, Suleiman Adokwe, Dino Melaye, Mohammed Onawo and Peter Jiya.

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Similarly, former Ministers, Labaran Maku and Sarah Ochekpe also attended the meeting. Other stakeholders like Simon Mwadkwon, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, Mr. Raymond Dabo, Maika Jiba, and Isa Dobi were also present.

Damagum, who is from Yobe State in the Northeast zone, emerged Acting National Chairman in March 2023 following the exit of Ayu who is from Benue State in the Northcentral zone.

Damagum was the PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) before his appointment as Acting National Chairman.

By virtue of Section 47 (6) of the party’s constitution, he ought to have relinquished the seat for a substantive National Chairman from the Northcentral zone where Ayu hailed from.

The Section reads: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”

Ayu was elected chairman in 2022 for a four-year tenure that should expire in 2026 before his tenure got truncated in 2023.

Several moves by critical organs of the party, including the PDP Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Caucus to replace Damagum have been thwarted by the Acting National Chairman, allegedly with the backing of Wike.

Miffed by the development, the PDP Governors Forum, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, had, a few weeks ago, directed the Damagum-led leadership to convene the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting latest by February 2025.

The NEC meeting has suffered four postponements between August and November 2024, as Damagum, who is supposed to convene the meeting has been evasive.

The power to ratify any candidate chosen by the Northcentral zone to replace Damagum is vested only in the NEC.

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Politics

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has officially expelled Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairperson of the party in the South-East, following allegations of anti-party activities.

Odefa had been suspended on September 11, 2024, by the ward executives, a move that was later upheld by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki. In its ruling on November 29, 2024, under suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024, the court affirmed the legitimacy of his suspension.

On Wednesday, Onyeka Ovuta, the Acting Chairperson of the PDP in Oguduokwor, announced Odefa’s expulsion in a statement. Ovuta explained that the decision followed recommendations from the party’s disciplinary committee, which confirmed the allegations against Odefa.

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The party announced that Mr Odefa by the virtue of his expulsion, “ceases to be a member of the party.”

Reacting, Mr Odefa laughed off the expulsion, stating that those who announced it were “frustrated charlatans”.

He said the expulsion cannot stand because “it did not take place in the ward but in Abuja”. He said those who made the announcement against him were not ward executives of the party.

“Let them come home come and announce it. Or is our ward now located in Abuja?”

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Politics

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Trends Admin

APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Sylvester Ezeokenwa has been reinstated as the national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Ezeokenwa was reinstated by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, December 17.

According to Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, the commission had been served with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The apex court judgement with the Appeal No. SC/CV/824/2024 APGA & ANOR vs OYE & ORS was delivered on November 27, 2024.

The court ruled that Ezeokenwa should be recognised as the national chairman of the party.

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“In compliance with the judgement of the apex court, the Commission has restored Barr. Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of APGA and restored his name on our website accordingly,” the INEC commissioner said.

He also stated that the reisnstatmemt of the new chairman would automatically lead to the withdrawal of the recognition of Njoku as the national chairman of the party.

The court also upheld an earlier judgement of the appeal which did not confer any enforceable rights on Njoku.

If also awarded N20 million each against the appellaants.