Politics

43 Days To INEC’s Deadline: APC, PDP In Hide-And-Seek Over Zoning

Published

3 years ago

April 22, 2022

A hide-and-seek is ongoing between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the zoning of their presidential tickets, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Daily Trust analysis of the recent events of the political parties and the body language of their leaders revealed that the two leading parties are deliberately delaying the zoning of the presidential tickets as part of strategies to outsmart each other.

Issues around the zoning of the presidential tickets have created tension and divisions in the two leading political parties, socio-cultural, religious and pressure groups. It is a battle between the North and South in both parties.

It was observed that while most of the APC aspirants are from the Southern part, the majority of the popular aspirants in the PDP are from the North. Some sources said most of the contenders from the South would not mind playing the second fiddle.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had given the

parties up till June 3, this year, to conduct their primaries and produce their flag bearers.

PDP’s card

Ten days after the zoning committee of the PDP submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC), the party is yet to convene its National Executive Committee (NEC) where the recommendation of the party would be ratified.

This paper had exclusively reported on April 1 that the party committee, chaired by the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom would recommend the jettisoning of the zoning. The committee, according to its members had recommended that the race be opened to all aspirants.

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Analysts said the extension of the sale of forms by the PDP to interested aspirants was part of the ploy to keep the APC guessing. Twice, the party has extended the sale of forms the latest of which was yesterday.

Debo Ologunagba, spokesman for the party in a statement said after a thorough consideration of various issues and concerns in the party, the sale has been extended to today, Friday, April 22, 2022. According to him, the last day for the submission of completed forms has been extended to Monday, April 25, 2022.

Before the sale was extended on Wednesday, 17 aspirants had picked the presidential forms of the leading opposition party.

PDP aspirants

The PDP presidential aspirants are; Atiku Abubakar (Adamawa), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Anyim Pius Anyim (Ebonyi), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).

Others are; Peter Obi (Anambra), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Nwachukwu Anakwenze (Anambra), Dele Momodu (Edo), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen (Borno), Sam Ohuabunwa (Imo), Cosmos Ndukwe (Abia), Charles Ugwu (Enugu), Chikwendu Kalu (Abia) and Oliver Tareila Diana (Bayelsa)

Spokesperson for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba could not be reached for his response on why the party did not make public its zoning formula, but a chieftain of the party who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, told Daily Trust that “People should not be in haste; this is our party and we know what we are doing.

“We are even ahead of other parties in our preparation for the election. No other party has talked about zoning or done what we have been able to achieve in our preparation,” he said.

APC’s game plan

In the APC, the expectation that the issues surrounding the zoning would be resolved at its NEC meeting held on Wednesday was dashed as no position was taken or made public on the matter at the end of the meeting.

While it is generally believed that since President Muhammadu Buhari hails from the North, the party ticket should be conceded to the southern part of the country, there are tendencies in the party pushing that the North should retain the ticket.

The ceding of the powers of NEC to the NWC, sources in the party said was part of the arrangement to see how the card would play out.

At the end of the NEC’s meeting on Wednesday, its powers were ceded to the NWC under the leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu for three months.

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A member of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the second-highest decision-making organ of the party told Daily Trust in a telephone chat yesterday that the ruling party was waiting for the PDP to decide first.

The NEC member who craved anonymity said, “We are waiting to see the direction the PDP will go. If they field their presidential candidate from the North, we will equally field ours from the North.

“More importantly, we will not leave anything to chance. We are working hard to retain power. President Buhari must hand over to another APC government. That is our resolve.

“If you are a good observant, you would realise that the PDP is ahead of us in the scheme of things, talking about convention, congresses and others. So we are watching each of their steps keenly.”

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, neither answered his calls nor responded to a text message sent to his line.

APC’s aspirants

For now, most of the APC presidential aspirants are from the South. These include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (Ogun), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Lagos), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim (Kwara), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ihechukwu Dallas Chima (Abia) and Usman Iwu (Imo).

The only two aspirants from the North are; Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Adamu Garba II (Adamawa).

Those who are yet to declare but their names are being mentioned are Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).

Game normal in politics – Bode George

Former Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George said that despite the politicking, the South must produce the next president, saying zoning cannot be jettisoned.

He noted that both APC and PDP were trying to play each other by not being categorical about zoning.

George in an interview with our correspondent said, “They (APC) are keeping quiet and trying to see us make foolery of ourselves because it would become a national campaign issue.

“Since the chairmanship has now been zoned to the North, automatically they are going to choose a president from the South but they are keeping quiet to allow us to pretend and think that they don’t know what they are doing.

“I am not bothered about this game. We have a norm. We have a culture and that is the political spinal cord of our party. That was what we did that endeared Nigerians to us, turn-by-turn Nigeria Limited,” he said.

Speaking with our correspondent, former member of the House of Representatives and Executive Secretary, Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), Dr Wunmi Bewaji said zoning has come to stay in Nigeria. Also, the President of the Nigeria Political Science Association (NPSA), Prof. Hassan Saliu, told Daily Trust that Nigerians should give the parties time.

“I think at the appropriate time, the parties will come out to address Nigerians on their final decision. The fact that the issue didn’t come at the last APC meeting and the PDP NEC is yet to ratify it does not suggest they have forgotten about it.

“Political process is not a straitjacket thing and they have to consider several factors at their disposal, talk to all the people involved and reach an agreement. Consensus building in politics is not an easy thing, it takes time,” he said.

DAILY TRUST

Related Topics:APC deadline Featured INEC PDP zoning

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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.