Politics

APC releases timetable, guidelines for ward congresses

Published

3 years ago

July 18, 2021

• Waivers for returning officers
The All Progressives Congress has released timetable and guidelines for conduct of its nationwide ward congresses scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 2021.
The party also granted waivers to returning members of the ward executives and new members to contest for any of the 27 ward executive offices and delegates for local government and state congresses.
The programme of activities for the ward congress released on Sunday in Abuja by the party’s Secretary Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, indicated purchase of nomination forms for Ward, Local Government/Area Councils, and State Congresses will take place from 19th July to 28th August 2021.
Screening of aspirants for the ward party positions is scheduled for July 29th to 30th July 2021.
Ward Congresses will hold 31st July 2021. Appeals Arising from Ward Congresses will hold August 2nd to 7th August 2021.
The notice reads in parts, “In line with Article 11: A sub-section (i-xiii) and article 16(i) of the Party’s Constitution (as amended), the All Progressives Congress will be organising its congresses across the 36 states and FCT to elect its Wards, Local Governments and States Officials. Only Wards and Local Government Areas stipulated in Sections 156 of the Electoral Act and part I&II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as Amended) is recognized
“The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the Party, in a bid to ensure open, credible, and fair congresses that reflect the sanctity of internal democracy in the Party, issues a guiding regulation for the nationwide congresses of the Party. It is binding on all persons coordinating and participating in all Congresses.”
The release further stated: “In addition to waivers granted to officers seeking re-election, the waiver is hereby granted to persons who joined the party recently to vote and be voted for, provided that their names are in the Ward Registers.
“The National Executive Committee (NEC) has granted waivers to new Members ( those who applied for such ) and also to all Officers at Ward, Local Government and State levels in line with the provision of Article 13 (4) xv, provided that no officer elected in this exercise shall serve in the same capacity beyond the maximum term prescribed in Article 17 I & ii of the APC Constitution (as amended).”
The Secretary said any “member who started or continued with litigation against the party after the directives of NEC is not eligible to vote or be voted for in the respective congresses.”
He further stated “without prejudice to these guidelines, all aspirants with valid court Judgement(s) concerning previous forms purchase are eligible to participate in the exercise.”

Politics

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Published

33 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has hinted that an alliance of major political parties and influential politicians is in the work ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, disclosed that his recent meeting with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is a sign of positive things to come.

He stated that meeting could be a launchpad for the possible alliance in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.

Within Nigeria had reported that Atiku Abubakar met with the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election Peter Obi, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido in separate visits earlier last week.

He said their meeting bode well for democratic governance in Nigeria while implying a possible alliance between the opposition parties. He also debunked assertions that they couldn’t produce a consensus candidate.

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He also said he would happily back a presidential candidate of South East extraction if the PDP zone its presidential ticket to the region.

Peter Obi is from the South East and, with the speculation of his imminent return to the PDP following his meeting with Atiku and other bigwig of the party rife, he is likely to clinch the ticket should the party decides to narrow down its look for a presidential candidate to the south east.

Speaking further on consensus candidate, Atiku stated that should the PDP members unanimously agree on zoning PDP’s presidential candidate to South East, he will abide by it.

“I’ve made it clear since last elections that if our party members had a consensus that southeast should produce the candidate, we would all agree. And if our parties also had a similar agreement, then so be it,’’ Atiku said.

Last week, Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), frustrated and sabotaged plans by the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the south east for the 2023 election.

He said the move effectively led to Peter Obi’s exit from the party.

The media adviser said that Atiku was willing to let go his presidential aspiration on the condition that the presidency was micro-zoned to the southeast region where Obi hails from.

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Politics

Six political parties plot against APC, meet in Kaduna

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Six political parties plot against APC, meet in Kaduna

Six political parties converged in Kaduna State on Thursday in preparation to dislodge the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The summit, with the theme, ‘Solid political party structure critical to the sustainability of the democratic process,’ was convened by the African Democratic Congress.

In attendance were the New Nigeria People’s Party, the People’s Redemption Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Social Democratic Party, the KOWA Party, as well as the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and the Coalition of United Political Parties.

Lawal Nalado, chairman of the summit, decried what he described as “unbearable hardship” faced by Nigerians across the country, saying that the gathering was all about discussing the nation’s barrage of problems and ways to move forward.

He refuted insinuations in some quarters that the summit was convened to form a merger or a coalition amongst parties.

He added that the opposition parties needed to mobilize voters at the grassroots by way of reaching out to the downtrodden with political enlightenment messages, capable of changing their mindset that politics should not be about money, religion or ethnicity but voting for the right candidates to uplift the social and economic status of the society.

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The National Chairman of PRP, Falalu Bello, while speaking, stressed the need for effective mobilisation of the electorates by opposition parties, stressing that fielding credible candidates was not enough to win elections but mass mobilization.

Represented by Prof. Sule Muhammad, Bello listed inadequate resources, lack of internal democracy, decayed transparency, and interference by the ruling party among others as problems bedevilling opposition parties in the country.

Also, Ahmed Tujjani, the chairman of ADC and IPAC Kaduna State, opined that the summit was aimed to chart a course to address socio-economic and political parties’ problems with the motive of proffering realistic solutions.

According to him, “This is not a gathering for a merger or forming a coalition ahead of 2027 but rather a summit to discuss our common problems and suggest solutions of addressing them.

“We will call you again by tomorrow to read out our communique which will be a summary and possibly a mini-working document of solving our problems ahead of 2027.”

Six political parties plot against APC, meet in Kaduna

Politics

Ajaero asks Abure to resign if he must forgive him

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Trends Admin

National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Julius Abure and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero

Ajaero asks Abure to resign if he must forgive him

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday told the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Julius Abure to obey a judgment of the FCT High Court if he needs the forgiveness if its president, Joe Ajaero.

The court restrained him and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party but the judgement was set aside by the Court of Appeal in March 2024.

NLC made the demand barely 24 hours after Abure appealed to the union for reconciliation over the crisis between them.

Speaking exclusively with THE WHISTLER, the NLC Head of Information, Benson Upah, said that the union does not shut the doors of negotiations, however, Abure must step down as LP chairman for peace to reign.

Upah said, “Our issues, concern and drive is to ensure that the right thing is done, and for the insult by Abure, we don’t care, even though he insulted all of us, called us thieves, armed robbers, and vagabonds.

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“While we are ready to forgive the insults, we would insist that the right and proper thing as contained in the contempt judgement be done. Because nothing can take the place of that”.

Speaking at the LP secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja, Abure had said, “Consequently, I want to appeal first to my brother, friend and Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC whom we have worked together in the trenches over the years in the struggle for workers, to put aside whatever may be his grievances. Let’s work in the interest of our people.

“Fighting the Labour Party is uncalled for and unwarranted, especially at this time when the working people of Nigeria are suffering. As we speak today, the minimum wage is still N30,000.

“For us, we need to team up together to be able to fight for better working conditions for our people. We need not waste or dissipate our collective energies in fighting ourselves over nothing. The NLC should know by now that the attempt being made to take over the leadership of the party will not work. It is my appeal that working together is better.”

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The NLC has been advocating for Abure’s removal, accusing the LP chairman of financial malfeasance, attempting to hold an unauthorised national convention in Abia State to keep himself in office, while also alleging that two separate court rulings in 2024 nullified the legitimacy of Abure’s National Working Committee (NWC).

This prompted members of the union, acting on their leadership’s orders, to picket LP offices across the country, demanding Abure’s resignation.

The crisis deepened when the LP responded in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, titled ‘Resign as NLC President to Contest LP Chairmanship, Labour Party advises Joe Ajero,’ noting that the party will not take orders from unionists who are not card-carrying members of their party.

Despite the NLC’s opposition, Abure in March 2024 secured his re-election at the Grand Seasons Hotel in Nnewi, Anambra State.

In response, the NLC referred to Abure’s re-election as an “illegality” adding that “nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity!”.