Politics

National Convention: APC favours North-Central for chairman, South-East for Secretary

Published

3 years ago

November 21, 2021

IN what could appear to give the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a run for its strategies towards the 2023 general election, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) is giving the North- Central top priority to land the position of the national chairman of the party, Sunday Tribune has learnt.

In a former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, the biggest opposition party recently produced its new national chairman, from the NorthCentral, replacing Mr Uche Secondus from the SouthSouth.

As if determined to play the PDP game to the last letter, South-East is also reportedly being tipped to produce the ruling party’s national secretary, just like PDP, which went to the geopolitical zone to pick its national scribe in the person of Senator Samuel Anyawu.
In the North-Central, those searching to report back to the official leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, have reportedly identified three persons from whom the party’s decision-makers are expected to pick one.

Two former governors and a dark horse are said to have been pencilled in.

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Of the two former governors, one is seen as suffocating in dealing with the incumbent governor of his state, who he reportedly enthroned.

His state governor, who has been openly supportive of his aspiration, is reportedly open to having another state in the zone land the plum job to be saved from further “harassment” from the godfather.

The other former governor is largely seen as hedonistic, with a top party source disclosing to Sunday Tribune that “Baba [President Buhari] will not take XYZ (mentioning the former governor’s name) from them.”

The third target, Sunday Tribune source noted, would jolt Nigerians when unveiled. “He is not the person you may be expecting,” the source teased the surprise expected ahead of the unveiling of the “dark horse.”

All efforts to extract an identity from the source were rebuffed on the excuse that bringing him out early could damage other ancillary strategies to forge a common front.

What isn’t in doubt, however, was the confirmation by the source that a bridge-building coalition has emerged to work out the shape of the next national working committee as designed by forces aligning to gain supremacy.

The incoming NWC is expected to largely determine the fate of state chapters where parallel congresses held.

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Zoning of elective offices, especially the presidency, has been a contentious issue in the ruling party. PDP surmounted the challenge by throwing his presidential ticket open, while party offices simply exchanged hands between North and South.

There is also an understanding that if a northerner emerges the party’s presidential standard-bearer and goes ahead to win the general election, Ayu will step down as the national chairman and a southerner, second in rank, will mount the saddle.

Taofeek Arapaja, a former deputy governor of Oyo State, is the deputy national chairman (South) and he is seen as a shoo-in, if a northern candidate wins the presidency on PDP’s platform. Past attempts at zoning of elective offices by the APC ended in chaos, disclaimers and denials over allegations that some tendencies were already claiming victory in certain parts of the country.

Even the current effort, Sunday Tribune learnt, isn’t cast in iron and could be dumped anytime, “because the guys at the national headquarters (Mai Mala Buni’s Caretaker Committee) are so jittery and may dump this one again once it is out,” the source revealed.

The main aspect of the zoning being referred to by the party chieftain was the presidency, on which the decision makers are yet to take a definite stand.

However, most of the top operatives of the party have favoured the South for the number one job on the ticket of the party after eight years of President Buhari, ending on May 29, 2023. Some heavyweight northern governors like Kaduna State’s Nasir el-Rufai, Kano’s Abdullai Ganduje and Borno’s Babagana Zulum, have spoken in favour of power rotating to the South.

The contention at the heart of the zoning issue is said to be the push to have the presidency micro-zoned, like party offices, to a definite zone in the South.

Those pushing this argument are also pointing to the current effort to zone the position of deputy national chairman (South) to a particular geopolitical zone in the axis (identity withheld). In the South, the contention for the APC presidential ticket seems a direct battle between the South-East and South-West, where the current Vice President hails from. Being a heartbeat away from the number one job, inside the party’s national abode, there are forces pushing for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to enjoy the right of first refusal.

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The argument is further made that in functional democracies, the Vice President is as good as an awaiting president and can only be bypassed if their chances of winning the general election are realistically low.

Osinbajo is deemed to have a realistic pathway to the presidency. The national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, is also being heavily tipped for the top job by emerging Political Action Committees (PACs).

Sunday Tribune learnt that an aspirant, who is yet to strongly feature in the presidency calculations, may show up once a new national working committee is in place.

In the South-East, Ebonyi governor and an ally of President Buhari, Dave Umahi, has become a regular mention in the projection for APC presidential ticket.

South-West is heavily favoured against the South East in delegate count, considering just two states in the South-East are governed by the APC, while the party runs five in the South-West, with a long list of past and current office holders who are automatic delegates to the presidential primary, though a plurality of aspirants from the zone, could thin off the advantage.
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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

4 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

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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.