Politics
PDP governors’ Ghana parley fails to break zoning deadlock
Efforts to end the disagreement over the zoning of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in next year’s election by its governors failed to yield fruit at a retreat in Ghana earlier in the week.
They returned from Accra, the Ghanaian capital yesterday after failing to reach a consensus on the contentious issue.
The meeting took place between Tuesday and Wednesday and the governors were split along the North-South divide at the meeting.
It was leant that Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal insisted on going for the ticket.
He declined a proposal that he should accept to be running mate to a Southern candidate.
There were indications that the governors ruled out the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the race for the ticket.
The governors decided to take the meeting to Ghana when they gathered in Yenagoa for the second anniversary of Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri on Monday.
They subsequently travelled to Accra.
Although Tambuwal was not in Yenagoa, he joined his colleagues at the Ghana meeting.
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Other governors at the meeting, according to sources, are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa).
It was learnt that Governor Emmanuel’s interest in the presidential ticket came to the fore at the meeting.
A source said: “These governors used Diri’s anniversary as a shield to sneak into Ghana for a crucial meeting on zoning in anticipation of the release of timelines for primaries by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“At the meeting in Accra, the Southern governors insisted on power shift to the South in 2023.
“From their talks, ex-VP Atiku was ruled out as the party’s candidate in 2023.
“But some of them offered Tambuwal the Vice Presidential slot which he rejected.
“At the end of the day, there was no consensus on any of the presidential aspirants either from the North or the South.
“It was at the meeting that some of them realised that Governor Emmanuel might have shown interest in the presidential race.
“There was mutual suspicion that more PDP governors from the South have presidential aspirations. So, the situation is still dicey in PDP.”
An aide to one of the governors confirmed the meeting to our correspondent.
There was disquiet in Atiku’s camp over the meeting.
Security and intelligence agencies were said to be probing the governors’ motives for relocating to Ghana for the meeting.
The agencies were acting on clues that there might be more to it.
However, Governor Wike dismissed insinuations that the opposition governors’ trip was to pick the party’s presidential and running mate for the 2023 election.
According to him, those behind the rumour were out to sow the seeds of discord and to ruin the chances of the PDP in the next general elections.
In a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, the governor said he and his colleagues had been inundated with calls to confirm a text message circulated by a chieftain of the party that some governors embarked on a weeklong trip to Europe to determine the party’s candidates.
The statement quoted Wike as saying: “I have always said to people in PDP, nobody should cause a division among the governors.
“We are trying as much as we can to build the party back and see that in 2023 PDP takes over governance.
“I don’t understand where he gets this information, this rumour that governors travelled to Europe to decide who will be the presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate of PDP.
“I wonder why governors will travel to Europe to take such a decision.”
The statement linked the source of the ‘misinformation’ to one of Atiku’s key men.
Wike said though the governors have nothing anyone campaigning for the 2019 PDP presidential candidate and former vice president, stalwarts should be circumspect and desist from causing a crisis in the party.
“Don’t destroy other people because of this, because when you destroy them it will be difficult for PDP to win election in 2023,” Wike said.
The governor urged Atiku, whom he described as a well-known political strategist, to caution his men against spreading dangerous rumours that could divide stakeholders.
Yesterday, the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing said they are interested in the 2023 election.
Laing said: “We look forward to seeing how much this election matters. Nigeria has been on a democratic journey since 1999. And that, in itself is something to be very proud of.”
The Nation
Politics
PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum
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
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
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.
INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman
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