Politics

Defection: Resign or be removed, PDP tells Makinde’s deputy, APC kicks

Published

2 years ago

June 6, 2022

Oyo State Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan

The Peoples Democratic Party, Oyo State chapter, has asked the Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, to resign immediately, following his defection to the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Akeem Olatunji, said this in a statement issued on Monday.

The party said Olaniyan should resign as the deputy governor “since he wilfully abandoned the political party and the votes that produced him as such on the party’s joint ticket.”

The ruling party warned that it would not allow Olaniyan and his new party to enjoy the benefits of the votes cast for the PDP at the 2018 governorship election.

He said the PDP leadership in the state, South-West, and national levels all intervened at different times to resolve whatever the situation fueling the suspected defection plan was but Olaniyan left.

The statement read in part, “Our position is simple and very clear on this matter and as a matter of legal implication, the votes in any election in Nigeria are to political parties, and not candidates.

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“It is on this note that the PDP as the ruling party in the state, is advising the Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, not to be carried away by the lies and deceits told him by a political neophyte such as ‘Mr jagba’ and be bamboozled into self-delusion of thinking he can be used as a tool to steal Oyo people’s mandate through the backdoor.

“Failure to follow this advice and adhere strictly to it from the PDP which is the legitimate owner of every single vote cast by the electorate in the 2019 governorship election, the PDP shall not hesitate to immediately deploy every constitutional means to prevent this daylight robbery.

“We’re determined and resolved to retrieve the party’s mandate being withheld illegally and unlawfully by the deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan because it belongs to the people of Oyo state who have handled same to the PDP.”

However, the APC welcoming Olaniyan’s defection to the opposition party by the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Teslim Folarin, described this as a good development, saying it was unfortunate for the ruling party to lose such a political asset.

Folarin, who said this in a statement warned the governor not to think about instigating the removal of the deputy governor because of the step he had taken.

He said, “I want to state that His Excellency Olaniyan’s position as validly elected Deputy Governor of Oyo State is secured and constitutionally-backed; his tenure ends on May 29, 2023. Therefore, the ruling PDP must perish the impeachment agenda or further victimisation in any form. APC has zero tolerance for harassment, humiliation, and victimisation of any of her members.

“H.E Olaniyan and his teeming supporters will not be the last to join the Oyo APC Rescue Mission 2023, many more PDP political office holders and their chieftains will announce their transfers in no distant future”.

“With personalities such as Olaniyan in the APC, PDP will suffer electoral humiliation in the 2023 general election. The strongest indicator for conducting an opinion poll is the uncontrollable exodus that has been hitting Oyo State PDP since 2019.

“His Excellency Olaniyan’s defection to the APC is a morale booster for us ahead of the 2023 elections. We will give him a rousing welcome after the 2022 APC Presidential Primary Election scheduled to hold between Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7, 2022.”

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Related Topics:APC Featured Makinde’s deputy PDP

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Politics

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State including its ex-National deputy Chairman Shuiab Oyedokun and governorship aspirant Prince Dotun Babayemi, have crossed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors with their supporters were formally welcomed into the APC fold at the party’s Secretariat by national leaders, including Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

Speaking at the event, Oyetola emphasized the APC’s track record of governance success.

He said, “APC has done so well. People are starting to see that when it comes to governance, the progressives know how to.”

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He highlighted the significance of veteran politician Baba Shuiab’s defection to the APC, noting that it signalled the diminishing influence of the PDP in Osun.

Oyetola expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects for victory in the 2026 governorship election, citing growing support and the influx of political heavyweights into the party.

Echoing Oyetola’s sentiments, Senator Basiru called for seamless integration of the new APC members into the party’s structure without discrimination.

He said, “Baba Shuiab and Prince Dotun Babayemi were members of the APC in the past. They’ve seen things. They’ve seen the difference between progressive and conservative, and they are back into the party.”

In his address, Babayemi highlighted the end of good governance in Osun following Oyetola’s departure as governor but expressed optimism that with his presence in the APC, the party would reclaim power in 2026.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of PDP came to power in Osun after defeating the APC under Oyetola in 2022.

Adeleke is serving his first term in office.

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Politics

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

Published

5 hours 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 of his plans to contest again in 2027 for the president of Nigeria.

He however said he would withdraw from the race should his party zone the position to another region of the country.

He confirmed that an alliance of major political parties and influential politicians was in the works 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, was a sign of positive things to come.

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

Atiku met with Obi; former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, in separate visits earlier last week.

He also dismissed the assertions that their alliance would be unable to produce a consensus candidate.

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

Obi is from the South-East and, with the speculation of his imminent return to the PDP following his meeting with Atiku and other bigwigs of the party likely, he might clinch the ticket.

“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 Obi’s exit from the party.

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.”