Politics

2023: Misguided Elements Out To Stoke Religious, Ethnic Divisions — Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

July 30, 2022

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said that Nigeria is at a critical moment when misguided persons seek to stoke religious and ethnic divisions among the people.

Tinubu said the aim of such actors was an attempt to destroy social harmony and reign violence in the country.

The former Lagos State governor noted this in a statement while congratulating the newly elected president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), The Most Rev Daniel Okoh. Tinubu urged Nigerians of all faiths to agree to live in peace and eschew violence and hatred.

“As a country, we are in a critical moment when misguided and terrible actors attempt to destroy social harmony and reign violence on us all. These awful forces seek to stoke religious and ethnic divisions in the hope of pitting Nigerians against one another. While we may not agree on everything, all well-meaning Nigerians agree that we must live in peace, respect and honour our diversity and eschew violence and hatred,” he stated.

Tinubu, who noted that the CAN was one of the most important organisations that sought the betterment of the country, added that the newly elected president of the association would advocate the benefits of good governance for all Nigerians, regardless of creed or belief systems.

This is as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and some Christian chieftains of the All Progressives Congress(APC), have threatened to sink the party for fielding a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

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The threat was made yesterday in Abuja at the ‘APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit.’

Lawal and Dogara, in their separate presentations at the event, urged northern Christians not to surrender to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.

They and others who spoke urged Christians in the North to speak with one voice against the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

Dogara, who said that APC was now looking like a ‘janjaweed’ party, also said Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu made a fatal error of judgement in his running mate choice as Nigeria of 2022 is not that of 1993.

“The truth must be told that anyone who is not bringing us together is consciously tearing us apart. When we talk about a Muslim-Muslim ticket, God forbid that we should be understood to be objecting to Muslims or that we don’t want Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to be president.

“It is not about Senator Kashim Shettima either, it is about what is right and what is wrong. It is about justice, fairness and equity. It is about Nigeria, its diversity and how it can be harnessed in an inclusive manner for the greater good of all of us.

“Be that as it may, some of us really wanted Asiwaju to be president because he has sacrificed much for our party, the APC and for what he represents to so many people. So, our position cannot be against Muslims or Islam. That fact cannot be denied in any way,” Dogara said.

He said the fact that some said Christians should not worry about a Muslim-Muslim ticket while a Muslim-Christian ticket give them sleepless nights should make people worry the more.

He described as “hogwash”, the claim that there is no Christian competent enough from the North to be a vice presidential candidate of the party.

Also speaking, Babachir Lawal said Nigerian Christians’ opposition to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections was genuine.

“Our opposition has some historical basis. There were times in the past when Christians produced the deputy governors in Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna states. Now, it is wholly Muslim-Muslim tickets.

“It is also now a recurring practice in the North, whereby any Christian traditional ruler that dies is replaced with a Muslim prince, albeit from the ruling family, even if the most qualified and preferred prince is a Christian. The recent case of Billiri chiefdom in Gombe State is still fresh in our minds,” he said.

Lawal also said the main purpose of this historical narrative was that for the APC, a Muslim-Muslim ticket had been a long term political strategy and not a one-off decision.

Contacted for comments last night, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka said, “As citizens, our Northern Christian leaders are entitled to their preferences. However, the position they have taken is unhelpful to anyone and contributes nothing to the need of our people for good governance, security and improved standards of living.

“Our needs are the same, irrespective of religious affiliation, and working to uphold the wellbeing of all Nigerians is at the core of the commitment of the presidential and vice presidential candidates of our party going forward to the general election of 2023.”

Daily Trust

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Politics

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Published

2 days 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

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.