The respected monarch was in the Rivers State capital to declare open the National Conference of the Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria.
Punch
The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has described the new Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, as an elder statesman of immense preparation, saying the party currently needs his diplomatic skills.
He implored the new BoT chairman to use his diplomatic experience by reaching all aggrieved party members, with a view to presenting a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2023.
Ayu, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, said this on Friday when he led members of the PDP National Working Committee on a condolence visit to Wabara.
The former Senate President emerged as the acting Chairman of the party’s BoT following the resignation of Ambassador Walid Jibrin on Thursday.
Ayu, himself a former Senate President, disclosed to the acting BoT chairman that the leadership of the party had agreed to travel to Port Harcourt early next week to meet with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for full reconciliation.
Ayu said, “I am calling on you to lead the effort in reaching out to all our aggrieved members.
“You have the full support of myself, the candidate and the whole NWC to reach out to Governor Wike, all the governors and any person who is aggrieved, and appeal to them, plead with them to come back and let’s work together in the PDP family.
“If we do not win next year’s general election, Nigerians will be very disappointed, the hope of Nigeria is on us.
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“As the new BoT Chairman with diplomatic experience. We implore you to use your diplomatic skills to reach out to all aggrieved members and I am telling you that it is with our full support including that of the Presidential candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate who called me 30 minutes before we got here.”
He added: “You have our support. The entire BoT should select and reach out to them. We are appealing that they should come back and let us work together.
“I want to also reveal to you that the NWC under the leadership of the Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagun, will be going to see not only Gov. Wike but every other person who is aggrieved. It is the unanimous decision of the NWC and we think that your leading the fight for peace and full reconciliation in the party will be helpful.
“There is a time for anger and there’s a time for the anger to stop. So help us to reach out to all aggrieved members try and heal the party with your new role as the party Chairman of the BoT.”
Responding, the acting BoT Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, thanked the national chairman and other members of the NWC, saying he was overwhelmed with the show of goodwill, support and sympathy.
Recall that the Rivers State governor and his supporters had insisted that Ayu must resign as the national chairman of the PDP.
Ayu’s position not to visit Wike by himself may not be unconnected with Wike’s stand that he (Ayu) must go as the chairman of the main opposition party, and that they never asked the Jibrin to resign as the BoT chairman of the party.
Meanwhile, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and those at the corridors of power must do more to unify the party in order to win the 2023 elections.
He said winning the elections was the ultimate, saying it was even better to win together.
Fayose spoke on Friday as a special guest at the inauguration of the Community Secondary School, Obuama in Degeme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday.
While noting that Atiku was not against his host and the Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, he, however, said many people close to the throne “were enemies of the throne”.
Fayose describe Wike as the soul of the PDP, saying posterity would reward him.
He noted that those criticising the governor were doing so because they knew his capacity.
He said, “Your Excellency, whatever anybody says about you, posterity will be on your side. It is a matter of time. When I was governor of Ekiti State, I honoured people when they were alive, not when they were dead.
“You have honoured yourself by your handwork. You have shown that it is possible to bring the impossible to bear. Rivers State has been there for long, but today, we can see the difference. An average Rivers man is proud to be from Rivers.
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Speaking, Wike thanked the former Ekiti State governor for his love for Rivers State, saying he had always honoured invitation extended to him by the state.
He commended the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Mrs Ipalibo Banigo-Harry, for bringing the state of the community school to his knowledge.
“When I sent people, if you look at the pictures how it was, I said we will do our best to make sure our children don’t only have access to teaching, but get quality get education.
“I am sure by the time you go round to see some of the structures, you will be quite convinced of the quality that we have been able to put in this place. Up till this week, we have been busy trying to see, let people understand what we are doing in the education sector.
“Before, people were saying it is only roads, roads, now since Monday we have been talking about tertiary education. We are now talking about basic education,” the governor said.
In another development, a former national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus has congratulated Atiku Abubakar and the National Executive Committee of the party for stabilising the former ruling party, which he said was an indication that victory was imminent in 2023.
Secondus said in a statement on Friday that the outcome of the party’s NEC meeting on Thursday showed the party was set and ready for victory.
He also commended the immediate past national chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Jibrin for resigning voluntarily in the interest of peace and harmony and unity in the party.
He congratulated Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for his appointment as the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum.
He also congratulated the former Senate Wabara, who was elected the acting Chairman of the BOT.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Abubakar, paid a visit to Wike in Port Harcourt on Friday.
The Sultan paid a courtesy call to at his private residence along Ada George in Port Harcourt.
The respected monarch was in the Rivers State capital to declare open the National Conference of the Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria.
Punch
Senate in rowdy session as lawmakers quarrel over sitting arrangement
The Senate broke into a rowdy session on Tuesday after three senators engaged in a heated argument over arrangement of seats.
Danjuma Goje, senator representing Gombe Central, and Sahabi Yau, senator representing Zamfara North, expressed displeasure over the seats assigned to them.
They complained to Opeyemi Bamidele, the majority leader.
The Senate is currently using its refurbished chamber, two years after renovation began on it.
According to the standing rules of the upper legislative chamber, senators should sit in order of rank.
The Easter and Sallah recess was postponed to accommodate the completion of the renovation of both chambers of the national assembly.
However, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio read his welcome address, the heated argument among the three senators began.
It was learnt that Goje and Yau, sitting on the second row on the right side of the aisle, did not like the seats allocated to them by the senate committee on services.
Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west, is chair of the senate services committee.
The four-term senators subsequently insisted that they should have been assigned seats on the front row on the extreme right — opposite the row of the majority leader and the deputy senate president.
After the argument, Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano South, called for a “point of order” which was ignored.
Thereafter, Bamidele moved a motion for a closed-session.
Ganduje drums support for Tinubu, says no vacancy in Aso Rock 2027
National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, says members of the opposition are trying to discredit the Bola Tinubu-led administration in their desperation for Aso Rock in 2027.
He however declares that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027.
Ganduje said the administration of President Tinubu had been contending with accumulation of many years of neglect, policy summersaults and other disjointed decisions by previous administrations.
The APC national chairman gave the position while addressing supporters and support groups at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Ganduje urged the APC supporters and groups to be committed to the party so that it could continue to forge ahead.
He said the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its chieftains were afraid, having been defeated in the last general election and already foreseeing another defeat.
Ganduje said the NNPP elements were now engaged in a propaganda campaign against the leadership of APC.
He said, “They are so afraid because we are consolidating. They are so afraid all over the country because we are receiving new entrants into our party. That is creating fears in their minds.
“They are already eyeing 2027, but at that time, there is no vacancy. Only our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will, Insha Allah, continue as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Ganduje claimed the leadership of NNPP and its chieftains in Kano State were sponsoring protests and campaigning for his removal as APC national chairman.
Another PDP bigwig dumps party
Dr Cosmos Ndukwe, one of the key opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidates for 2023, has resigned from the party.
This is stated in a letter written by the former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly to the Chairman of his Item C Ward in Bende Local Government Area, which was copied to the party’s State Chairman, Hon. Asiforo Okere, and the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
The former Chief of Staff to the Governor and Commissioner for Works under ex-Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu claimed “personal reasons, current commitments, and aspirations” in his decision to leave the PDP.
He praised the party for providing him with the opportunity to enter the political spotlight and wished it success in the state.
The letter posted on his Facebook page on Monday morning read, “I hope this letter finds you well. It is with a heavy heart that I compose this correspondence to tender my resignation as a member and stakeholder in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Abia State, effective immediately.
“My decision to resign as a member within the party stems from personal reasons and reflections on my current commitments and aspirations.
“After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that potting out of PDP is the best course of action for me at this time.
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunities that the PDP has afforded me during my tenure as a Councillor, Deputy Chairman Local Government, Chief of Staff to Executive Governor of Abia State, Deputy Speaker Abia 6th House of Assembly and Presidential Aspirant PDP 2023.
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“Serving within the party has been a privilege, and I have valued the relationships I have built with fellow members, as well as the chance to contribute to the party’s objectives and ideals.
” I want to express my appreciation to you, the Ward Executive Committee, and all members of the PDP Abia State for the support and camaraderie extended to me throughout my association with the party.
“While I may be stepping away from my formal role, I remain committed to the principles of democracy and the progress of our great state Abia.
“Please consider this letter as my formal resignation from all duties and responsibilities associated with my position as a member and stakeholder in the PDP Abia State.
“I wish the PDP Abia State continued success in all its endeavors, and I extend my best wishes for the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and experiences.”
The former Deputy Speaker had in an introductory post to the letter written:
“Good morning friends and well wishers. In life, we all have the past. We all made choices that maybe, weren’t the best ones. None of us is completely a saint,
but we all get a fresh start some day.
“Eccl 3:1-5 summary is on time for everything. To me, this is time to leave PDP family. I am potting out for good, new destination to be announced soon.
“My letter has started its journey to the ward chairman, LG chairman, State Chairman and Ag National chairman”.
Platinumpost reports that, the PDP has been hit by the wind of resignation following the exit of former Governor of Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and over 20 key members of the party in Imo State including a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), and zonal officers.
Although the supremacy tussle between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, is believed to be at the centre of crisis rocking the PDP, funding by Vanguard show that Ndukwe may be on his way to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to assist his kinsman, and the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
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