Race To Presidency: I’m Out To Rescue Nigeria – Atiku – Newstrends
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Race To Presidency: I’m Out To Rescue Nigeria – Atiku

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2 years ago

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Atiku Abubakar

Wike, 4 other governors absent

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday said his party has a plan to tackle the challenges bedevilling the country, urging all to join hands with him to rescue Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council and launching of three books in Abuja, the former vice president said the country is in disarray and is being torn apart by “mutual distrust, ethnic and sectarian strife and we are now more disunited than we have ever been in our history, including even when we fought a civil war.”

According to him, “But all hope is not lost. We have a plan to address these issues and to arrest the drift of our nation. These plans have been laid out in the document titled “My Covenant With Nigerians”.

Atiku however explained that to rescue and rebuild Nigeria, “We must first take over the mantle of leadership from the party that drove us into this mess.  To do this, we must all be united in purpose and come together to fight and win all the elections slated for next year.

“Every single person who loves this country, as I do, is needed for the arduous tasks that face us ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP.  And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rescue, rebuild and reposition our beloved country, Nigeria.

“The tasks ahead may appear daunting; they may seem a load too heavy to bear.  But, for the sake of our country, for the sake of our children, and for the sake of generations yet unborn, we must not, even for one minute, shirk in the responsibilities that we have been entrusted with to come together to rebuild this beloved country of ours.”

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Contacted for comments, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka said, “Well, we will talk next time. I am here for something different.”

PDP remains strong despite doomsayers – Udom

Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel assured that as a campaign council they have the seriousness and unity that is required.

“It’s our duty to campaign, to carry and publicise the message on how to rescue and restore the hope of Nigerians and it is for Nigerians to vote and for the Almighty to give victory,” he said.

Apparently referring to the crisis in the party, Udom urged the members of the PDP not to mind the doomsayers.

“I want to assure you that PDP is a solid rock and we know that no matter the wind, it will not move the rock. So, irrespective of the wind that you see around the rock, it will not move the rock. The rock remains as solid as ever.

“This time, there is no sitting in Abuja, everybody will have to work hard and carry the message home. PDP is not an Abuja party; you win from your unit, your ward and not by sitting in Abuja. The campaign council will take the message to the unit,” he said.

On his part, the Director General of the campaign council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, said the PDP and Atiku is the party to beat in this election.

“It is only for us to work and with God on our side, we shall deliver this victory to our party and to Nigerians. We have the support of Nigerians and we appeal that INEC will conduct a free and fair election, and victory by the grace of God will be guaranteed for PDP,” he said.

Wike, 4 other governors absent

Daily Trust reports that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and members of his camp in the party were conspicuously absent during the inauguration.

It was also observed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who was listed on the programme of events as the Distinguished Guest of Honour was absent.

A check by one of the correspondents at the International Conference Centre (ICC) Abuja, venue of the ceremony showed that four other governors; Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were absent.

Governors who graced the event included  Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), and Ahmadu Fintri (Adamawa).

Three former Senate presidents; Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim and David Mark were in attendance as well as a former Speaker House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’abba.

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Daily Trust reports that the acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Damagun inaugurated the 600-member campaign council on behalf of the National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.

NEC member raises alarm over plot to derail Atiku campaign

A member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), Chief Chinemerem Madu has raised an alarm over a plot to scuttle the campaign of Atiku.

Addressing journalists at the venue of the inauguration, he alleged that a national vice chairman, whose name he refused to mention was behind the plot.

He said the national vice chairman is approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25 million to N28 million each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the PDP Presidential Campaign.

“Members of the PDP are alerted of furtive moves by a compromised national vice chairman and a couple of members of the NEC to derail our campaign and scuttle the deserving victory of our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar at the 2023 general elections.

“This national vice chairman and his cohorts who confessed to having been heavily bankrolled are approaching and offering members of NEC sums ranging from N25m to N28m each to address a damaging press conference with fabrications aimed at derailing the Presidential Campaign,” he said.

Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Kwankwaso, 14 others sign peace accord today

The National Peace Committee (NPC) led by a former military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) will today in Abuja sign a peace accord with presidential candidates of the 18 registered political parties, as part of measures to ensure the success of the 2023 general elections.

The event coming up at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja would be attended by those strictly invited for the event.

In an invitation letter extended to parties and their candidates, the NPC said they were invited to sign the first peace accord on September 29 at the ICC.

Part of the letter signed by Gen. Abubakar in his capacity as the chairman of the NPC said the peace accord will be signed twice ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“The first signing is scheduled to happen at the start of the campaigns this September and the second in January of 2023, just before the elections.

“The first accord signing is intended to commit political parties, candidates and their spokespersons to conduct their campaigns (both online and offline) in a peaceful manner, devoid of ethnic, religious and hateful rhetoric that will incite violence and further aggravate the growing tension and insecurity in the nation.

“These interventions are to complement ongoing peace initiatives aimed at promoting a violence-free and inclusive electioneering process before, during and after the declaration of the final election results,” the letter reads in parts.

The National Peace Committee (NPC), which has Rev Attah Barkindo, Head of the Secretariat, also has the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah the Secretary.”

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

Published

1 day ago

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December 21, 2024

By

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

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PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Published

3 days ago

on

December 19, 2024

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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

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INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Published

4 days ago

on

December 18, 2024

By

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.

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

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