Politics

Ayu dodges Wike, sends NWC members to gov

Published

3 years ago

September 10, 2022

Nyesom Wike and Iyorchia Ayu

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.

Let’s unite – Fayose

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.

Secondus salutes Atiku

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.

Sultan visits Wike

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

Related Topics:Ayu Featured gov NWC Wike

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Politics

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Published

4 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has officially announced his intention to contest for re-election in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Sani made the declaration on Sunday while delivering his Eid-el-Fitr message at his residence in Kaduna. The former senator, known for his vocal stance on national issues, expressed his commitment to representing the people of Kaduna Central once again and addressing key challenges facing the region.

“Any politician contesting an election depends on the political equation that determines the position to vie for. If the conditions are right and the equations are favorable, I will offer myself to contest specifically for the Kaduna Central senatorial district,” he stated.

He further emphasised that his ambition remains secondary to ensuring the re-election of Governor Uba Sani for a second term.

“For now, our priority is to see that the incumbent governor, Uba Sani, is re-elected. We will work with all our might and strength to achieve this. We know there will be challenges and opposition, but we are well prepared for all forces,” he added.

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Sani also used the occasion to urge Muslims to pray for Nigeria’s peace and unity during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Additionally, he condemned the recent killing of hunters in Edo State, calling on security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

“If citizens cannot move freely across the country, then we are not truly a nation. If individuals take the law into their hands for any reason, it means there is no government or authority,” he lamented.

He called on all Nigerians who desire a better country to work towards peace and unity for the preservation of democracy, despite the challenges being experienced.

Sani also urged the government to uphold fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, as a crucial step towards national stability and development.

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Politics

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Published

13 hours ago

March 31, 2025

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Lere Olayinka, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media has alleged that one Nigerian that can never be found in the gathering of men of character and integrity is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Olayinka said this while reacting to statement by the Atiku Media Office that Atiku rejected the choice of Wike as his Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election of his character.

This was in spite of the fact that a committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to select a Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 election had recommended Wike.

However, Olayinka said rather than Wike, it’s Atiku that that lacked character as attested to by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his book; My Watch.

According to Olayinka, it was already too late for Atiku to buy ‘character and integrity that he has lacked from birth’.

He said no one could have knew Atiku better than President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.

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Olayinka said; “One of the reasons Wike first rejected Atiku’s offer to have him as his running mate was his not too impressive character and integrity rating, until he was prevaied upon. And this, Atiku exhibited when he rejected the decision of committee the party set up to pick his running mate even after telling everyone that the decision of the committee will be bidding on him.

“Now, after his lies that he picked his running mate based on the committee report that placed the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as number one was bursted, he is now sermonising about character and integrity, which he, himself does not have.

“Funny that the same Atiku, that his boss described as a ‘blatant and shameless liar,’ is the one talking about character.

“For the records, Obasanjo said in his book, ‘My Watch’ that ‘What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.’

“Up till today, Atiku has not debunked what his boss said about him.

“Unlike Atiku, Wike does not hide or pretend on where he stands on issues. He is not one that will do a tweet on major issues and rush to delete it. He didn’t pretend about his position on the 2023 election and he won’t pretend on where he will stand in 2027.

“It is Atiku, that should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old, because everything should not be about desperation to be president.”

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Politics

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Published

6 days ago

March 26, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.