Politics

Ayu must step down or no deal, Wike tells Atiku

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2022

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has insisted that the only condition for his group to support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar is for the National Chairman Senator Iyorchia Ayu relinquish his position for the South.

Wike spoke when his political associates and Rivers elders led by the Chairman, Rivers Elders Council (REC), Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, visited to felicitate with him on his birthday on Tuesday.

The governor in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said he had no personal problem with Atiku.

But he said for peace to return to the party, the chairmanship position must be given to the South before the 2023 election.

He stated, “I have no problem with presidential candidate. All I am saying is what is the interest of Rivers people? What is the interest of the Southsouth and the South?”

Wike recalled that about a year ago, Rivers elders urged him to contest for the presidency, which he heeded.

He said “I don’t regret I ran for presidency. In the name of God, I am happy to make Rivers State proud. I am happy as far I am concerned. If they had allow it to be what it is supposed to be, I would won the election. But it’s okay. It has happened.

“People said because I lost election, it doesn’t matter. I didn’t lose election. This is my first time of trying to run for the president of Nigeria and we made impact. If it is easy let them go ahead. Are they not the ones begging.”

The governor said some of his Ikwerre brothers like Sir Celestine Omehia and former Deputy Speaker Austin Opara, were begrudging him because of his insistence that it would be morally offensive for an Ikwerre man to succeed him or even emerge as PDP candidate for Rivers East senatorial district.

He said, “I called Austin (Opara) , he sat here and I said look my brother leave it, it will not work. I don’t want to cause crisis in our system. Amaechi finished eight years as governor, I’m going to finish eight years as governor too.

“It will be difficult to sell another Ikwerre person as Governor for another eight years. Omehia said he wants to go to the Senate, I said leave it. Ikwerre has gone, Ogu has gone, leave Etche to go.

“You people said I should go (to Senate), I said I won’t. Allwell ( Onyesoh) could not have stopped me. Yes, today we are majority, you don’t know what tomorrow will be. I never did anything to undermine anybody. We must understand that.”

Wike said as baseless allegation that he foisted the Rivers PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminalaye Fubara, on the party.

He said the emergence of Fubara was a collective decision reached after those, who had indicated interest to succeed him failed to reach a consensus to produce one candidate.

Related Topics:Ayu must go Featured Gov Wike PDP

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Politics

Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner

Published

13 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner

The immediate past Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Adebayo Adeleke, has said ex-Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, is not a member of the All Progressives Congress.

Adeleke served as a commissioner in the cabinet of ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola, currently serving as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

He spoke at the Osun Central Senatorial meeting of the APC held in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

The APC chieftain said all serious party members in the state were aware that Aregbesola was not currently a member of the party.

Aregbesola no longer member of APC, says ex-Osun commissioner

Politics

Senate in rowdy session as lawmakers quarrel over sitting arrangement

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

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.

Politics

Ganduje drums support for Tinubu, says no vacancy in Aso Rock 2027

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

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.