It’s time for North to pay Tinubu back, says Shettima – Newstrends
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It’s time for North to pay Tinubu back, says Shettima

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2 years ago

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Senator Kashim Shettima and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, says it is now time for the north to repay the electoral support which the party’s flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has given the region over the years.

Shettima, speaking yesterday in Abuja during the unveiling of the Tinubu/Shettima Door-To-Door grassroots mobilisation campaign vehicles donated by the Northern APC State Assembly Speakers, said the APC presidential candidate had always given his all to the North.

He cited Tinubu’s role in helping to provide platforms for the presidential ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2007, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in 2011 and President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

“In 2007 when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dehumanised and chased former Vice President Atiku Abubakar out of the party, it was Asiwaju Tinubu who offered him the platform of the Action Congress (AC) on which he contested the 2007 presidential election,” Shettima said.

He added: “Similarly, in 2011, Asiwaju offered Nuhu Ribadu the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to contest for president.

“In 2014, if not that Asiwaju Tinubu mobilised the entire APC Southwest delegates for him, President Mohammadu Buhari would not have won the APC presidential ticket to contest in 2015.

“Tinubu stood firmly for justice, equity and fairness with his endorsement of Northern presidential candidates at various times in the past.

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“So the 2023 election provides the opportunity for Northern Nigeria to pay back the goodwill and support that Tinubu had extended to them at different election circles.”

Shettima also recalled how Tinubu played a key role in checking what he called PDP’s rigging machine in the Southwest states of Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states in the 2007 general election.

He said if voted into office in next year’s election, Tinubu would build a new Nigerian nation that every citizen would be proud of as he is endowed with the intellect, capacity and ability to deliver.

The former Borno State governor thanked the speakers for their gesture, which he said would go a long way in making the APC campaign easy.

He also took a swipe at the PDP, saying: “They spent 16 years forgetting what the railway can do for the country. I wonder how the PDP still exists as a political party.

“They are still fighting over the leadership of their party. We are not like them. We are smarter. We know the road better than the Poverty Development Party.

“We are a party of progressives. We are thinkers and doers. We have the courage, the determination, the perseverance and the foresight to identify Nigeria’s problems and tackle them for the benefit of our children’s tomorrow. The journey has started already.”

Tinubu enjoined the APC Northern state Speakers to co-opt their counterparts in the South in the campaign initiative.

Director General of the APC presidential campaign council and Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simeon Lalong, said as leaders of the legislative arms of government in APC controlled states in the North, the speakers and other legislators occupy a unique position to not only connect with the people at the grassroots but also mobilise the people for Tinubu’s election and educate them on what he stands for.

Lalong said: “Our Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima come along with wonderful records of achievement that are a clear signal to the journey towards a greater Nigeria.

“They are focused on building the economy, uniting the nation, tackling insecurity and addressing education and health challenges among others in a way that meets the yearning of Nigerians.

“As we get set to work for the success of our Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I wish to remind you that there is so much that the APC has done at the federal, state and local government levels that will speak for us.

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“It is therefore our duty to highlight these achievements just to remind Nigerians that our party has done a lot to change Nigeria for good in various ways.”

Deputy Campaign DG North and Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, praised the Speakers for coming together to deploy their grassroots structures towards delivering the Tinubu/Shettima ticket at the elections in 2023.

He advised them to carry along the councillors of their various constituencies to deepen their reach out and consultations across the North.

Chairman, Northern APC Speakers Forum and Speaker Kaduna State Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani assured Tinubu that they had resolved to ensure the success of the APC by reaching out to the grassroots.

Vehicles donated for the mobilisation and Campaign by the Northern Speakers Forum were unveiled and distributed to coordinators at the ceremony.

The parties are scheduled to commence their presidential campaigns on September 28 ahead of the February election.

Tinubu, best presidential candidate for Nigeria, says Kwara senator

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, at a separate forum yesterday urged Kwarans to reciprocate Tinubu’s kind deeds to them in the past by voting for him in February.

He described the APC candidate as the best hand for the job.

Senator Oloriegbe, who failed in his bid to get the party’s ticket to represent Kwara Central for a second term in the National Assembly, expressed disappointment at the outcome of the state congress.

He labeled it a ‘selection’ process.

But Oloriegbe, who spoke on the sidelines of a prayer session organised by his family and supporters, said he remained a member of the APC because of Tinubu and the interest of the party.

He added that his support for Tinubu stemmed from the fact that the APC presidential candidate possesses the qualities lead the country aright.

He said: “In spite of all that happened to me at the primaries in the state, I remain a member of APC. Since 2010, my focus has been the progress of Kwara and I have been in that struggle.

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“I believe that I have to stay in APC to join forces together in correcting what is happening in the party in the state.

“More importantly, shortly after the primaries, I had a meeting with Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima. We analysed what happened at the primaries and we agreed to put that behind us.

“I am a stakeholder in the Nigerian project. At this particular time, if you look at capacity and ability to a change, Asiwaju Tinubu is the best candidate. As such, I along with my supporters will mobilise and work for Tinubu and Senator Shettima at the 2023 elections.

“Asiwaju Tinubu has been supporting our cause in Kwara. In 2011, I was an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) senatorial candidate and Tinubu was our leader. In 2018/2019 he was a major supporter of the Oto ge movement and I am a beneficiary of the struggle. Why will I now say whatever has happened to me personally because of the primaries, I will leave Asiwaju because of selfish interest? Never.

“My support for Tinubu is based on his capacity and ability. I am also supporting him for the benefit of my state because if Nigeria is good, Kwara will be good. It is not borne out of ulterior motive.”

It’s sure ticket to Nigeria’s development – Group

Also yesterday the South-South Movement for Tinubu/Shettima (SSMTS) described the APC presidential candidate and his running mate as a sure ticket to massive development across Nigeria, particularly the South-South region.

A group, in a communiqué at the end of a meeting in Warri, enjoined Nigerians to shun campaigns of calumny by those it called desperate and drowning politicians.

It asked  stakeholders in the geopolitical zone to “embrace the ticket to guarantee a prosperous Nigeria,” adding that “sincere and concerted efforts should be made to return the region fully into mainstream national politics in order to ensure meaningful and accelerated development”.

It said the PDP which the region has been supporting since 1999 has failed to attract the much-needed development to the area, and expressed optimism  that the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would return the country and in particular, the oil-rich region, to the path of sustainable peace, socio-economic growth and development.

The  communiqué was signed by the National Coordinator, Besidone Samuel Eyengho; Dr. Emem Wilcox Wills, National Secretary; Chief ThankGod Deizigha, National Organising Secretary; Barr. Nwulu Charles Uche, National Publicity Secretary; George Ogaga, State Coordinator and Abu Momodu.

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

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1 day ago

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December 21, 2024

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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

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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

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December 18, 2024

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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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