Politics

More crisis as Labour Party expels Bayelsa gov candidate

Published

10 months ago

December 5, 2023

More crisis as Labour Party expels Bayelsa gov candidate

The Bayelsa State Executive Council of the Labour Party has declared the expulsion of Udengs Eradiri, its governorship candidate in the state’s just concluded governorship election.

During its weekend meeting in Yenagoa, the council also announced the dissolution of the local government and the ward chairmen of the party.

The state LP chairman, Eneyi Zidougha, who read the meeting’s outcome, stated that the executive council members resolved to dismiss Eradiri for allegedly violating the party’s standards and behavior.

But Eradiri advised Zidougha to leave him out of the crisis rocking the state leadership of the LP, and described him as “an acting factional chairman of the party”, adding that “the party’s constitution did not confer such powers on him (Zidougha).”

Zidougha claimed that the state LP leadership took the decision to expel the former governorship candidate after they received information on his alleged illegal activities after the governorship polls, warning members of the public not to have any dealings with him and the ward chairmen.

He said, “After the party primaries and the governorship election on November 11, 2023, the state executive council has unanimously agreed that Mr. Udengs Eradiri be expelled.

“All party members should remain calm because the exercise is meant to strengthen our party and prepare us for the challenge ahead. The general public is hereby advised not to have any dealings with the deposed local government chairmen or Mr Udengs Eradiri on behalf of the Labour Party.”

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The state LP chairman said the council relied on Article 12 sub-section 60 (2) of the party’s constitution, which conferred powers on the council, as well as the national council, to formally terminate all local government and ward chairmanship positions, adding that the chairmen’s tenure had expired since June 2023.

However, Eradiri, in a statement he issued on Monday, urged members of the public to disregard Zidougha’s recent claims that he had expelled him from the LP, saying the constitution of the party did not confer such powers on him.

He said Zidougha should deal with the crisis he invited upon himself when he betrayed his party ahead of the concluded election by leading some members of his exco to endorse the State Governor, Douye Diri, who was the governorship candidate of PDP.

Eradiri said, “We all know what transpired ahead of the election. The so-called chairman worked against his party. He was accused of collecting N100 million to endorse the state governor. He didn’t hide it. He and some of his exco members worked for the candidate of the PDP for the sake of their stomachs.

“They betrayed the Labour Party the same way they betrayed our Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi. He led some of his exco to play the highest level of anti-party and doesn’t have the locus standi to talk about disciplinary measures against anybody.

“The local government chairmen of the party were angry at their shameful and selfish conduct and decided to take over the leadership of the party. I called on him to stop dissipating his energy on me and channel it to dealing with the crisis he created for himself because of money”.

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Besides, Eradiri stated that Zidougha lacked the powers to flagrantly suspend any member of the party, much less the governorship candidate, insisting that the constitution of the party was clear on how disciplinary measures should be taken against a member, and none of them gave him (Zidougha) the authority to summarily dismiss or expel a member.

Meanwhile, members of the LP Local Government Chairmen Forum of Bayelsa have announced the indefinite suspension of the chairman, Eneyi Zidougha, and his executive committee “due to their involvement in anti-party activities during the just-concluded state governorship election.”

The chairman of the LP Local Government Chairmen Forum, John Tobi, who announced the indefinite suspension, said the action followed a unanimous decision by six out of the eight local government chairmen of the party and over 80 per cent of the party’s ward chairmen.

Tobi, who was chosen as the acting state LP chairman, said, “The local government and ward chairmen took this drastic decision against Zidougha and his executive for publicly endorsing the serving governor during the last governorship election.

“This is despite the party having a competent governorship candidate. The move smacks of greed and betrayal of the party’s principles.”

More crisis as Labour Party expels Bayelsa gov candidate

(Punch)

Politics

Tinubu will win Kano in 2027 – Senator Barau aide

Published

23 hours ago

October 7, 2024

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu will win Kano in 2027 – Senator Barau aide

Ado Garba (Thirty), the legislative aide to the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, says President Bola Tinubu will win Kano State with a landslide in 2027, despite criticisms of his reform policies by some people in the state.

Ado Thirty told newsmen in Kano on Sunday that the people of the state would massively vote for President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in 2027 because of the goodwill of the Deputy President of the Senate,Barau Jibrin, the people of the state “have been enjoying.”

Such goodwill he explained, include Senator Barau’s women and youths empowerment programmes, scholarship schemes, desilting of dams, provision of Federal and feeder Roads and irrigation schemes in the Kano North Senatorial District which he represents in the National Assembly.

Other initiatives, he said, are distribution of 60 trucks to farmers free, establishment of a Transport Service with over 1000 buses and bringing the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) campus to the Kano North Senatorial Zone.

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“All these programmes have impacted positively on the lives of the people of Kano North in particular,and the people of Kano State in general.

Besides,Ado Thirty said,Senator Barau’s populist programmes have been attracting more membership for the APC in the state, with the Deputy President of the Senate receiving thousands of NNPP supporters into the APC.

He said Barau had so far received thousands of NNPP supporters who defected to the APC “despite the fact that the State Government is controlled by the NNPP,and we are still counting.”

“Thus, Senator Barau’s initiatives and development programmes coupled with President Tinubu’s realistic and patriotic reform policies will move the people of the state to vote for the President enmasse in 2024,” Ado Thirty said.

Tinubu will win Kano in 2027 – Senator Barau aide

Politics

APP clears 22 of 23 chairmanship seats in Rivers LG election

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2024

Trends Admin

APP clears 22 of 23 chairmanship seats in Rivers LG election

The Action Peoples Party (APP) has won 22 of 23 chairmanship positions in Rivers State local government election.

Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Adolphus Enebeli, announced the results of the elections on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He said the result of the remaining LGA — Etche — world be announced at a later date because collation was still ongoing.

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, had recently directed his loyalists to defect to the APP to contest the election.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers had earlier cautioned against the declaration of the results.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, the Rivers PDP chairman, warned that announcing results could incite violence.

Victor Giadom, APC chairman in the South-South, said the party boycotted the election because of discrepancies with the existing laws.

On September 4, a high court in the state held that RSIEC could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.
But on September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.
The court also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the poll.
Fubara was however not deterred and insisted that the election must hold.

Politics

Days of red cap numbered, Barau says while receiving NNPP defectors

Published

4 days ago

October 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Days of red cap numbered, Barau says while receiving NNPP defectors

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has received a large number of grassroots leaders of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The senator it would soon be rare to see someone with a red cap, the symbol of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, in Kano State.

Responding to a question on the gale of defections rocking the NNPP in Kano, he said the rate at which the NNPP members, including their leaders, are trooping to the APC is a testament to the growing popularity and support APC is getting in Kano despite being an opposition party.

“I will continue to receive NNPP members rushing to join our party. Politics is a game of numbers. If you have a political party and members of other parties are not joining you, it means there is a problem.

“The NNPP members are attracted to the APC by our numerous interventions across critical spheres of our state and the country at large by the President Tinubu administration.

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“At the formation of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu went across the country to woo people to the party. And this was why the party became popular in the country.

“We will continue receiving NNPP and other party members regardless of what some people say. Time will come. You will be looking for someone with a red cap, the symbol of the Kwankwasiyya, and you won’t see any in Kano. We will get there soon.

“We are doing this to lay a solid foundation for our party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others to win the presidential, governorship, national and state House of Assembly elections come 2027 in Kano and beyond,” he was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir.

The Deputy National Women Leader of the APC, Hajiya Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, who witnessed the defection, commended Senator Barau, describing him as a blessing to the APC, the people of Kano, the North and the country.

“The massive support our party is receiving in Kano shows the days of the NNPP are numbered in the state. We will take back our state at the poll come 2027, by Allah’s grace,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Senate has received members of the APC Amalgamated Support Groups in Kano State at the National Assembly.

Under the leadership of Hon. Shehu Isa Direba, the group was at the National Assembly to reaffirm their support and appreciation for Senator Barau over his various interventions in the state.

The group, comprising former LG chairmen, party stakeholders, farmers, businessmen, and civil servants, among others, said that with the support and interventions of Senator Barau, APC is no longer considered an opposition party in Kano.

“APC members are envied in Kano State by the NNPP, the ruling party in the state, because of Senator Barau’s numerous interventions, projects and programmes,” the group said.