Politics

PDP G5 governors: We won’t bow to intimidation

Published

1 year ago

November 25, 2022

The aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors say enemies of progress are frustrating the party’s bid to return to power in 2023.

Members of the G5, Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers State), Sam Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo), stormed Umuahia, capital of Abia State, for the kick-off of the party’s governorship and parliamentary campaigns.

The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, shunned the rally, The Nation reports.

The G5, otherwise known as the Integrity Group, vowed to continue its fight for equity, fairness and justice in the party.

Wike, who spoke at the Umuahia Township Stadium, urged Abians to follow Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and ensure that all PDP candidates for the 2023 general election are elected.

He said, “The G5 governors will continue to support all the candidates of the PDP in Abia State.

“There’s nothing like going back. Do whatever Ikpeazu tells you to do.

“He is a man of integrity, honesty and he is dependable, unlike some people who we supported with money and yet, they left the party.”

Ortom said the governors would not relent until Nigeria is rescued from insecurity, poverty, social and economic problems.

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Ikpeazu said the his administration has left a blue print for further development through the provision of a master plan for the state.

He added that Abia PDP can boast of the best candidates for elective office, adding that other political parties picked their candidates from the PDP’s dustin.

The high point of the event was the presentation of the PDP flag to Ikpeazu, who is running for the Abia South senatorial seat and the governorship candidate, Professor Uche Ikonne.

Ortom lamented that governors who endorsed the accord for Southern Presidency chickened out of the crusade.

Reiterating the G5’s determination to remain in the PDP, he said the group is committed to the success of governorship and parliamentary candidates in their respective states.

He said, “All our States from Abia to Rivers, to Oyo to Enugu, to Benue, all of us are PDP States, and we are very strong in all these States, and we are committed to our party.

“We have teamed together to build this party to make it very strong and our intention was that we will take over governance in 2023 and build Nigeria again from bottom to top.”

Ortom said Wike had provided enormous encouragement, support and leadership in the battle against forces frustrating the PDP from winning the 2023 election.

He said: “The five governors were men of integrity, who believed in equity, fairness and justice will never succumb to any intimidation.

Ortom said: “One notable person that has made this party what it is, is governor Wike. Since he joined PDP, he has never left PDP.

“In 2015, when I was denied the ticket, l left, went to APC and grab the governor, came back to PDP, because PDP is home.

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“So, we appreciate PDP. It is the platform we are working for in our various states. We are not going to be intimated. We appreciate the traditional rulers. You charged us not to be intimidated, but stand for the truth. That is what we stand for.”

Ortom said some of those who were part of the accord that the next Nigeria’s president should be a southerner eventually “chickened out”.

He said: “Unfortunately, enemies of progress came in. Because one thing that we believed as men of integrity, as men who believed in equity, fairness and justice was our resolve.

“All of us and many others who chickened out, especially from the South resolved that after eight years of rule in the North, we all know that in the unwritten constitution of this country, that it was the right thing to do for the sake of justice and equity. And that is what we have stood for.

“Unfortunately, we have found ourselves where we are. But, we told ourselves, we are not going to leave the PDP. You cannot build a house and when a snake creeps into your house, do you abandon that house and run away to go and build another one?”

PDP Chairman, Asiforo Okere disclosed that the party was presenting 36 candidates in the 2023 elections, including Ikonne, three senatorial candidates; Governor Ikpeazu, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and Col. Akobundu, eight House of Representatives candidates and 24 House of Assembly candidates. He thanked party faithful, especially those that contested and could not get the tickets, describing them as the heroes of the event.

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Ikonne assured Abians that if elected, he would through his TIGER Economy manifesto, which covers trade, industrialiaation, good governance, education and rural development, ensure participatory governance in the state. He challenged Abians to give him their votes and expect best results and more developmental projects.

Abia PDP Campaign Director-General, Chinedum Elechi, who described the rally as historic, noted that based on what the governor has done in the state, there is need for the people to elect Ikonne as the next governor.

Elechi, represented by the Secretary-General of the Campaign Council, Stanley Ojigbo, said based on the capacity of the party and achievements of Ikpeazu, PDP will win.

At the rally were Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, former Abia State Deputy Governor, Chief Acho Nwakanma, deputy governorship candidate, Okey Igwe, Abia State House of Assembly Speaker Chinedum Orji and members of the House of Assembly, PDP National Deputy Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, National Vice Chairman, Southeast, Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman, Southsouth, Chief Dan Orbih, candidates of the party, Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Okey Ahiwe, commissioners and others.

Related Topics:Featured G5 governors PDP

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Politics

Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC

National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will revisit the leadership crisis in the party by August this year.

This therefore means the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, will remain in the office until the next NEC meeting in August, according to the party.

Bauchi State Governor and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum hinted on Thursday that the party would look into the demand of the North Central for the national championship position then.

He spoke after the NEC meeting at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.

The governor said, “You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that, we have given beyond all these. This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality.

“In the next two months, you will see a lot of activities, leadership is a responsibility, when we will have come out of our congresses, we will look at the issues of leadership. We will look at the constitution and we will do it with no rancor.”

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, also said because of the need for reconciliation the issue of the National Chairman would be revisited in August when another NEC will be expected to take place.

He said, “Our party emphasizes the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Amb Iliya Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024.”

Politics

Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57

A top politician, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, has died at the a prime age of 57.

Ibrahim, an ally of former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki, reportedly died early Wednesday morning in a hospital in Abuja.

Newstrends learnt from a family source that Ibrahim died after a brief illness.

Rafiu Ibrahim from Ojoku, Kwara State, was a member of Kwara State House of Assembly in 2009.

He was later elected in April 2011 to represent Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of Nigeria in the 7th National Assembly.

Ibrahim became a senator in 2015 when he was elected to represent Kwara South Senatorial District.

He however lost his re-election bid into the 9th National Assembly to Lola Ashiru of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.

Politics

PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Nyesom Wike

PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun

The lingering leadership crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension on Tuesday as members of the G60 in the House of Representatives led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere truncated plans by lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to endorse Mr Umar Damagun as substantive National Chairman of the party.

Trouble started during the closed meeting convened by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda when Hon. Ugochinyere challenged the Caucus Leader’s presentation.

Hon. Ugochinyere, who flared up during the meeting was seen being persuaded by some PDP lawmakers.

However, before the end of the meeting, members of the G60 group left the hall, thereby leaving about 40 lawmakers in the hall where the press briefing took place.

While speaking on the outcome of the closed-door meeting which lasted for over 3 hours, Hon. Chinda said: “We have just concluded the third meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Caucus of the 10th Assembly and we have resolved firstly to tell all of us and the world that the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives remain united, indivisible committed and out to perform our duty as the watchdog on behalf of Nigerian people.

“In the same vein, we x-rayed the security situation in our country and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigerian is almost tagged as ‘one life, one minute silence’.

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“The government is therefore called upon to immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalized.

“And the Caucus has also given a three-month ultimatum for government to normalize the security situation in our country. After three months, the Caucus will take further steps to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians to perhaps take their security into their hands.

“The House of Representatives Caucus also agreed to call on all Party Caucuses, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures with a view to resolving all litigations that are pending and have hindered the party in any way whatsoever from having a substantive National Chairman.

“We call on our leaders, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is moved to her pride of place where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa and to take back the Aso Villa which is actually supposed to be our birthright.

“And so for us, we are going back as we resume the session to commence a strong, virile and purpose-driven opposition to give the people a voice in the Parliament,” he said.

While reacting to the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, the Minority Leader urged the Senate leadership “to recall our colleague, our senior brother, a veteran politician, a Parliamentarian per excellence, Abdul Ningi.”

Meanwhile, one of the G60 members who gave insight into the discussions during the closed-door meeting confirmed that the hard stance of the group frustrates the grand plan to pass a vote of confidence on the embattled acting PDP National Chairman.

The lawmaker who does not want his name in print said: “We are glad that the plan of the pro-Wike group supporting Damagun falls like a pack of cards, as we refused all entreaties to perpetuate illegality and stoking of crisis in the party.

“Our position remains that Damagun must go for someone from North-central to take over and complete Ayu’s tenure.

“Our Party needs total overhaul and reformation. We currently have in the PDP a national leadership that is in bed with the APC and is working extremely hard to hand over the party to the APC.

“This is quite shameful and disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let that happen.

“We are aside other demands insisting on 100 percent formation of Caretaker PDP executive list at all levels without any tampering or inclusion of new names outside the earlier resolution that members of the expiring excos should act as Caretaker for 3 months pending the conduct of substantive election.

“Our party will not be overtaken by APC, we are here to serve the Nigerian people not to the whims and caprices of some selfish politicians,” he noted.