Politics
PDP leaders pushing for South-West replacement for Ayu
There are indications that the embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, may succumb to pressures to quit as some party leaders are already considering possible South-West candidates as his replacement.
Guardian reports some sources within the PDP as saying that although the issue is yet to be decided, some party leaders are pushing for a Southwest person to replace Ayu, stressing that the consensus opinion of members is that Ayu should go.
He disclosed that party stalwarts are considering whether to empower the National Vice Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, to act as national chairman pending a mid-term convention or draft former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, who is known to be an ally of Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
“When the various leadership caucuses meet in the coming week, decision would be taken on the matter. But, for now, it is general opinion of members that Ayu should go in the interest of the party. We have a tradition; so, whether Arapaja is to act or somebody else would come in does not matter. We need to unite and move the party forward,” he stated.
This position, however, poses its own problem as using the party’s Constitution to resolve this matter may yield nothing, because if Ayu were to go, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, Deputy National Chairman (North), will be the one to step in until a convention is held to properly constitute another executive, according to Section 45 (I and II) of the party’s Constitution.
Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, dropped the hint about Ayu’s possible exit on Sunday, when he appeared on Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics.
While affirming that it was unfair for the PDP presidential contender and the party’s national chairman to come from the same Northern region of the country, the BoT chairman disclosed that a report on the matter is being awaited by the party’s national leadership.
Expressing his determination to ensure that peace and genuine reconciliation returns to the party, Senator Jibrin declared his readiness to even vacate his post to pave the way for PDP to achieve cohesion to win the forthcoming general elections.
He noted that the report on the crisis would be tabled to the leaders by next week, stressing, “when we find out that somebody is wrong in what has happened, we will come up openly to tell the party that it is wrong.
“Whatever we can do, we will do it in the interest of the party to make the party remain as PDP. To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party from the north and the BoT chairman from the north.”
As the party’s national caucus, BoT and National Executive Committee (NEC) plan to meet any moment from now, it was gathered that the recommendation of the various reconciliation committees will guide action on the matter.
It was also learnt yesterday that while the Wike camp made Ayu’s exit their cardinal demand, some members loyal to the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, insist that only through a mini convention after the general elections could Ayu be replaced.
A few days after the Umaru Fintiri-led PDP peace panel met in Port Harcourt to reconcile the two factions of the party, an atmosphere of unease and anxiety has overtaken the party.
The camp of the Rivers governor has not just insisted that Ayu should resign, it is also seeking to be allowed to produce the next chairman.
A check at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Monday revealed that the matter of the peace meeting dominated talks among several groups of party leaders and officials.
The Port Harcourt meeting according to a member of the NWC is “the beginning of the end” for the crisis, because the aggrieved leaders have laid bare their demands.
“What has also emanated from the meeting is that the speculation about the call for the resignation of Ayu as national chairman has been formally brought forward.
“It is now left for the other camp and the entire leadership of the party, including NEC to weigh the pros and cons and take a decision,” he said.
It was also learnt that the reconciliation process is being delayed by a new tussle over which camp produces the replacement to Ayu should he resign.
A NEC member disclosed that some disciples of Atiku prefer a member of their camp to be made chairman if Ayu resigns, but the Wike camp wants to produce the next chairman since the Atiku camp has already produced the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
The chairman of PDP BoT, Walid Jibrin, insisted on Monday that Northern domination of the leadership of the party is unfair to other party leaders from the South.
Clarifying the statement he made on a television programme on Sunday night, Walid made it clear that it is unfair for the PDP to have its presidential candidate, national chairman and BoT chairman from the Northern part of the country.
At the moment, Atiku, Ayu and the BoT Chairman are all from the North. Even the deputy national chairman (North), who is constitutionally empowered to take charge should Ayu resign, is also from Yobe in Northeast.
Politics
2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike
2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike
There’s no let-off in war of words between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over who controls the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, although a minister in the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to influence happenings in the PDP which some party hawks loyal to Atiku have tried to expel without fruition.
Both squared up in 2019 when Atiku won the ticket in Wike’s backyard. Wike was governor in the oil-rich Rivers at the time and withheld his support during the party primaries in his state, instead supported his counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, who was also governor of Sokoto State.
The hope was that Tambuwal, as agreed, would nominate him (Wike) as his vice. Unfortunately to him, Atiku won.
In 2023, both top PDP men squared up again. It took a last minutes maneuvering for Atiku to defeat Wike after Tambuwal, rather than returning the 2019 favour, gave his delegates to Atiku.
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Not done yet, Atiku refused to give the vice presidential ticket to Wike and instead gave it to Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State.
A sore Wike was miffed and mobilised loyal governors to support the candidate of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, who went on to be announced the winner of the 2023 election.
Despite being over two years away, Wike has thrown the first stone telling Atiku that he should forget the 2027 presidential ticket of the PDP.
It’s worth noting that Atiku has not declared interest in the ticket and had said he would support whoever the PDP agrees to give the ticket to, including its erstwhile vice presidential candidate, now Labour Party topman, Peter Obi.
That’s in the belief that Obi will agree to a coalition to unseat the APC, alongside the New Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Wike, who called a press conference to tell Atiku of what awaits him politically said, “He (Atiku) is lobbying for another chance, but the chance will not be there,” the former Minister of State for Education said.
He questioned, “In which party? How can we rely on one man for so many years?” implying that Atiku’s prospects of securing the PDP ticket are slim.
However, responding to the statement, Atiku in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku reminded Wike of his unsuccessful attempts to install his preferred candidate within the party since 2019.
Shaibu said, “If he had the power to distribute presidential tickets like party favours, he’d certainly have kept one for himself.
“Atiku schooled him and his chosen protégé in his own backyard in 2019 and then handed him a resounding defeat in the 2023 primaries in Abuja.”
Shaibu also questioned Wike’s focus on 2027, especially given his public support for Tinubu’s potential re-election, suggesting that Wike should prioritize the immediate challenges facing Nigerians.
“People are struggling with rising costs and hunger; these are the issues we should be addressing, not political maneuvers for 2027,” Shaibu noted
2027 PDP ticket: I defeated you in 2019, 2023, Atiku mocks Wike
Politics
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.
In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”
Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.
During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.
Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.
“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.
“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.
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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”
He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.
“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.
Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.
“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.
“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.
“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”
Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”
PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.
In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.
Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore
Politics
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.
The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.
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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.
“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.
He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.
Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group
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