Politics

Tight security as APC collates Edo governorship fresh primary results

Published

11 months ago

February 23, 2024

Tight security as APC collates Edo governorship fresh primary results

The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday held a fresh election after the one held last Saturday was canceled after three aspirants claimed victory after the exercise.

The national leadership of the APC declared the primary inconclusive and replaced the chairman of the electoral committee, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, with the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Bassey Otu.

The fresh poll held on Thursday and at the time of filling this report, party supporters, especially the youths, were at the Lushiville Hotel waiting for the announcement of the results.

Stern-looking policemen and soldiers were at the venue to forestall a reoccurrence of what happened on Saturday when thugs attacked party officials and destroyed equipment belonging to journalists.

At the time of filling the report, the committee said that the collation and announcements of results would begin early Friday morning.

However, a stakeholder, who pleaded anonymity, stated that the party was at a crossroads.

“I really don’t know what the party wants to do. How is it possible to have a fresh election under 10 hours as the agreement for a fresh election was reached just after midday on Thursday?

“I hope this will not plunge the party into fresh crisis as we risk not fielding a candidate for the September 21 governorship election in the state.”

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In the controversial Saturday poll, Uzodimma announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja declared Monday Okpebholo as winner.

Also, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the returning officers in all the local government declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.

However, the post-primary election crisis degenerated on Monday as angry youths and women took over the party secretariat, demanding the sacking of the State Working Committee led by acting chairman, Jarret Tenebe.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, said the party did not sack Uzodimma as erroneously reported.

According to him, the governor was ‘unavoidably unavailable’ to complete the primary election, hence the need to replace him with his deputy.

He said, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress has been drawn to reports in sections of the media suggesting that the Governor of Imo State, and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, was sacked or dropped as the Chairman of the Edo Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee, and replaced with the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Bassey Otu.

“We wish to clarify that Governor Uzodinma was neither ‘sacked’ nor ‘dropped’ as has been erroneously reported, but was unavoidably unavailable to lead the completion of the party’s Edo State Gubernatorial Primary Election Process due to his prior scheduled attendance of, and presentation of a report, to the National Economic Council meeting today February 22, 2024.”

The immediate-past governor of Ekiti State and ex-Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, hailed the decision to rerun the Edo governorship primary.

Fayemi also accused the former National Chairman of the APC and ex-Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole, of having a hand in the first primary which ended in a crisis.

Fayemi said, “Earlier, Oshiomhole had attempted to eliminate some aspirants from contesting in the primaries and failed. This is reminiscent of his high-handedness as National Chairman when he manipulatively schemed Governor Godwin Obaseki out of the electoral process. That action led to the unfortunate loss of Edo State by the APC.

“It would appear the ground was being prepared by Oshiomhole yet again for the APC to lose the coming election in Edo State because of his unconscionable behaviour. However, the party has demonstrated independence and impartiality in canceling and reordering the primaries.”

Tight security as APC collates Edo governorship fresh primary results

Politics

Factional Obidient movement planning to dump LP – Chieftain

Published

21 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Factional Obidient movement planning to dump LP – Chieftain

The Coordinator, Obidient Youth Ambassadors, Meche Oswald, has revealed plots by a factional Obedient Movement within the Labour Party (LP) to float another political platform.

However Oswald said their exit would not affect the party in any form due to the strong forces behind the Labour Party Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration (DMI).

The coordinator, in a statement, said with the current happenings in the Obidient Movement, the true intention of those who kicked against the establishment of the DMI had been made public.

In June 2024, the Labour Party created the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration and appointed Marcel Ngogbehei as the director general.

Since its creation, the directorate has been able to coordinate the support groups in the party, commanding about 75 per cent loyalty from the groups across the country.

Recently, the directorate set up state and local government coordinators with the aim to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

And each of those state and LGA structures is said to be continuously recruiting, spreading like wildfire.

“The Labour Party platform in 2027 will boast of massive numbers of volunteers willing to work and support the Party’s candidates across board,” Oswald added.

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He said with DMI’s extensive grassroots presence in every community across Nigeria, it would be extremely challenging for the factionalized Obidient movement to promote any other political platform.

He said the DMI’s strategic and innovative approach had undoubtedly raised LP’s banner as a force to reckon with within the political environment.

Oswald said, “The strong forces behind DMI are, in fact, young formidable members of the Obidient movement, and this poses a significant threat to a faction of the movement who have concluded arrangements to exit the Labour Party for another one that will favor their individual goals.

“I am particularly impressed by the foresight of LP Chairman, Barrister Abure, and DMI Director-General, Marcel Ngogbehei. The reports rolling in from various states are loud and encouraging.

“DMI is a child of destiny and a testimony to visionary leadership. Great leaders have the ability to foresee the future and prepare accordingly; this is exactly what Marcel has done.

“Every malicious attempt to bring LP to disrepute has been effectively neutralized, leaving the gang of traitors confused.

“They have been fighting tooth and nail to see that the directorate is rendered inoperative because they feel it rivals their goals.

“Instead of coming up with strategic ideas on how to make the faction under their control work, they are preoccupied with dirty plans of how to bring someone else down.

“I have never seen such a level of callousness being exhibited by humans against others; even animals have a level of soberness.

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“We are all witnesses to the numerous complaints that almost weighed down the party. In fact, someone emphatically said the party is dead.

“Why, then, are certain individuals unhappy that the party they declared dead has now fully resurrected with total reinvigoration?

“The DMI dares to challenge the obstacles on the way of LP, igniting the flame of an intellectual youthful movement that has taken up the challenge to lead in this liberation struggle.

“This is the dawn of a new era. We should celebrate the birth of the indomitable spirit of DMI, forged in the crucible of struggle. Since its inception, the DMI has not wavered in its mission to fight for the true emancipation of the Nigerian people.”

He urged the youth league to stand as the vanguard of the national democratic revolution and keep charging forward.

Factional Obidient movement planning to dump LP – Chieftain

Politics

Omo-Agege pledges support for Tinubu, says he remains committed APC member

Published

21 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

Omo-Agege pledges support for Tinubu, says he remains committed APC member

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said reports of his plan to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) and team up with former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to float a phantom new political party is shocking.

Omo-Agege, in a release issued by his media adviser, Sunny Areh, said the story is a product of allegation journalism with no iota of truth.

He stated that associating his name with the political group Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, is said to be working on, is a clear case of fable without any basis whatsoever.

“In the weird publication, it was alleged that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy President of the Senate in the 9th Session, is scheming to abandon the All Progressives Congress (APC) to team up with Mallam Nasir el-Rufai to float a phantom new political party, is not only shocking but idiotic,” he said.

Omo-Agege, flag bearer of the APC in the 2023 governorship election in Delta State, affirmed his APC membership, noting that President Bola Tinubu will not be deterred or distracted by reactionary forces determined to keep the people in perpetual penury.

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He said, “Having led the APC to its best ever performance in the 2023 general elections in Delta State where the party won two of the three senatorial seats and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was narrowly cheated from coasting to victory in the Governorship election, he will do better in 2027.”

While urging the APC faithful to disregard the hatchet job, he said the perpetrators have resorted deploying blackmail and subterfuge to sabotage the APC.

“Let it be known that as the leader of APC in Delta state and having taken it through a record showing in the 2023 general elections, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege remains irrevocably committed, steadfast and primed to the task of completing the job of rescuing the state from the serial failed administrations in 2027.

“Together with other progressive forces, he will steer the state to true prosperity and take her away from the trajectory of missed opportunities, failed policies and incorporated corruption to the path of development as a frontline oil producing state in the Niger-Delta.

“Already, our dear President’s reform agenda for re-tooling Nigeria’s economy to a productive one is bearing fruits and the people are testifying to the renewed hope of all facets of the population.

“President Tinubu will not be deterred or distracted by reactionary forces determined to keep the people in perpetual penury,” Omo-Agege’s stated.

Omo-Agege pledges support for Tinubu, says he remains committed APC member

Politics

Tinubu is first real politician to become Nigeria’s president – PDP leader

Published

22 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Trends Admin

Segun Sowunmi

Tinubu is first real politician to become Nigeria’s president – PDP leader

Segun Sowunmi, former spokesman for ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has declared President Bola Tinubu as the first true politician to ever ascend to the presidency of Nigeria.

In an appearance on TVC News, Sowunmi compared Tinubu’s political career with that of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, and Goodluck Jonathan, claiming that none of them could be considered “real politicians.”

Sowunmi explained that while Obasanjo and Buhari were military men and Jonathan rose to power due to unforeseen circumstances, Tinubu’s success in politics places him in a unique position.

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He stated: “Obasanjo and Buhari couldn’t call themselves politicians because they were soldiers. Jonathan couldn’t call himself a politician because he came in over the misery of others, but Tinubu is a politician.”

Sowunmi also spoke on the challenge faced by the opposition under Tinubu’s leadership.

“In the present dispensation of the APC, President Tinubu-led federal government, the first thing we need to accept and which we are accepting now is that our work is cut out for us,” Sowunmi added.

He concluded by stressing the need for fresh, quality minds to rethink the dynamics of democracy and opposition in Nigeria, especially in light of Tinubu’s political experience.