Why consensus may not work for presidential primary – APC chair – Newstrends
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Why consensus may not work for presidential primary – APC chair

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3 years ago

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Senator Abdullahi Adamu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, says the consensus method which was used in electing party officers during the March 26, 2022 convention may not be feasible for the party’s presidential primary which begins on Sunday.

The APC chairman said this during a chat with Voice of America Hausa service in Abuja on Wednesday.

Adamu emerged as the APC chairman in March after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), endorsed him and asked other aspirants to step down for him.

However, the APC chairman said a presidential primary was completely different from a chairmanship election.

On plans by the party to force a consensus, he said, “There is no truth in what you said. The reason is that the chairmanship seat is not the same as that of the tussle for the Presidency of the country. You can’t even compare the two of them. That question does not arise.

“However the party has laid down its rules and regulations for the aspirants. We would scrutinise all of them based on our guidelines to be sure we pick the right candidate for the party.”

The APC chairman, however, said the 28 aspirants ought to know that all of them cannot emerge as the candidate of the party.

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He added, “You can’t stop a party stalwart from contesting election or aspiring for the Presidency. It is their rights and we are happy for them. There is nothing wrong for anybody aspiring for the exalted seat of the presidency. It is God that decides who gets what.

“Once God makes up his mind and say this is who He wants, that is what we are praying for. We have 28 aspirants for the presidential ticket and everybody knows that all of them cannot get the ticket.

“If it is God’s wish, they all can even be president of the country one after the other. Ours is to ensure justice in the choice of who emerges candidate of the party. That does not mean we are perfect. But we pray we do the right thing.”

Adamu also said there was no evidence that aspirants were lobbying delegates with money.

The APC national chairman stated that he has since discovered that it was the delegates who have been hawking their conscience to the highest bidders.

According to him, there was no known law in the country stopping aspirants running for various political offices from taking their campaign to delegates across the country.

“For now, there is no law against aspirants taking campaign to delegates. I don’t have evidence that aspirants are sharing money to delegates. For me it’s the delegates that are selling their conscience which is not proper.

“Our delegates should know that anybody sharing money to them can’t be the right candidate of the party. He doesn’t mean well for the country. I don’t have solution for the problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, security agents and members of the APC have held meetings ahead of the state governorship primaries of the party scheduled for Thursday (today).

The meetings which held across various states were to map out strategies to prevent violence at the primaries.

In Katsina State, the Commissioner of Police, Idris Dabban, on Wednesday, met with Area Commanders and all the Divisional Police Officers in the state.

It was also learnt that the CP directed operatives to be drafted for the exercise to deal decisively with anybody who might want to foment trouble during the primaries.

On his part, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Samaila Dikko, warned against acts capable of disrupting peaceful coexistence in the state during the primaries.

This was after a meeting with stakeholders aimed at sensitising all political party leaders and their followers in the state on the need to maintain peace in the primaries.

Dikko warned against the use of thugs (‘Yan Daba) and weapons during political activities in the state, as anyone caught will face the full wrath of the law.

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Chairman of the APC in Kwara State, Sunday Fagbemi, urged delegates to conduct themselves in a decent and orderly manner, adding that the party would not tolerate any form of indiscipline from candidates or their followers.

He said, “For peaceful conduct of the exercise, all party members participating in the exercise must comply with all laid down procedures warning non-delegates to keep off venues of the election.

“Delegates must conduct themselves in a decent and orderly manner devoid of any rancor or indecent rowdiness.

“The party will not tolerate any form of indiscipline from candidates of their followers. Therefore the use of thugs or “good boys” is prohibited and warned that aspirants shall be held responsible for any breach of peace and misconduct at the venue of the exercise.”

Meanwhile, the Destiny Campaign Organisation, the campaign organisation of APC governorship aspirant in Ebonyi State, Elias Mbam, has accused the state government of trying to scuttle to governorship primary.

In a statement signed by Paul Okorie, Mbam alleged that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, had procured thugs from other states of the Federation to scuttle the governorship primary election.

He said, “Credible intelligence available to us alleges that agents working for the embattled Speaker has procured thugs from Enugu, Abia, Cross River and Rivers States, some of which are already in the state, in liaison with his local vigilante, with the plan to attack and cause mayhem at the venue of the gubernatorial primary tomorrow to ensure that it does not hold and prevent perceived opponents from attending.”

“We therefore call on the national chairman and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to take note of the antics of the state government and their desperate efforts to destroy our party in Ebonyi which may cause the PDP to have an easy win come 2023.”

He, however, called on security agencies to intervene, saying, “We plead with the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the military to take notice and ensure that the life and safety of Elias Mbam, other aspirants, their supporters, party faithful and delegates are guaranteed and protected.”

In a related development, there is anxiety in the camps of the two leading governorship aspirants of the APC in Oyo State ahead of today’s primary election.

Our correspondent gathered that aspirants were holding meetings and strategising on how to win more delegates to guarantee victory for them in the exercise which will determine the flag bearer of the party in 2023 election.

The lawmaker representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Teslim Folarin, and a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Adebayo Adelabu, are the leading contestants in the race.

However, the Oyo State Public Relations Officer of NSCDC, Oyindamola Okunneye, said the security agency would be fully involved in ensuring peace and order during the exercise.

Okunneye said the agency had deployed his men who would ensure adequate security at the venue

He said, “Our men will be there. Those who would be there have been deployed and our job is to make sure that law and order is maintained. We are not politicians and our involvement will be to ensure security of lives and property.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, could not be reached when contacted to know the level of the police preparedness for the exercise.

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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

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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

on

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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