Why I dumped Atiku for Tinubu – Sen Nnamani – Newstrends
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Why I dumped Atiku for Tinubu – Sen Nnamani

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Chimaroke Nnamani

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Chimaroke Nnamani on Sunday, stated why he preferred the presidential standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Nnamani said his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) breached the North-South power rotation principle provided for in its constitution by fielding Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as its presidential candidate for the February 25 poll.

Explaining why he dumped his party’s candidate, the senator representing Enugu East District, flayed the leadership of the main opposition party for denying the South its presidential ticket.

He gave the reasons for dumping Atiku in a statement he personally signed on Sunday.

Nnamani, who is seeking to retain seat on the PDP platform, was on January 20 suspended by the PDP for alleged anti-party activities.

He said: “The PDP Constitution prescribed that key political offices be rotated between the North and the South to ensure equity, justice and fairness. Conscious of the need to share and rotate key political offices among the diverse people of our country, the PDP constitution clearly stated that it shall adhere at all times to the policy of the rotation and zoning of the party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness.

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“Even when the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, made a firm commitment to step down should a Northerner emerge presidential candidate for 2023 election, the leadership jettisoned the constitutional provision and turned the logic upside down.”

In 2019, the lawmaker recalled, the PDP allowed only the North to contest the presidential primary in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where Atiku clinched the ticket and contested the election.

The statement reads: “It was expected that in 2023, the PDP in a corresponding manner, allows the South to contest for the plum position. But the party, in its decision, opened the contest for both the Northern and Southern aspirants.

“In a twist of events and political maneuvering, Atiku Abubakar got the ticket again for the 2023 race.”

The senator said the outcome of the last presidential primary infuriated Southern PDP faithful, including the G-5 Governors who have continued to insist on the need for the PDP to respect the North-South rotation principle.

According to him, the action of the PDP smacked of injustice and lack of equity, stressing that it is morally wrong for the North to retain power after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.

Nnamani, who was Enugu State governor from 1991 to 2007, noted that President Mohammadu Buhari, in recognition of the North-South power rotation, created a window for political balancing that paved the way for Tinubu’s emergence as the APC candidate.

“Having critically examined the situation, I found Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the preferred candidate from the South to fit the bill in 2023. There is need for political harmony in a manner that gives all parts of Nigeria a sense of belonging”, Nnamani said.

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Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps disagree over Osun shares

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Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Gboyega Oyetola

Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps disagree over Osun shares

Fresh uproar has hit the camp of the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, over the selling of the shares of Osun State at Omoluabi Bank, to private investors.

The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Sunday Bisi, alleged that Oyetola sold the shares while he was the governor of the state.

A leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland, Adebayo Adedeji, yesterday insisted that Aregbesola sold the shares before leaving office.

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Adedeji said in a statement: “In 2013, the government of Aregbesola went to the Nigerian Stock Exchange in order to increase the company’s share capital by N1.65billion so as to be above the N2.5billion minimum capital requirement set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for mortgage banks in the country.

“Wale Bolorunduro, who was recently nominated as chairman of the bank by Governor Adeleke, was the Commissioner of Finance in the state under Aregbesola. He has knowledge of it.”

Aregbesola, reacting to the claims through his media aide, Sola Fasure, in a terse message said: “It’s between Oyetola and the PDP administration in Osun. We don’t want to be dragged into it. But you may seek clarification from Dr. Wale Bolorunduro. He’s the new chairman of the bank.”

Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps disagree over Osun shares

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Ondo APC: Aiyedatiwa declared gov primary winner, other aspirants kick

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Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Ondo APC: Aiyedatiwa declared gov primary winner, other aspirants kick

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has secured the nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming November 16 governorship election, following his declaration as the party’s candidate.

Aiyedatiwa clinched the nomination with a resounding victory, amassing a total of 48,569 votes in the primaries. His closest contender, Mayowa Akinfolarin, trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.

The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo. Governor Ododo, reflecting on the competitive nature of the primaries, highlighted the rigorous contest that characterized the electoral process.

The primaries, held across the 18 council areas of Ondo State, witnessed fervent participation from party members and supporters.

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With the nomination secured, Aiyedatiwa and the APC now shift their focus to consolidating support and rallying behind their candidate as they prepare to face off against opponents in the November election.

Returning officer in lfedore, Oliver Okpala said violence marred the exercise in the area, hence no voting in all the wards.

Speaking before the party’s electoral officers reeled out the results from the 18 council areas, Governor Usman Ododo said, “Let’s remember that the real election lies with all of us as members of this great party, the All Progessives Congress.

“We must always reflect on the words of our father and leader, President Bola Tinubu, who has maintained that a political contest is a quest to serve by brothers and sisters from the same family but leaving in the same room and must therefore live in the same house after the election has been won and lost.

“In our own room today, we are all in the same room as a family, and as such, we have no need to abandon the party, irrespective of today’s outcome.

” We must set aside our differences and unite behind our candidate.

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Rerun Ondo APC gov primary records low turnout after inconclusive poll

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Rerun Ondo APC gov primary records low turnout after inconclusive poll

The rerun of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in 13 wards of the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State on Sunday recorded a low turnout.

The APC had declared the primary election earlier conducted on Saturday inconclusive.
The Governorship Primary Election Committee had thus fixed the rerun for Sunday (April 21) in affected areas due to extremely late arrival of materials and personnel.

The party held the governorship primary election in the 203 wards in the state on Saturday, April 20.
The election involving 16 governorship aspirants was conducted by a seven-member committee headed by the Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo.
A statement issued by the chairman of the Ondo Primary Election Committee, Ododo, in Akure, said that the primary in the council area was rescheduled following logistics reasons.
He said, “Having received reports of the primary election from the 203 Wards in the 18 Local Governments of Ondo State, the Primary election Committee has decided that election will be conducted in all the 13 Wards of Okitipupa Local Government with total validated registered members of 9,515.”
According to him, this is because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the Local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.
“Election in Okitipupa Local Government shall be conducted 12 noon on Sunday 21st April 2024. “The final collation of the results will be done thereafter.”

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