You lack integrity, stop Ortom, others if you can, Wike dares Ayu – Newstrends
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You lack integrity, stop Ortom, others if you can, Wike dares Ayu

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National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike

•I won’t work for Atiku till PDP chair resigns, says Makinde

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has chided National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu for threatening to stop the 2023 political ambitions of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and others kicking against his (Ayu) refusal to resign.

Wike described Ayu as a man lacking in integrity and whose actions have shown that the PDP under his leadership would never change for good.

The governor spoke just as his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde insisted at the weekend that, in as much as Ayu remained the chairman of the PDP,  he would work only for the victory of the party’s candidates in the state.

Makinde is one of the  Wike-led PDP governors and stakeholders that vowed not to join the campaign train of the opposition party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar if Ayu did not resign.  Their demand is on the grounds that Atiku and Ayu hail from the same region(North).

Wike, in a chat with reporters in Port Harcourt, alleged that Ayu was not ready to quit because he had his eyes set on donations that would be made to the party for the general elections.

The governor said he was alarmed that the national chairman could threaten the  2023 ambitions of some members of the party, especially Ortom, who stood as his guarantor when he made his intention to vie for the position known.

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Wike, who also described some PDP members on Atiku’s campaign train as con men, said Ayu lacked the power to stop anyone from contesting an election.

His words: “I heard when he said ‘I would have stopped Ortom from running. You see how ungrateful human beings are. This was the same Governor Ortom, who pleaded with us, and said  listen, ‘I can take this risk and let him become the national chairman

“This is a man, who never campaigned anywhere. This is a man who never bought form, or bought a poster. Now, he is threatening to stop the man who brought him, who became his guarantor.

“He (Ayu) has seen money, he has seen power, now he can open his mouth to say if he wants to stop Ortom he would have. But we dare him. And he said he can also stop any contestant. He doesn’t know anything. I dare him.

“He (Ayu) is just playing to the gallery. He does not have what it takes. He doesn’t have it.

“We know that he has shown that the PDP cannot change since he is still presiding over PDP.

“Ayu has no integrity. It is a terrible thing. This is not the Tivs I read about in history. This is one Ayu is no.”

Giving further reasons why Ayu was not ready to resign, Wike said: “Why is he (Ayu) not going to resign? He is hoping that Nigerians will donate money to the party so that he will superintend over that money.”.

Wike also chided Atiku’s spokesman,   Dele Momodu, for cautioning him and members of his group not to cross the redline.

He said: “These are the things I am talking about. When did he (Momodu) come into the PDP? He came into the PDP two weeks before the presidential race.  All of you know how many times Dele Momodu has been in Port Harcourt for project commissioning.

“I have said I will remain in the PDP and fight for our rights. I will not leave the party, and that is what makes the difference. Check them, what are their votes?

I am not looking for a job. I am not looking to be a minister. When you see most of the people around, they have no job. At the appropriate time, we will begin to tell them who they are. Most of them are con men..”

*Makinde: I won’t work for Atiku

In Ibadan, Makinde said  Wike’s group would not back down from its position that a Southerner is made the national chairman of the party.

“We will focus on winning our elections in Oyo State. I, Seyi Makinde, will stay in my comfort zone if the needful is not done. I am not a slave in this country, but we still have the time,” the governor said while featuring on Southwest Political Circuit, a popular programme on Fresh 105.9 FM.

When reminded that the presidential  and  National Assembly elections would hold the same day,  the governor argued  that voters were now more politically- conscious than before

He said: “We will score 100 percent in Oyo State, the people have made up their minds to vote for us because they have tasted several governments in Oyo State.

“Oyo State people will not vote to be in slavery because lean freedom is better than fat slavery.”

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Six Labour Party (LP) members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

They made their defection known on Thursday in Enugu in a letter read by the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, during plenary.

The defectors include the Majority Leader, Mr Johnson Ani (Enugu North); the Chief Whip, Mr Ejike Eze, (Igbo-Eze North 1); and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ms Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural).

Others are Mr Pius Ezugwu (Nsukka East); Mr Williams Amuka (Igbo-Etiti West); and Mr Osita Eze (Oji River).

The defectors, in the letters, said their defection was as a result of the existence of irreconcilable division, incessant crisis within the labour party at the national level and across all the state chapters.

They regretted that the party had evolved into perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, which undermine its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.

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According to them, the Labour Party, once considered a beacon of hope for progressive ideas, have regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.

They cited the cases of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Limido Apapa factions as well as the national treasurer as some of the divisions within the party.

They expressed the hope that the PDP would give them the platform to continue to serve the interests of their people and thanked the leaderships of Labour Party for their supports.

The defectors also acknowledge that the letters were sent to the office of the Speaker by themselves, adding that they would work wholeheartedly for the progress of their new party in Enugu State.

In his remark, the Speaker welcomed the defectors into the PDP and promised that they would be carried along in the legislative activities of the House.

With the defection, the PDP now had the majority in the House with 17 members while LP had only six members.

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

  • NLC rejects Abure re-election
  • INEC disowns national convention

The Board of Trustees at the Labour Party says it has taken over the administration of the party, indicating a fresh trouble in the LP’s internal crisis.

This was announced on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s BoT Chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor.

He said the takeover of the party came after the expiration of Julius Abure’s tenure as LP’s national chairman

Abure was re-elected as chairman t the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, amid leadership crisis.

All members of the National Working Committee were returned at the convention.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also disowned the exercise on the grounds that it did not monitor the national convention.

INEC spoke through Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The BoT’s statement read in part, “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the LP headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the BoT, in line with the party’s constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the LP.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the LP.

“Furthermore, the BoT of the LP, in consultation with major stakeholders in the party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018 Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owners of the LP and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP be held.

“The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former national chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abure, and the NLC and the Trade Union Congress on June 27, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of LP out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents, and the general public.”

The Abure-led executive of the party had not responded to the new development as noon on Thursday.

 

A chieftain of the party was quoted in a report by The PUNCH as saying it was a hatchet job.

“Since many of you journalists have been covering this party, have you heard anything about LP Board of Trustees before? It is non-existent.

“How can one Sylvester Ejiofor wake up one day, tag himself as BoT chairman, and issue a statement that he has taken over the affairs of the party? Let him come over to the secretariat and take over then.

“Too many people and mercenaries are just bent on causing conflict in the party,” he said.

 

 

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BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

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Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.

Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.

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The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.

More to come…

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