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Tag: All Progressive Congress

  • ‘Wike’s administration is only window dressing’

    Mr. Henry Odili, a lawyer in Rivers State and member of the All Progressive Congress, spoke with Shola O’Neil on politics and more

    Definitely, we are not only poised to match the PDP in Rivers state, but to overtake them and I think this applies to all genuine APC members. We know now that we have the capacity and even if there may have been an insignificant number of faint hearts, the impetus brought by the new state chairman, Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, has totally rejuvenated everyone in the state, and PDP is jittery. Yes there is a strong feeling of resurgence and ascendancy amongst APC members in Rivers State.

    The current leadership of the Minister of Transportation and Ojukaye is just the tonic the doctor ordered for the APC in Rivers state. It doesn’t matter that none of them is on the ballot, capable men and women will emerge as flag-bearers of the party, given the assurances that there will be free and fair primaries devoid of the impositions of past eras.

     

     Senator Magnus Abe

    I think the senator is wiser than that. He must have read the developments carefully, besides his interest is to fly the governorship flag of the APC in Rivers State. In any case, he has always reiterated his desire to remain in APC.

    Despite whatever differences may appear in public, it is clear that the vast majority of APC members in Rivers state have but one goal, which is to remove the bad government that has taken our state ages back in terms of governance. In that regard, I strongly believe that APC will go into the 2019 elections united and with one voice and one goal.

     

    The division over wards, LGAs and state congresses in Rivers state        

    APC members participated in the congress. Those in courts may be spoilers or fifth columnists sponsored by the PDP and Governor Wike in the state. APC in Rivers state is not in any crisis, we are on course and by the grace of God and the support of Rivers people, we shall win the elections in 2019.

    Some have even seen the hand of our opponents fuelling the little disorder that some of our members are exhibiting now, that is proof that they know that their time is up. How can we be in crisis and yet every day, we are receiving defectors in droves from PDP into APC Rivers state. We are expecting many more, including House of Assembly members, Wike’s commissioners and advisers. We are not in crisis but rather growing stronger by the day in APC Rivers state.

     

    Rivers people and Wike

    First, the people know that the PDP had been in power for 16 years at the centre and the country lost resources, opportunities and corruption was institutionalised, so the people rejected them and chose the APC. The APC is still in the business of recovering our lost heritage and resources. Therefore, the people will not reverse the wheel of progress.

    Wike’s administration is only window dressing and the gullible are applauding. Sit back and do an appraisal, check the value and impact of the projects. When a government invites people from all around, at public cost, to commission glorified council projects, do you think he will be retained? A government says it has put billions of naira in the budget for the youths, for women and yet nobody can assess the budget. You erect a roundabout on an existing road and spend more to commission it. Your people will speak when it’s time.

    You see, historically, Rivers people had always aligned with the center politically. We go with the majority for obvious reasons. However, in 2015 we were manipulated and we got into this uncomfortable opposition state. The effects of that include the recklessness and expensive governance we see today.

    Youth engagement is when the state government deliberately creates situations to stimulate young people into action. For instance, protests, one billion-man match and crowd renting, as we saw in the anti-SARS protests, etc. What the youths get at the end of the process is a plate of rice, a little stipend, and a t-shirt. On the other hand, youth employment is the deliberate formulation of pragmatic investor-friendly policies that trigger sustainable job creation. A progressive government will move away from the medieval era of eye-service projects. The governor should know that he is bequeathing a huge debt portfolio, therefore he should think of growing and expanding the economy of the state.

     

    APC, Wike

    The APC in Rivers state is blessed with an array of brilliant administrators, technocrats and business moguls who are all capable of doing a better job of governance. We have men and women, who can continue the legacies of our leader, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. You are aware that between 2015 and now we have three of their former governorship aspirants with us. We also have our last gubernatorial candidate, whom we have heard is also interested and with the capacity and administrative acumen he has exhibited at NIMASA, he has shown that he, as well as any other that may emerge, has what it takes to knock Wike off his pedestal and bring Rivers s back on track as a state jealously looked at by its neighbours, instead of a state that is clearly now looking rudderless. You are aware that we have aspirants already bubbling and preparing for the primaries of the party. That tells you that the party is set for victory.

    Also, the senator (Abe) has a right to aspire like anyone else. The important thing is that the party is progressive and yet democratic. We play according to the rules and will at the appointed time elect our flag-bearer.

     

  • Prove your claims, Ortom challenges Oshiomhole

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has challenged the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole to prove his claims of mismanagement of Benue bail out and Paris Club refunds.

    Ortom accused Oshiomhole of making “astonishing, unsubstantiated, wild and wide allegations relating to the issue of allocation and payment of salaries, security votes expenditure and the insecurity in Benue State.

    The governor, who spoke in an August 6 letter written by his counsel, Samuel Irabor, alleged that the ex-Edo Governor Oshiomhole made libellous statements against him at a press conference on July 27.

    He demanded that Oshiomhole should write a “letter of retraction/apology addressed to our client in respect of the false, defamatory and libelous statement made against him in the sponsored press conference herein complained of.

    “That the said retraction/apology be simultaneously published in the Sunday edition of 10 National Dailies circulating within Benue State as well as a paid advertorial to the same effect on the prime time beats of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels TV, TVC News, African Independent Television (AIT), Independent Television (ITV) Benin, Radio Nigeria, Radio Benue and Harvest FM, Makurdi.

    “An undertaking not to indulge in any such false publication against our client in future, payment of N10Billion as punitive, general, exemplary and aggravated damages.”

    He warned that should the APC Chairman fail to meet the terms within seven days he should be prepared to defend a libel suit.

    According to the Benue governor, Oshiomhole’s statements were an attempt to “regain political mileage” following Ortom’s recent exit from the APC to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He claimed that since he exercised his “political freedom” by moving to a party that guaranteed safety for his kinsmen, Oshiomhole had embarked on a campaign of hatred and propaganda against him.

    Ortom described as false and offensive, “your allegations that our client has confessed to sharing Benue State money with party leaders and that despite collection of bail out and Paris Club refund monies.”

    Read Also: ‘Ortom’s defection won’t affect APC’s chances in Benue’

    He also took offense to a statement credited to Oshiomhole that “Governor Ortom has not and is not paying salaries… the vicious circle of poverty in Benue State has been deepened under Gov. Ortom”.

    Ortom added: “By deducible analysis, it is also your allegation that our client is responsible for the killings in Benue State, specifically the unfortunate killing of two Catholic priests and their parishioners in Mbalom community which sad event occurred on the morning of 24th April, 2018.

    “It is noteworthy that in the entire web of false accusations that you weaved against our client, you could not bring yourself to mention a single Benue person or any other person for that matter from whom you sourced your false narratives. For the records, the principles of law grounding liability for defamation and libel do not exculpate tale bearers from liability for the reason that the tales they bear are not original to them.

    “It is the complaint of our client that the false and offensive publication has deeply injured his reputation by portraying him in literal, unequivocal and unambiguous terms as a dishonest, fraudulent and violent person who has not only diverted the various intervention funds meant for salaries and arrears by sharing same with party leaders but is also an accomplice to the killings in Benue State.

    “It was in this parlous state that the Samuel Ortom led administration applied for the said N69 billion as bailout funds but it received N28 billions of which N12.5 billion was meant for the state and the balance of it was meant for the Local Government Areas. After carrying out staff verification, the State paid four months arrears for January 2015 – April 2015 and was able to save N1.6 Billion as a positive consequence of the verification exercise. Unfortunately the N1.6 billion saved from the verification exercise was garnished by the workers of Taraku Mills Ltd who had earlier secured judgment at the National Industrial Court before our client became Governor.

    “On the issue of Paris Club refund, the expenditure profile by the Benue State Government is also in the public domain as our client, in the spirit of transparency, probity, honesty and accountability, has variously engaged the Benue people through several interactive sessions entailing phone-in programmes vide the state media. The records show that the first tranche of Paris Club refund amounting to N12.7 billion was received in December, 2016 and used in facilitating two months salaries across board. The second tranche came in June 2017 amounting to N6.4 billion and was also used to offset salary, pension and gratuities while the Benue State Government in agreement with the Labour Congress in Benue State took an overdraft of N8 billion in anticipation of the third tranche which was also utilized to settle indebtedness to workers.”

    According to Ortom, the only inference to draw is that Oshiomhole’s “unproven allegation was informed by a dangerously cultivated, albeit unwarranted malice” against him.

     

  • Osinbanjo: APC badly needs Katsina Senatorial bye-election

    The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo on Thursday disclosed 3 reasons why the All Progressive Congress (APC) must win Saturday’s bye-election for the Katsina North Senatorial district.

    Speaking at Kaingiwa square in front of the Emir palace in Daura during the grand finale of the APC campaign ahead of the poll, Osinbanjo said the APC wants to win the election in order to form a majority in the Senate.

    He said the second reason was to honour the memory of late Senator Mustapha Bukar, the lawmaker who occupied the position before his death on April 4, this year.

    While the third reason, he said was to ensure that the win honoured President Muhammadu Buhari, being the son of the soil and that the election would be taking place at the senatorial zone where he comes from.

    A total of six candidates from same number of political parties are contesting for the position, with Hon. Ahmed Babba Kaita being the APC flag bearer.

    He said “three reasons why we must make sure we vote for our candidate: first, we must have a majority in the Senate. Politics is about numbers. We must vote for him because we want to maintain the majority’’.

    “Secondly, we must honour the memory of late Mustapha Bukar. We should not allow anyone to be there outside our own senator’’.

    “Thirdly, this zone is Buhari’s and a vote for Kaita is a vote for Buhari.”

    He said what the country was currently going through was battle between good and evil, and that evil men trying to bring down Buhari administration would never succeed.

    He called on Nigerians to “vote for the APC in the interest of the common man,” adding that “so long as Buhari ruled the country, Nigeria will only get better and better.”

    Read Also: Osinbanjo, senators, others for prayer for the nation

    He said the current federal government has been up and doing in terms of socio-economic transformation of the country, especially in the area of roads construction.

    “All of these things we are doing when we were earning far less than what was earned when we were not in government,” he said.

    Speaking, the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, said the Buhari administration had “restored the confidence of the country in the eyes of the international community.”

    Oshiomole, who spoke in Hausa language, said many Nigerians, and himself included, could now confidently go abroad without being embarrassed about the country.

    He said that money belonging to the public was wantonly embezzled in the past, but that under Buhari, Nigerians can sigh a relief that their commonwealth was in safe hands.

    On the Saturday election, he called on voters to “accept monies given them by politicians from other parties,” but “vote for the choice candidate of the APC.”

    The rally had several dignitaries in attendance including the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

    Others were the water resources minister, Suleiman Adamu, Kaduna state governor, Nasiru El-rufai who was represented by the commissioner of lands, Suleiman Abdulkwari.

    The host governor, Aminu Bello Masari, senators from Katsina, Umar Kurfi (Katsina central), Abu Ibrahim (Katsina south), among others, were also at the event

    Also speaking at the occasion, the state Governor Aminu Bello Masari, said the party will win landslide come Saturday. He appealed to the people to troop out in numbers to vote for APC

  • 2019: Why we place ban on campaigns, Edo APC

    Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has explained why it barred by aspirants seeking the party’s ticket for the 2019 general elections from any political campaigns.

    It said the purpose was to ensure that candidates that would emerge did not spend much money before and during the party primaries as was experienced in the 2016 governorship election.

    Read Also: How Edo is battling paedophiles

    The party had in a letter signed by the State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, and addressed to all its members said that it would not be in the interest of any party member to embark on any campaign for the purpose of 2019 general elections.

    Okah in the letter said activities of all campaigns remained banned until further notice.

    Explaining the rationale for the ban, Okah said the party does not want aspirants to be aggrieved because of spending so much money,

    According to Okah, “There is no need for aspirant to start campaign. They will say they have spent a lot of money.

    “The reason is that we do not want people to procure nomination. An aspirant can make his calculations based on the number of delegates and save money towards it.

    “The last governorship election was a bitter experience. We are trying to open up the space. When an aspirant knows that all the party members will participate, he will be cautioned on how to spend money.”

  • Kwankwaso has lost political relevance in Kano – Ganduje

    Governor Abdullàhi Umar Ganduje has said that the recent defection of a former governor of Kano State, senator Rabi’u musa Kwankwaso, and lawmakers from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) will not any way affect the party’s chances and as such lost relevance politically in the state.,

    Ganduje, revealed this in his office during an interview with reporters on Saturday. He said he was not personally bothered by the exit of his political rival.

    “We are not scared by their exit. Their defection doesn’t constitute any havoc to our great party, the APC, at all levels. People should keep eyes (open) to what will happen during election.

    “Our dear President has been doing the needful in terms of developing the nation, coupled with his efforts in efficient service delivery. Good governance is at its peak. The war against corruption is successfully being waged,” he added.

    Read Also: Kwankwaso’s defection will not affect APC, says Ganduje

    He also said Kwankwaso’s exit will not be felt in the state: “I want you to go and study the situation on ground in Kano, his (Kwankwaso) defection does not change the political mood in the state. Nobody cares to be disturbed by their action,”

    The governor said when his predecessor was in the APC “his intention was to vie for presidency. But when it appeared to him, in black and white, that there is no vacancy in the Villa, he now decided to leave on his own.”

    He said Kwankwaso should be ready to battle it out at the polls next year.

    “When he secures a presidential ticket from the party he cross carpets to, then he should wait and see how we can slug it out with him. He will fully understand how popular and loveable our President Muhammadu Buhari is.

    “Kano will give more votes to our President, than what he got in 2015 election. From the 2015 election to date, those who could not vote because of age limit, are now grown up, meaning they will now be eligible to vote. Hence, Buhari stands the chance to get 5 million votes from Kano,” he said.

  • Ajimobi has not anointed anyone, says Tegbe

    A senior partner at KPMG and governorship aspirants under the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress in Oyo state, Joseph Tegbe has said that the incumbent governor has not endorsed nor anointed anyone to take over from him.

    He made the disclosure during a media parley where he called to intimate the media of his political ambition and visions of turning around the economic fortune of the state if elected the next governor.

    Denying the insinuations making the rounds across the state that he was brought in to guber race by the Governor Abiola Ajimobi as his anointed successor, Tegbe recounted the many occasions the governor has said only God can anoint a person and that it is the decision of the party to choose a candidate while he supports whosoever emerges.

    Noting that he has been part of the Ajimobi administration since its inception in 20111 by serving as a member of the Economic Team and as a consultant on economic policy, Tegbe expresses optimism that if God anoints him to be the next governor of the state, nobody can stop him from achieving same.

    He said his understanding of the vision, policies, thinkings, working and ability to predict economic and social activities puts him in a good position for the Agodi Government House job.

    He said, “I am close to Governor Ajimobi like every other person but I will borrow what Governor Ajimobi said and which he has repeated at different times and in different fora that he has not anointed anybody.

    “But that, do I understand his vision, do I understand his policies, do I understand his thinkings? can I predict him when it comes to economic and social activities, yes I can. I worked with Ex-Presidents Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Yaradua, I am working with Prof Yemi Osinbajo, I worked with Donald Duke extensively on Tinapa Project, which was my concept with him, and I know what we need to take us to the next level.

    Read Also: Oyo APC crisis almost over, says Ajimobi

    “Governor Ajimobi has said it that only God anoints, the party chooses and he will support. If God anoints me today, nobody will stop it. It is a moving train. If I am God’s anointed person, which I pray I am, I will accept it and God will help me to take the state to the promise land.”

    Speaking on his plan to transform the state, Tegbe said he hopes to turn the state to a big agrarian state because of its capacity to feed the region and the country by taking it from its current peasant to mechanized farming.

    “My focus is to make this state an agrarian state. From peasant farming to mechanized farming. We will enumerate landowners, cluster them together under a big holder who will help the farmers with things like clearing the land, supplying seedlings to plan and when it is harvest time, they guarantee the offtake through a commodity exchange.

    “The second thing I will focus on is technology because there are a lot of youths in Oyo state. When we bring metropolitan fibre into Oyo state and create technology hubs which will eventually trigger industrialisation.

    “We are known in Oyo state for trade and commerce but it must be done in a structured manner and that is my third focus area. In trade and commerce, we will enumerate them and support them in a structured manner and they will do what they are doing in a more structured way and the state will be finally getting out of poverty.

    “To underpin these are plans, education, healthcare and infrastructure would be the three developmental pillars. For me, primary education should be free in all its ramifications. We all went to school with bursary, endowment funds can pay bursary and we will work towards that. Basic healthcare must be available and we will do that under the universal health insurance scheme.”

  • FG wades into Oshiomhole, Ngige rift

    Ngige replies Oshiomhole: I’m not afraid of suspension

    The Federal Government on Wednesday said that the ongoing rift between the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige will be resolved soon.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Oshiomhole had threatened to expel Ngige from the party and cabinet if he fails to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

    Speaking on the rift, Mohammed said “What happened between the minister and chairman will be resolved.”

    Explaining further he said two weeks ago, the government launched a campaign against fake news saying it’s one of the most dangerous phenomenon we have today. .

    He stated “We don’t know who said what and until we know and the minister confirmed this statement credited to him, it’s difficult really to comment.

    “I can assure you if there is any problem between the party chairman and any of our ministers, it will be resolved.”

    Read Also: Ngige to Oshiomhole: be guided in your utterances

    On his part, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi denied report credit to him that he disparaged the party chairman.

    He said “How do you know it’s true, I saw in social media this afternoon where they said I said the chairman is a bad luck. I never said so. I have never said such a thing. They quoted me that I was attacking the chairman.”

    Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Ngige said that he was not afraid of suspension in a party in which he is a founding member.

    He was responding to the threat issued by Oshiomhole, that if he does not inaugurate the board members of federal agencies and parastatal under his ministry in line with the President’s directives, he will be suspended or expelled by the party.

    When asked if he was going to comply and if he was not afraid of suspension from the party, Ngige said, “How? In a party that we formed and brought them in? The man is talking out of ignorance. I’m not afraid of suspension.”

    Ngige, had in his written response earlier, explained why the Board of NSITF was yet to be inaugurated. He said: “Our National Chairman, I am in receipt of a letter referenced APC/NHDQ/ GEN-S/28/018/003 dated July 11, 2018, which was sent from your office and received by me on July 12, 2018. Ordinarily, I would not believe the letter was from you except for the barrage of media statements that came before I saw the letter. I read the contents of this letter with both amazement and utter disbelief.”

    The minister said he had reconstituted three boards out of the four agencies and parastatals under his ministry, but has not been able to constitute the board of NSITF because of cases of financial malfeasance, which have put the agency under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

  • ‘Lawmakers’ defection not a threat to Buhari’s popularity’

    The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO), has said the defection of some Senators and House of Representative members from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has not affected the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s elections.

    The National Coordinator, BCO, Danladi Pasali, said analysis of the defected lawmakers showed that most of them took the decision to save their political ambitions as a result of their grievances at the grassroots.

    Pasali said president Buhari was already popular among the masses with or without the lawmakers.

    He said no serious politician could dump the President or the ruling party at this particular moment.

    Pasali said: “All of those that decamped to PDP need Buhari in their political career more than the way Buhari needs them. Except few among them, the majority of them rode on the wave of popularity of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 to secure their mandates. So for us at the BCO, we regard this as great political miscalculation and suicide they committed.”

    Read Also: We did our best to stop defection – Buhari

    “We see this as a good omen. We as the BCO, we are celebrating. In most cases you can’t make progress if you have an enemy within, because he will pretend to be with you, but in reality he is using the relationship to bring you down.

    “We urged the President to be cautious of those types of politicians, because many of such people are still within the party, but Almighty God will reveal them one after another, very soon.

    “The true is that when somebody feels that he or she has followers, 2019 is coming, we know that as far as we are concern the issue of Kwankwaso and all of the affected lawmakers are nonentity. Look at the arithmetic on how Buhari was contesting elections since 2007, most of them were not with him but he always pooled millions of votes at elections because he is the man of the masses.

    “The masses of this country know what Mr President stands for, and they tested the good governance that they never witness before in terms of infrastructural development in the area of roads, rails, agriculture, health, educations and employment generation. These are the yardstick for economic prosperities not stealing money and share it to people without providing any goodies to the people as it used to happen during the PDP 16 years in office.”

  • Oyo APC crisis almost over, says Ajimobi

    Ray of hope shone on Monday on the crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress as the party leaders, elders and other relevant stakeholders from the seven geo political zones of the state met to review the reconcialliation efforts and agreed that it is more than 75 percent successful.

    The elders and enlarged stakeholders who met at the Oke Ado state party secretariat considered the reports of the various committees set up from all the geo political zones and agreed that restoring the party to its better days is almost completed.

    Governor Abiola  Ajimobi, while addressing the press after a closed door meeting that lasted for over three hours assures that the crisis of division rocking the ruling party in the state will end soon, noting that the reconciliatory move to broker peace between the two warring factions has reached 75 per cent success.

    Recall that the party has been divided into two following the recently conducted ward, local government and state congresses of the party in the state. A splinter group known as Oyo APC Unity Forum emerged and held parallel congresses and produced parallel executives at the local government and state levels as well.

    Notable members of the unity forum are Minister of Communication, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu; former Chief of Staff to Governor Ajimobi, Prof Adeolu Akande; and former chairman of Ibadan North West, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun.

    Read Also: Don’t politicise butchers’ relocation – Ajimobi

    The meeting,  which began at 1:35 and ended at about 3:50pm, was held behind closed doors, and was attended by leaders of the party from the seven geo-political divisions for the state including, Ibadan City, Ibadan Less City, Oyo, Igbomoso, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun 1 and Oke-Ogun 2.

    Those at the meeting included a former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; deputy governor, Otunba Moses Adeyemo; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Olagunju Ojo; the state’s APC chairman, Chief Akin Oke; as well as serving and former members of House of Representatives.

    Ajimobi stated that more than 75 per cent of the aggrieved members that left the party have agreed to return and work for the success of APC in the state, especially during the 2019 general elections. He added that the national leadership of APC has also promised to consider the grievances of the Unity Forum following the reports submitted by relevant committees set up by the party.

    He said “The meeting is about reconciliation. It’s about talking to our elders; it’s about party politics generally. There will always be grievances, there will always be conflicts but in politics just like all other human endeavours, there are conflicts and resolutions and we will continue to have that.

    “The level of success of the efforts I will rank it at more than 75 percent. Some of our people who were aggrieved are coming back. Some people are aggrieved, rightly so, some people are aggrieved wrongly so, but the most important thing is that we must recognize that in all human endeavours there are bound to be conflicts and there are bound to be resolutions.

    “As leaders of the party, we must continue to accommodate, to give and take and we dont want winner takes all. The battle has been won and now let us reconcile. There are those that no matter what you do, they will not reconcile, no matter what you do, they are just irreconcilliable. And there are those that with little efforts they will reconcile with you and that is the purpose of the meeting.”

    Similarly, Dr Azeez Olatunde, the Publicity Secretary, said that the report brought by the leaders in the various zones of the state.

    He stated that the governor commended the leaders and accepted the recommendations of they made at the meeting.

    “The leaders have been able to present their demands to the party and leader has assured them of readiness to implement them. The party would look into the grievances of those with genuine grievances. The report submitted revealed that 75 percent of the aggrieved members have returned to the party,” he said.

    Olatunde stated that quantum of grievances during the last congresses has been watered down, assuring that the governor would soon begin to implement the recommendations.

  • Lawmaker suspended for alleged anti-party

    The All Progressive Congress in Owan West local government has suspended Ojo Asein for alleged anti-party activities.

    Hon. Asein, who is the lawmaker representing Owan West Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), was  suspended by the APC leadership of his Ward 2, Uhonmora.

    The Chairman of Uhonmora Ward, Mr Lucky Aroye, in a statement ,said the local government and state leadership of the APC have been notified of the suspension.

    Aroyo said Asein held series of meetings with the opposition party and openly told some of his supporters to prepare for defection to the opposition party.

    According to Aroye, “He (Asein), has been going about holding meeting under the disguise of the APC where he openly told the members to prepare themselves for defection.

    “All this, we have warned him against, but rather than stop, he persisted. We drew the attention of the LGA and State to this, and we have their support to do what is constitutional right against such action.

    “It is in this regard that at an enlarge meeting of the ward, we took the decision for his suspension by invoking Article 21 of the party’s constitution. The same Article, spelt out disciplinary procedures.”

    Meanwhile, the lawmaker, when contacted on phone, declined to comment on his alleged suspension, saying, ‘I will not speak on this issue and nobody has the right to suspend me.’