The Nation Newspaper

Tag: faction

  • Enugu: Congress ends in fiasco, faction elects Ogbodo as chairman

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Congress Committee for Enugu State and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were yesterday saved by security agents from being lynched by thugs.

    The members were ready to conduct the election but while delegates were being screened and accredited, thugs struck.

    The sponsors of the thugs were not immediately identified.  Bigwigs of the party present at the congress ?include former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, immediate past governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu and the National Vice Chairman of APC, South-East, Emma Eneukwu.

    Others are former Commissioner in Enugu State, Hon. Joe Mammel and the state chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye.

    All the dignitaries were already seated at the Indoor Sports Hall of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu, venue of the congress while the delegates were being screened and accredited when the Minister, in the company of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reforms, Juliet Ibekaku, arrived the venue at about 2.pm.

    The congress committee members and the INEC officials were smuggled out of the venue of the congress by armed security personal through a backdoor and put into a stationed Honda Accord car.

    The dignitaries left the venue one after the other as the police were sporadically shooting into the air to scare away thugs.

    But soon after, a group alleged to be the faction of the minister, assembled at the same venue and elected Deacon Okey Ogbodo as the state chairman of the party.

    The congress committee members and the INEC officials were not present at the reconvened congress by the faction.

    By the time of going to press, the other faction, led by the State Chairman of the party, Ben Nwoye, were reconvening at a venue for the continuation of the disrupted congress.

     

  • APC faction ‘suspends’ El-Rufai for six months

    APC faction ‘suspends’ El-Rufai for six months

    The factional All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, which served Governor Nasir El-Rufai a query, has suspended the governor for six months.

    Factional Chairman Danladi Wada said El-Rufai was suspended for his failure to answer the query.

    Wada, who addressed reporters at the factional office on 11b Sambo road, said: “This briefing is sequel to the 48 hours ultimatum/query and warning issued to the governor to defend and absolve himself of the allegations against him.

    “The State Working Committee, on February 17, convened and resolved to consider and rectify the findings and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee, and the Fact Finding Committee, in accordance with the provisions of article 21(B), section 3, of the APC constitution.

    “Accordingly, Governor Nasir El-Rufai stands suspended for six months, beginning from February 17, 2018.”

    Stakeholders loyal to the faction are also afraid that the Presidential Reconciliation Committee, led by the party’s National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, may fail, if El-Rufai refuses to admit his fault.

    The convener, Mataimaki Tom-Maiyashi, said El-Rufai’s body language and action did not suggest his willingness to submit to genuine reconciliation.

    He said: “The stakeholders welcome the initiative to settle major issues dividing and weakening the party. The real reconciliation will only be achieved if justice and the willingness to take difficult decisions are upheld.

    “Stakeholders observed that the governor’s stance do not suggest the willingness to submit to genuine reconciliation.

    “All suspensions by persons other than those by the acting chairman, Danladi Wada, are exercises in futility, null and void.

    “The acting chairman should exercise his full powers and conclude disciplinary actions against all members, no matter their positions.”

  • Protest as IYC faction takes over secretariat in Bayelsa 

    A faction of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide led by Mr. Oweilaemi Pereotubo, yesterday, took over the National Secretariat of the council in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    Some officials of the state government led by a former Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, led the Pereotubo council of IYC to the secretariat and handed the building over to them.

    But the faction led by Mr. Eric Omare, protested the development saying it smacked of illegality and urged Ijaw youths to disregard the handover.

    Succession crisis has crippled the IYC as the two factions fight over the leadership of the council.

    A committee set up by Governor Seriake Dickson to resolve the crisis chose the Pereotubo-led faction but Omare and his executive committee rejected the decision describing it as premeditated and unconstitutional.

    In a statement shortly after the secretariat was handed over to the Pereotubo faction, Omare described the “purported handover a display of mockery of the IYC constitution and processes”.

    He said: “For the records, the immediate past President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri had handed over the leadership of the IYC to Eric Omare since March, 2017.

    “And it is customary in the IYC just like similar organisations for the immediate past President and leader to hand over to his successor.   Therefore, what is happening at Ijaw House is nothing but display of impunity and invitation to anarchy.

    “It is important to note that the Felix Tuodolor who is supervising the purported hand over and some former leaders of the IYC are already in court with the Eric Omare-led National Executive Council of the IYC in a suit challenging the legality of the purported Okrika convention called by former leaders of the IYC which produced the factional IYC leadership.

    “Consequently, we call on the Ijaw nation and the general public to disregard the factional leadership which Dr. Tuodolor purportedly handed over to while reiterating our call on Ijaw youths to be peaceful no matter the level of provocation”.

  • Makarfi is PDP leader, says Ekiti PDP faction

    Makarfi is PDP leader, says Ekiti PDP faction

    The Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose has warned the senator from Ogun East District, Prince Buruji Kashamu and the National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, to stop meddling in the affairs of the chapter.

    Rising from a meeting of stakeholders in Ikole Local Government Area, the faction, led by   Gboyega Oguntuase, passed a vote of confidence on Fayose and applauded his contributions to the growth of the party.

    The faction  also passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, and Oguntuase.

    The faction described Kashamu and Sheriff as “fifth columnists and saboteurs” bent on destroying the party for their selfish gains.”

    It described party members loyal to the duo as “outcasts who are interested in wrecking the party.”

  • United Labour Congress not NLC’s faction, says Ajaero

    United Labour Congress not NLC’s faction, says Ajaero

    The President of United Labour Congress (ULC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said the group is not a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    He said Section 40 of the Constitution says one can form or belong to any trade union of one’s choice, religion or political group and that it was in the exercise of this that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) was registered.

    Speaking with reporters, Ajaero said the Obasanjo regime in 2002/2003 realised that under a democratic environment, one could not compel people to remain in one room even if they don’t want to be there.

    “Incidentally, TUC was registered as the first labour centre with number 001. NLC doesn’t have a registration number today, up till now.

    “If somebody is telling you about registration or no registration, they have not done that. If it is all about receiving licence or certificate after the amendment of plural labour centres, they don’t have that. Let nobody deceives himself, TUC is 001 and there is no 002 as at today.

    “In as much as I wouldn’t want to go into controversy, the atmosphere has been opened for people to belong to labour centres with some criteria; which is to avoid mush-rooming of labour centres,”  Ajaero said.

    He explained that there are three labour unions, adding that the three can still not fully address workers’problems.

    “Since the unfortunate thing that happened in NLC in the last two years, I will tell you that nobody from my own group of the NLC attended to their problems, nobody, whether when we were picketing Ikeja or whatever, it is internal here.

    “We have sat down, we thought in various ways about it. How do we do this? We resolved to forget about it.

    “We discovered that even the people we are equally operating with will not agree on any of those issues we have decided jointly. We discovered that on a daily basis, it is either they are sending Police, or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or whatever to you to say you did this or that. Or they arranging some people from their own sector to send petition against you. The solution to the crisis is what has happened,” Ajaero added.

  • PDP needs surgery, says Sheriff-led faction

    PDP needs surgery, says Sheriff-led faction

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction, led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has canvassed repositioning the party through a major political surgery.

    A statement signed by the faction’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bernard Mikko, in Abuja, noted that the party was undergoing stress and political hemorrhage arising from structural impunity, indiscipline and lack of respect for the rule of law.

    Mikko said such action compromised the party’s unity, strength and loss of focus on key values that engendered public trust and electoral victory for PDP.

    “To reverse these trends, a major political surgery has to be undertaken to get the party out of the grip of some selfish, lawless and undisciplined individuals – those that have used our platform to public reckoning, but now want to make the party an exclusive property of theirs.

    “The PDP as you know is the only formidable political institution that has remained so without change of name, slogan or nomenclature.

    “The weakness and schisms within the hierarchy of our party today is as a result of violent disregard of our constitution, ethics and rules of engagements of divergent opinions within and outside the party,’’ he said.

    Mikko added that politics is about building consensus and legitimacy to promote unity through equity, fairness and justice.

    “The case before the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, is essentially to determine the legality or otherwise of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee, which has no place in the PDP’s constitution,’’ he said.

     

  • INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State has denounced a break-away faction of the Accord Party.

    Two factions of the party held parallel state congresses in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday. The faction led by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja held its congress at the Green Springs Hotel on Old Ife Road, while the break-away faction held its election at the Olubadan Stadium.

    The latter had claimed that the congress was attended by staff of the electoral umpire.

    But the commission said none of its staff attended the Olubadan Stadium congress, because it was not recognised.

    INEC’s spokesman Ayodele Folami said it recognises only the Ladoja faction, because State Chairman, Bashir Lawal, wrote to the commission about the congress held at the hotel.

    According to him, Lawal is the only recognised party official who writes to the commission, pointing out that he did so at the appropriate time.

    Folami said no other individual is recognised by INEC as the state chairman.

    Though he pointed out that the second faction submitted the list of new state officers to INEC office, he said the list and the faction are not recognised by INEC.

    The unrecognised faction is being led by a team of party leaders who are opposed to Ladoja’s leadership. They held the former governor responsible for the party’s woes in the last year general elections.

  • PDP faction to challenge exclusion from Ogun poll

    Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) faction under the leadership of Adebayo Dayo has vowed to challenge the decision of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) not to accept the list of its chairmanship and councillorship candidates.

    The electoral body had last Thursday said it accepted the list of candidates from Sikirulai Ogundele-led group.

    The Dayo-faction has the support of Senator Buruji Kashamu, the lawmaker representing Ogun East Senatorial District. The Ogundele group is backed by a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday after  an emergency stakeholders meeting held in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, Dayo said the party would fight till justice is done.

    He said the party was familiar with what he described as “OGSIEC’s antics”.

    Dayo said: “It was not the first time OGSIEC will be involved in this kind of illegality and injustice. It happened in 2012 and we dealt with them.

    “OGSIEC’s action is a clear travesty of justice that won’t stand the test of time. We have submitted all the genuine, legally binding documents in our possession to OGSIEC – a final judgment concerning the Ogun State Exco that has also been registered in the Ogun State High Court and automatically becomes a binding court judgment in the state has been served on OGSIEC. All the INEC reports on the congresses, including the cover letter from INEC was served on them. A letter from the caretaker committee that gave some percentage of the delegates to those parading themselves as the parallel group was also submitted to them.

    “What is more, OGSIEC on its own wrote to INEC asking it to clarify which is the authentic Ogun State PDP Exco and INEC in a letter dated August 9, 2016 replied, saying it recognises and relates only with the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Exco.

  • ‘Only Sheriff faction can field PDP candidate for Edo poll’

    ‘Only Sheriff faction can field PDP candidate for Edo poll’

    The Ali Modu Sheriff camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that only the camp is allowed by law to field a candidate for the upcoming Edo state governorship election.

    The camp had, during the week, given the party’s governorship ticket to Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, thereby challenging the validity of the candidature of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who was ratified by the rival Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee.

    At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, the Deputy National Chairman of the Sheriff camp, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, maintained that Sheriff is the only recognised national chairman of the PDP.

    “We have a point blank court judgment affirming Sheriff as the recognised PDP chairman that is allowed to submit names of governorship candidates for the Edo and Ondo states governorship election”, Ojougboh said.

    He dismissed calls by the Makarfi camp for Sheriff’s arrest by the security agencies, saying, if there is anyone to be arrested at all, it should be Makarfi and his group.

    Ojougboh said the Port Harcourt court judgment on the strength of which the Makarfi group accused Sheriff of contempt had been appealed, adding that a stay of execution had been filed in respect of the said judgment.

    A court in Port Harcourt had on July 4, affirmed the removal of Sheriff as PDP chairman and had also recognised the Makarfi committee as the authentic leadership of the party.

    But Sheriff had ignored the judgment and had gone ahead to field a parallel  candidate for the PDP in the Edo governorship election.

    Ojougboh stated that the Sheriff camp has been making efforts to reconcile with the Makarfi group, adding however that the Makarfi camp must be ready to a recognise Sheriff as chairman before reconciliation.

    “Arrangements are being made for reconciliation with the Makarfi camp. But, Sheriff must be given recognition as chairman for any progress to be made in the reconciliation efforts.

    “Recognition for Sheriff is the only panacea for peace in the PDP. Sheriff is ready to address the party’s flawed state and local government congresses that led to the crisis in the PDP”, Ojougboh said.

  • No faction but contending interests in PDP, says Ekweremadu

    No faction but contending interests in PDP, says Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday denied that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is factionalised.

    He admitted, however, that there are “contending interests” in the party.

    Ekweremadu spoke at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he attended the national convention.

    Ekweremadu, who was in the company of Caretaker Chairman Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said “what exists within the PDP are only contending interests, which is normal in any political family”.

    He said: “For the purpose of clarification, there are no factions within the PDP family as I speak. What we have are contending interests. Such is common in any party. Yes, there were some disagreements, but the good thing is that we have not allowed such disagreements to degenerate into a major crisis that would warrant factions.

    “Instead, what happened in Port-Harcourt at the weekend further confirms PDP’s capacity to resolve issues in favour of laid down precepts and in the overall interest of our great party and nation.

    “I am sure what happened in Port-Harcourt remains a disappointment for those who were expectant of major crisis and factions in the PDP because we emerged from the convention more determined to change the change, to save our economy, reposition the electoral process, and make life more bearable for the suffering masses of Nigeria again.”