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Tag: Fayose

  • Workers accuse Fayose of insincerity as strike begins

    Workers accuse Fayose of insincerity as strike begins

    Government business and academic activities in public schools were paralysed yesterday as civil servants and teachers in Ekiti State began an indefinite strike to protest the non-payment of five-month arrears of salaries and deductions.

    This followed the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiation Council (JNC).

    State chairmen – Ade Adesanmi (NLC); Odunayo Adesoye (TUC) and Oladele Blessing (JNC)- noted that they had no option than to strike “having displayed uncommon understanding over the financial position of the state” and endured with the government.

    The state secretariat housing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), new Governor’s Office, old Governor’s Office, the High Court complex, House of Assembly complex and all public schools were deserted.

    The labour unions in a May 23 letter to Governor Ayo Fayose said the non-payment of salaries, pensions, gratuities and deductions have inflicted hardship on workers and retirees.

    The workers accused Fayose of lack of accountability and insincerity on the state’s actual wage bill.

    They also accused the governor of not being transparent on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    They said: “Government made Labour believed that over N500 million will be saved monthly from the screening exercise of April 2015.

    “But for over a year, the report of the screening exercise has not been made public.

    “The monthly wage bill of N2.6 billion as put up by the  government is not acceptable to us.

    “The amount declared as IGR is not transparent enough; the highest of N280 million is too low in view of the aggressive IGR embarked upon by the administration since its inception.”

    But Fayose in his response declared that strike is not the solution to the problems faced by the workers.

     He said the latest allocation of N751 million for April is not enough to pay salaries.

    This was against the N1.3 billion the state received for March.

    The governor said he cannot offer himself or his family to pay salaries.

    Fayose, who spoke in a statewide broadcast yesterday, said he was helpless  as workers’ had always been his priority

    He said: “I know workers have not been coming to work, but I don’t have the moral (right) to stop them.

    “But I can only disburse what I receive from the Federation Account.

    “If workers want to go on strike, I sympathise with them but we will be here waiting till when they come back.

    “I can’t sell myself to pay workers. Even the Government House where I live does not have diesel to power generator at times.

    “I want the workers and the public to show understanding. This is not about Ekiti, it is an issue that affects all of us.”

  • Fayose, Mimiko selfish, says PDP chieftain

    Fayose, Mimiko selfish, says PDP chieftain

    Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Osun State Ganiyu Ola-Oluwa yesterday took a swipe at Ekiti and Ondo states governors Ayodele Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko.

    He described them as “selfish”.

    Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, Ola-Oluwa insisted that the governors should stop parading themselves as  Southwest party leaders because they never showed commitment to other states in the zone.

    According to him, Fayose and Mimiko never contributed to the party’s development.

    He said: “Fayose and Mimiko have never assisted any state in the Southwest but instead use their positions to cause confusion in the zone.

    “They act against the principles of the party and bully members as if they are in a conquered territory all in the name of immunity.

    “But I want them to remember that their immunity will end one day.

    “Under the guise of immunity, they disrupted the party convention.

    “They also hindered party chairmen in the zone from getting assistance from party’s national secretariat.”

  • Fayose shuts two banks over withholding tax

    Fayose shuts two banks over withholding tax

    Hundreds of customers went home disappointed in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday as the Ayo Fayose administration shut two banks for alleged non-remittance of withholding tax.

    Officials of the State Internal Revenue Service (IRS) swooped on Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) and EcoBank on Secretariat Road at 8.35am.

    The closure, which caught the bank staff and customers unaware, ended banking operations abruptly.

    Staff and customers were evacuated within 35 minutes as bystanders watched the unfolding drama.

    The banks’ gates were locked by the revenue officials.

    GTB customers went home disappointed as the branch is the only one in operation in the state.

    Some EcoBank customers headed to the other branch on Ajilosun Road.

    The banks have issues with the government over their refusal to pay government contractors handling the rehabilitation of Secretariat Road as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

    An IRS official, who pleaded for anonymity, said the banks were asked to submit documents relating to deductions on withholding tax on interests paid to customers.

    According to the source, the government has secured a court order, adding that the action was within the ambit of the law.

    He said: “The banks are supposed to pay withholding tax to the government but they refused to do so.

    “We commissioned a consultant to investigate the money they make on the interest and we discovered that the amount is huge.

    “The government took the banks to court and the court granted our prayers to seal them off to recover the money.

    “The court graciously granted the government the power to seal the banks, until they pay the tax.

    “The order was given by the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, on May 17.

    “This has nothing to do with the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility, it has to do with withholding tax.”

  • Fayose: kill erring herdsmen, cows

    Fayose: kill erring herdsmen, cows

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday declared a war on herdsmen, who are unleashing terror in communities in the state.

    The governor urged the people to rise against the herdsmen and kill them to defend their lives, families and farmlands.

    Fayose visited Oke-Ako community in Ikole Local Government Area, where suspected herdsmen killed two residents and injured four others in a night attack on Friday.

    He was accompanied by Commissioner of Police, Etop James; Director of Department of State Services (DSS) Andrew Iorkay; Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps John Ikemefuna and traditional rulers led by the Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti, Oba Adewumi Fasiku.

    The community has become a ghost town as many residents have fled.

    Soldiers from the 32 Artillery Regiment, Owena Barracks, Akure, the Ondo State capital, stood guard in strategic locations.

    The governor told local hunters, who mounted a guard of honour for him, to always be on guard as his administration would give them moral, financial and logistics support.

    Many of the community’s youths have been conscripted into the local hunters association.

    Fayose, who revealed that he has banned grazing in the state, pledged to follow up the ban with a bill to the House of Assembly to criminalise grazing.

    He said those interested in cattle farming should get their own private cattle ranch.

    The governor donated N2.5 million to the local hunters association and another N2.5 million to the families of the victims.

    Fayose promised to pay the hospital bills of injured victims.

    The governor promised to give the hunters a patrol vehicle fitted with communication gadgets.

    He said the people would not fold their arms and watch their lands ravaged and their wives raped.

    Fayose said: “From now on, my government has banned grazing in Ekiti State. If you want to graze, it should be in your local ranches.

    “Any cow seen around should be seized and it would henceforth become government property and their owners shall be prosecuted.

    “On no account should anybody come to sack our communities again, rise up against them.

    “Before any herdsmen kill you, kill them, before they rape your wives, kill them, and before they rape your children kill them.

    “I am giving you this order before they kill you kill them. You have to defend yourselves. Before they get you, you must get them down and take them out.

    “You should pursue them, go and search for them inside the forest. Anyone who comes to take your life, you must take them out.

    “We will not leave our lands for Fulani herdsmen and in a system where the leadership of the country looks the other way while our people are being killed, we will have no option than to defend ourselves.”

    The chairman of the community’s hunters association, Joseph Osasona, called on Fayose to support them with logistics, arms and finance.

    “We are appealing to the government to support us because without arms, we can do nothing.

    “We want the governor to allow us use guns because when the herdsmen came, they carried AK-47 rifles.

    “We can’t face them with dane guns. We are a registered association and we need the support of our government to protect our people,” Osasona said.

     

    ‘We’re taking him to court’

     

    Fulani have a right to move  freely and conduct their business across the nation’s  landscape, Alhaji Bello Ardo, former President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association (MACBAN) has said.

    According to Ardo, a son-in-law of President Muhammadu Buhari, concerned Fulani leaders are contemplating a decisive legal challenge towards setting aside Governor Ayodele Fayose’s plans to prohibit herdsmen from rearing cattle in any part of Ekiti State.

    Affirming that Fulani leaders do not endorse any situation where individuals or groups take law in their hands, Ardo said the legal option is being considered, it would be optimally utilised to stop the plot against herdsmen doing their legitimate business.

    According to Ardo, there are areas in Ekiti and other parts of Nigeria that have been gazetted by the Federal Government as designated areas for cattle grazing.

    “He does not have the authority to ban cattle-grazing in Ekiti. Fulani will challenge it in court.

    “He does not have any right to ban designated grazing areas in Ekiti; there are grazing areas all over Nigeria and those grazing areas are gazetted by the Federal Government.

    “He does not have the right to say that Fulani cannot rear cattle through the forests; we are going to challenge this in court.

    “We are only just hearing the news but very soon, we will challenge it appropriately,” Ardo said.

     

     

  • Fayose named in Badeh’s N650m Abuja land purchase

    Fayose named in Badeh’s N650m Abuja land purchase

    •‘Ex-Chief of Air Staff’s son supervised construction of N1.2b property’

    A Federal High Court in Abuja was told yesterday that a plot of land bought on Aminu Kano Crescent, Abuja by ex-Chief of Air Staff, Alex Badeh, at N650 million originally belonged to Ayodele Fayose.

    Mustapha Yerima, a building contractor and owner of Life Builders Technologies Limited, told the court he assisted Badeh to buy the land on which he was asked to build a shopping mall for the ex-Chief of Air Staff.

    The witness, who said the original N1.2 billion cost of the project was later reviewed upward, attributed the review partly to an alteration made to the shopping mall’s original design by Badeh’s son – Alex Badeh (Jnr). He said the alteration cost N17 million.

    Yerima was, however, silent on whether or not Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who was the original allottee of the land, is the same as Ekiti State governor.

    Yerima, the fourth prosecution witness, who was led in evidence by lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he met Badeh through a former Director of Finance and Account of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Commodore Aliyu Yishau (rtd).

    Yishau, had while testifying as the first prosecution witness, told the court how, on Badeh’s instruction, he assisted him in acquiring property both in and outside Abuja. He also told the court how he delivered United State dollars equivalent of N558.2 million to Badeh monthly from the remnant of NAF’s monthly salaries.

    Badeh is being tried on a 10-count with a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on charges of money laundering and diversion of public funds estimated at about N3.97 billion.

    Yerima, dressed in brown kaftan, said: “I am a contractor, Life Builders Technology Limited. I do partnership with other companies. But I am the Managing Director of Life Builders.

    “Sometimes around 2013, I got information that the NAF, through the Directorate of Works and Nigerian Air Force Property Limited, was shopping for vendor, who could partner with them for construction of a conference centre.

    “While we were finding out the nature of the job, I got to understand that they are looking for technical assistance. Life Builder was a young company at that time, so I decided to contact a friend of mine, who was also a contractor.

    “He is the owner of Edile Company because he has capacity. So, I bided with him for the job. We were lucky, we got the job. Then, Air Marshal Umar was the Chief of Air Staff. A year into the project, there was a change of command and Air Chief Marshal Badeh became the Chief of Air Staff.

    “While on his official tour carried out by the NAF, he (Badeh) visited our site, which was NAF Conference Centre. We took him round the project and we showed him all the facilities. He was very impressed that an indigenous contractor could do a wonderful job because the finishings were nice.

    “Soon after that, he left. Some few weeks or months later, the Director of Finance, Air Commodore Yishau (PW1) approached me and said his boss was very pleased with our job. And that his boss wanted to give us a job. Then, he scheduled a meeting.

    “He told me the nature of the job and that it was the construction of a mall. Soon after that, Yishau called me again that they were ready to embark on the project. That we should look for a commercial plot within the city centre.

    “Before we could find one, Yishau called that they had found one along Aminu Kano Crescent. Then, he engaged us to negotiate for the land. He gave us a copy of the C of O (Certificate of Occupancy).

    “I got to know that the land was in the name of one Fayose Ayodele. Soon after, we tried to contact the owner. Yishau called again that they had found the person, who bought the land from Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

    “Then we contacted the person. It was one Mr. Tony (I can’t remember the other name). He is the owner of Itex Furnitures. We got to him and we realised that he sold to the third party by the name Kasagro Investments Limited.

    “We now spoke to Air Commodore Yishau to find out. He then directed us to negotiate with Kasangro Investments Limited. We got to Kasangro Investments Limited, he then named his price, N650 million.

    “Then, we went back to Air Commodore Yishau to tell him the price. Then he said he would get back to us. Then he called us and gave us N650 million dollar equivalent because Kasagro insisted on cash payment.

    “We then took the money to his office. He confirmed and gave us all the original documents for the land. I then called Air Commodore Yishau to ask for which name the deed of assignment and power of attorney should be executed and Yishau told me to execute the documents in the name of my company, that is – Life Builders Technologies, which would later be transferred to another company after he had discussed with his boss, in the person of Air Chief Marshal Badeh.

    “We did exactly as he said because at that time, our interest was to construct the shopping complex. We then handed over the land’s original documents to Air Commodore Yishau,” Yerima said.

    The witness further told the court that he initially gave Badeh a bill of N1.3 billion for the execution of the shopping mall project, but that it was reduced to N1.2 billion following a complaint by Yishau that the original bill was on the  high side.

    He said although he requested N408 million for mobilization, he was paid about N340 million.

    Yarima said Yishau retired before the project was completed, but that he was introduced to Badeh’s son, Alex Badeh (Jnr), who oversaw the project to completion and even directed a modification at a point, which cost an additional N17 million.

    Yerima added: “I can remember we calculated about N408 million as mobilisation. He (Yishau) then gave us about N340 million in dollar equivalent. Then, we started constructing the mall.

    “At each stage, we provided him with site progress picture, which he (Yishau) said he would be submitting to his boss, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, so that he (Badeh) would appreciate our work.

    “While we were constructing the project, Air Commodore Yishau called us for a meeting that our payment would be coming from the Air Force.

    “He then introduced me to one Air Commodore Sini, who happened to be the CFO (Camp Finance Officer) and who was in charge of payment. Soon after that, we started receiving the payment directly from the NAF.

    “We were paid a total of about N860 or N880 million from the purse of the Nigerian Air Force. As soon as we were about to exhaust the payment made to us at that time, we realised that a couple of things were not part of the bill.

    “We quickly raised an alarm. We also submitted a review because there were some items whose prices had gone up or as a result of exchange rate. Then the job began to slow down. By then, we had come to the finishing.

    “We now approached Air Commodore Yishau to inform him of our predicament. I understand that there was pressure from his boss, Air Chief Marshal Badeh, to complete the job before he went on retirement. We couldn’t do much at that time because there was constraint of money.

    “After so much argument, he said he was going to schedule a meeting between us and Air Chief Marshal Badeh. We couldn’t meet him then before he retired. One day, Air Commodore Yishau called me and said I should see him at the official resident of Chief of Air Staff.

    “Upon getting there, I met Air Commodore Yishau and Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. Air Chief Marshal Badeh  asked me why the project could not be completed on time. I explained everything to him.

    “I brought out a bill which I had with me. From the initial bill, there was an omission – two main lifts and one service lift were omitted. It was about N97 million for those three lifts. That N97 million was inclusive of some shortages on addition glasses and installation.

    “We also gave him an additional bill for fluctuation of prices and other items to the tune of N54 million or there about. Then, he said they would provide the fund, but that I should state when I would complete the project.

    “So, I told them that as soon as the payment was made, we would draw the programme of work to know when precisely I could hand over the work. Then I left. Two days or a week later, Air Commodore Yishau told me that we were meeting again, this time with Alex Badeh (Jnr.) in Air Commodore Yishau’s residence.

    “Air Commodore Yishau told me that since he had retired, he would not be travelling frequently to Abuja, that Alex would be overseeing the activities on the project.

    “That was when Alex Badeh (Jnr) brought in his request that he wanted to use the fifth floor, which is the penthouse for restaurant. Alex said we should carry out some modifications. We then told him that it was not on the original bill that it would cost him money.

    “After much argument, he said we should submit our bill for him to look at it. After that, we left and brought him a bill of N17 million plus to do the modification. After that, payment started coming from a third party.

    “The first payment that came in was from Vetiva. I then called Alex (Jnr) to find out if he instructed that same company to pay money into our account. He said yes, that he and his father, instructed him to make the payment.

    “We were working to ensure that we met the deadline despite all the challenges we were facing at the site,” Yerima said.

    When it was over 3pm, Justice Okon Abnag halted proceedings to enable the court attend to other cases.

    He adjourned to 12noon today for Yerima to conclude his testimony.

  • Fayose, Wike close to blows as PDP crisis worsens

    Fayose, Wike close to blows as PDP crisis worsens

    •Govs dump ex-Borno gov as confusion envelopes former ruling party
    •Ex-Kaduna Gov. Makarfi appointed interim chairman
    •Ibrahim Mantu leads factional interim committee

    Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers Sate and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State ended their vociferous support for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on a rather sour note yesterday.

    The duo almost came to blows after it became clear that they were riding a lame donkey.

    While Wike remained steadfast in his support for the retention of Sheriff as chairman of the party at its convention in Port Harcourt, Fayose sensationally backed out.

    And thus ended the controversial three month tenure of the former Borno State governor in the saddle.

    But Sheriff insisted that he remained chairman.

    The convention itself was aborted and a former governor of Kaduna State, Senator  Ahmed Makarfi was picked to replace Sheriff  in a desperate move to save the party from being submerged by the leadership  crisis.

    Makarfi heads a seven-man committee to steer the affairs of the party.

    To assist Makarfi as national secretary is a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ben Obi.

    Other members of the committee are: Sen. Odion Ugbesie, Sen. Abdul Ningi, Mr. Kabir Usman, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye and Alhaja Aisha Aliyu.

    The Makarfi-led caretaker committee will pilot the affairs of the party for three months during which it is expected to elect the national working committee, it was gathered.

    The new chairman and secretary emerged shortly after Sheriff announced the suspension of the convention, citing three court orders.

    The motion to dissolve the party’s NEC and NWC was moved by Mr. Austin Opara, a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and seconded by Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, also a former Deputy Speaker of the house.

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Chairman of the party‘s National Convention Committee put a the question and the motion was affirmed by the delegates.

    The convention also approved another motion to set aside decisions taken by the NWC and zoning of its presidential candidate for 2019 election to the north.

    The motion was moved by Dr. Babangida Aliyu, a former governor of Niger and seconded by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.

    “We want to be seen as a law-abiding party,” Sheriff told reporters, reading from a prepared text.

    “We will ask the delegates to go home,” he said.

    The other faction of the party at its own convention in Abuja picked Ibrahim Mantu as national chairman and Professor Tunde Adeniran as national Secretary.

    The support of Sheriff’s main backers –Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers)  and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) counted for nothing in the face of report from Abuja that the Professor Jerry Gana-led Concerned PDP Stakeholders were forging ahead with their parallel convention.

    Only on Friday night, Wike had mocked Gana and co as inconsequential in PDP.

    He derided the court injunctions obtained by their supporters to stop the Port Harcourt convention as fraudulent.

    Fayose himself had dismissed the Concerned PDP Stakeholders as spent forces who should yield the ground to younger elements to run the affairs of the party.

    Trouble however began after the PDP governors and party leaders were briefed on two court orders served on the Sheriff-led National Working Committee.

    The first court order was an interlocutory injunction from a court in Lagos restraining the party from conducting election into the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor until 2018.

    The second was the ruling of an FCT High Court asking the party not to declare 18 positions vacant until 2017 leaving only the office of the National Financial Secretary to be voted for at the convention.

    But party leaders insisted that Sheriff’s Executive’s tenure ended yesterday and tinkered with the option of an Interim Caretaker Committee.

    Instead, Sheriff wanted his NWC to remain with a proclamation of the extension by the National Convention.

    A well placed party source said that an enlarged meeting of PDP governors and leaders followed yesterday to consider three issues:

    • To cancel or postpone the convention in the light of the court order;
    • To extend the tenure of Sheriff’s administration; and
    • To put in place an Interim Caretaker Committee

    “At the session, Sheriff and Wike maintained that the idea of a caretaker committee was alien to the PDP Constitution and it would amount to illegality,” the source said.

    “They said having a caretaker committee would lead the party into a deeper crisis and defiance of the two court orders.

    “They said since PDP is known for its adherence to the rule of law, the National Convention should be postponed.”

    But Fayose and other governors rejected the proposal from Wike and Sheriff’s NWC.

    Another source said: “At a point, tension peaked at the meeting leading to a shouting match between Wike and Fayose.

    “It degenerated to a level that Wike and Fayose were near fisticuffs. But at the end of the day, most of the governors and PDP leaders agreed on going ahead with the convention and the setting up of a caretaker committee headed by Ahmed Makarfi.”

    Stunned by the decision, Sheriff opted to call a press briefing where he announced the cancellation of the National Convention.

    Sheriff later left Port Harcourt in the company of former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido.

    A member of the NWC said: “The appointment of any interim or caretaker committee is an exercise in futility because it is alien to our constitution. It is also in defiance of court orders and the national chairman of the party did not convene the convention which set up the interim administration.

    “The consensus was that the national convention should be postponed. So, the so-called convention was unauthorized.”

    At a hurriedly convened press conference, Sheriff said: “After seeing the challenges confronting our party, taking into account the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not to supervise the election to the offices of chairman, secretary and others, based on the order of the court.

    “On account of the fact that our party is responsible, law abiding with high respect for judiciary and courts, we do here by state and put off the national convention of our party from taking place. “We have suspended it until when all the court cases are g resolved.

    “The issues are so many. We have about three different court cases.

    “From Abuja, where it says that the tenure of the 17 members of the National Working Committee has not expired, it will be expiring on the 17 of June, 2017 and another one in Lagos which says that the tenure of the chairman, secretary and auditor will expire in 2018.

    “INEC also wrote that they will not supervise the election in Port Harcourt.

    “Taking into consideration of all these, if we go out and conduct elections in Port Harcourt, the NEC of the party will be charged with contempt of court. We have asked for a stay of proceedings in Lagos and the court denied that also.

    “Therefore, the best and safest way is to put off the convention. Therefore, we have suspended the convention until all the court cases are resolved. We will then announce another date for the convention.”

    There had been anxiety among delegates when the convention did kick off at 2pm as expected.

    Although the host chairman, Felix Obuah, told reporters that the exercise would still come up , delegates became  weary when the Governors ,  who were in Port – Harcourt ,failed to show up at the venue.

    Sources said amid the tension communication was going on between the factions in Port Harcourt and Abuja.

    The PDP National Assembly caucus was said to have suggested to the governors the need to avert a possible balkanization of the party by postponing the exercise.

    Said one source, “Reality dawned on the Governors that they could not insist on the convention, especially the candidature of Sheriff, without some dire consequences.  The Gana group was contacted and it insisted that it had no problem with the Governors, but with the candidature of Sheriff.

    “Many party chieftains also deliberately shunned Port – Harcourt and that was also worrisome to the Governors.  It was realized that the people threatening a parallel convention could not be ignored because they also cut across the 36 states.”

    However, a  way out was found out of the logjam when both factions agreed on the setting up of a caretaker committed to steer the affairs of the party till July when a new convention will be held.

    It was not immediately certain what role Sheriff will play in the new arrangement.

    Both factions agreed to forge unity and reconciliation in the interest of the party.

    Some of those at the Port Harcourt convention were the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Sen. Walid Jibril, Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, ex-President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, 12 Governors including Henry Seriake Dickson, Ben Ayade, Darius Ishaku, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ayo Fayose, Udom Emmanuel, David Umahi, and Nyesom Wike among others.

    Meanwhile, the Gana faction held its convention in Abuja without electing officials.

    The group converged on an events centre in the capital city with delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The faction did not elect officers, ostensibly in deference to court orders restraining the PDP from holding the convention.

    Instead, the group ratified its 56-member Steering Committee with a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu and a former Education Minister, Prof. Tunde Adeniran as co-chairmen. Gana retained the position of National Coordinator.

    Mantu announced the decision of the faction not to elect national officials, saying members were still open to reconciliation with the Sheriff faction in the overall interest of the PDP.

    Restating the group’s opposition to Sheriff as national chairman, Mantu lamented the culture of impunity, disdain for democratic norms and utter disregard for the party’s constitution. The same trend, he said, led to the party’s loss of the 2015 general election.

    His words: “We view the purported extension of the tenure of the current National Working Committee of the party as null and void as the National Executive Committee cannot grant such extension under the party constitution.

    “Therefore, all actions of the Ali Modu Sheriff led executive, including the purported congresses and convention in Port Harcourt are null and void and an exercise in futility.

    “The action of the National Executive Committee of the party in selecting Ali Modu Sheriff as chairman was in gross violation of the established procedure for the selection.

    “The selection of the chairman for the unexpired term of the Northeast zone started with nominations from states in the zone, Sheriff was not nominated by any state caucus and hence not qualified to be selected.”

    He added that any decision to go ahead with the Port Harcourt convention would amount to disobedience to valid court orders stopping the exercise.

    It was gathered that botched attempts were made yesterday  by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Segun Mimiko to prevail on the stakeholders to shelve their separate session in Abuja.

    The stakeholders however went ahead with the parallel convention.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Mimiko spoke at length with Gana and others on Saturday morning that we should not conduct our own election in Abuja.

    “The Ondo State governor said the PDP governors were ready to concede to our demands which border on the stepping aside by ex- Governor Modu Ali Sheriff.

    “Even on Friday, they placed a chartered aircraft on standby at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to convey members of the stakeholders to Port Harcourt but we stood our ground based on principle that Sheriff cannot reform PDP.

    “But we did not want to take anything for granted at all because when we met with the representatives of the governors about six days ago, they were adamant that Sheriff must continue.

    “Those who had audience with us were Governors David Umahi (Ebonyi), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers).”

    Some party stalwarts at the alternative convention in Abuja were a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, ex-Governor Achike Udenwa, ex-Acting Governor Garba Umar, 15 ex-Ministers including Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Abubakar Suleiman Olanrewaju Suleiman Abubakar, Shetiima Mustapha, Arc. Bunu Sheriff, Prof. Jerry Gana, Tanimu Kabir Turaki, John Odey,  Bala Mohammed, Ishola Sarafa, Adamu Maina Waziri, and Amb. Tunde Adeniran.

     

  • Apologize to Nigerians on Chibok girls, group tells Jonathan, Fayose

    A Civil Society Organization, Africa Arise for Change Network, has asked ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to apologize to Nigerians for not believing that over 200 girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

    Jonathan and Fayose, both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had said the girls’ abduction was a hoax designed by the then opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilize the government.

    The group blamed the long captivity of the girls on the failure of Jonathan’s government to take immediate action after the girls were abducted from their school.

    Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the National Coordinator of the group, Nkechi Odoma, commended the present administration and the military for the sustained onslaught on the insurgents and the rescue of two Chibok girls.

    She expressed confidence that the military would rescue more Chibok girls from their Boko Haram captors in the days ahead.

  • CNPP faults Fayose’s attacks on Buhari

    CNPP faults Fayose’s attacks on Buhari

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State has urged Governor Ayodele Fayose to be conciliatory in his approach to opposition politics.

    Regretting that Ekiti State did not benefit from the multi-billion naira road projects rolled out by the Federal Government last week, the group said the unfortunate development could not be divorced from Fayose’s “unrepentant hatred for President Muhammadu Buhari in governance”.

    The CNPP said Fayose’s relentless attacks on President Buhari are denying Ekiti of many benefits from the Federal Government.

    A statement in Ado-Ekiti by the State Chairman, Prince Tunji Ogunlola and Public Relations Officer Ayo Adelabu, said Fayose’s personal grudge and recalcitrant stance on all issues involving President Buhari was inimical to Ekiti’s collective interest and a blot on its image.

    The CNPP advised the governor to emulate Senator Buruji Kashamu and Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State who, though in opposition, have been lending their voices to support the President’s change agenda.

    It said it is in the atmosphere of civility that the various stakeholders in Nigeria Project can creatively devise means to tackle the nation’s socio-economic challenges for the benefit of all.

  • Court restrains Fayose-backed Ekiti PDP exco

    Court restrains Fayose-backed Ekiti PDP exco

    The judicial hammer fell yesterday on the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose as a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, restrained the Gboyega Oguntuase-led State Working Committee (SWC) backed by Fayose from parading themselves as party executives.

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo gave the order after hearing an Ex-Parte Motion brought by a faction led by Williams Ajayi believed to be loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu.

    Plaintiffs/Applicants in the suit are Ajayi and Secretary, Ilesanmi Obe while Defendants/Respondents are Independent National Electoral Commission (1st), PDP (2nd), National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff (3rd), National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo (4th) and Oguntuase (5th).

    Ajayi and Obe were suing for themselves and on behalf of the PDP Executive Committee in Ekiti State.

    The two factions in Ekiti conducted parallel congresses last week and both are laying claims to legitimacy before the battle shifted to the court.

    The Ajayi-led exco maintained that the state congress which produced the Oguntuase-led exco violated the PDP constitution and guidelines set for the conduct of congresses and convention of the party.

    Justice Taiwo gave the order after listening to counsel to the plaintiffs, Niran Owoseni, who moved the Motion Ex-Parte.

    The court granted eight orders of interim injunction against the Fayose-backed faction pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

    The court issued an order of interim injunction restraining the 5th defendant (Oguntuase) and other persons claiming to have emerged from a parallel congress conducted in Ekiti State at ward, local government and state levels except those conducted in ine with the constitution and guidelines of the 2nd defendant.

    An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant (INEC) from recognizing any step or action whatsoever taken including meetings, congresses, or primaries by the 2nd defendant, its National Executive

    Committee and national officers without the plaintiffs’ approval pending the hearing of Motion on Notice.

    The court further restrained 1st to 4th defendants from giving any recognition to the 5th defendants and other persons elected at the parallel congress that produced them

    The court equally gave an order directing the 2nd defendant by its organs, officers, servants and agents including the 3rd and 4th defendant to accept for the purpose of convening National Convention of the party only delegates elected at congresses conducted in Line with the constitution and guidelines of the party as listed in the result sheet and report exhibited to the affidavit in support of the originating Summons pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

    The court further ruled that the PDP national secretariat and Ekiti state secretariat be served by means of substituted service the copies of the order issued.

    The Deputy Chairman of the Ajayi-led faction, Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi described the court decision as a victory for the rule of law which he noted would curb impunity in the party.

    The Publicity Secretary for the Oguntuase-led faction, Jackson Adebayo did not respond to calls sent to his phone which was later switched off.

     

  • Fayose not bigger than our party – Southwest PDP

    Fayose not bigger than our party – Southwest PDP

    The National Vice Chairman (South West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, has declared that Governor Ayo Fayose is not bigger than the party and must therefore submit himself to the rules and regulations of the party at all times.

    Ogundipe said the various interest groups in the party must obey the order of a Lagos Federal High Court which stopped the party from going ahead with the Southwest Congress earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday in Akure and Ijebu Igbo, by the two factions in the party.

    Fayose, while speaking with reporters in Abuja on Friday, maintained that the South West Zonal Congress of the PDP must go ahead. He said no order of the court can stop the delegates from proceeding with the process.

    The South West PDP is polarized into two groups with one faction loyal to the Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu while the other faction is loyal to Fayose and his Ondo State counterpart, Olusegun Mimiko.

    The two factions are presenting parallel candidates for the positions of National Vice Chairman (South West), National Secretary, National Publicity Secretary and National Auditor, ahead of the May 21 National Convention slated for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Speaking on the latest development in the party on Saturday, Ogundipe said the National Secretariat of the PDP had received the court order and was ready to abide by it.

    When reminded of the insistence of Fayose that the Akure zonal congress would go ahead, Ogundipe said the era of “one-man show and unilateral decisions” is dead and buried in the party.

    The zonal PDP boss advised all party leaders and members to obey the court order and not resort to self-help. He insisted that nobody in the party, no matter how highly-placed, should hold the court in contempt.

    He warned that if Fayose and his group go ahead with their congress in Akure as earlier planned, it would be an effort in futility as the court order is clear and unambiguous.

    Ogundipe said: “He (Fayose) is not the party and he is not bigger than the party, he takes orders from the party as a member and it is the party as a body that takes the decision of where to go and we all take orders from the National Secretariat.

    “The court has said nobody should go ahead with the zonal congress and the party has decided to obey the court order and I am here in Ijesa Isu, my hometown. Until the court says otherwise, we won’t go ahead with the conduct.

    “I am a law-abiding person and PDP is a law-abiding party. I have told my ogas at the top in the National Secretariat who are the custodians of everything in the party. I have informed them that we can no longer go ahead in the face of a subsisting court order.”