The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Johnson Onuigbo

  • Abia PDP organising secretary resigns

    One of the State Executive members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), St. Moses Ogbonna on Tuesday resigned his position as the Organizing Secretary of the party in the state.

    Ogbonna cited strained relationships between him and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as well as the State chairman of the party, Sir Johnson Onuigbo as part of the reason that informed his decision to quit the party.

    Ogbonna, who stated this in a letter signed by him, alleged that he had been excluded from all activities of the party ranging from the 2016 council polls to the party primaries.

    He further noted that his life has been threatened as a result of his outspokenness against what he described as impunity and imposition in the party.

    “My decision is reached upon my painstaking review of the relationship between the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the state chairman, Sir Johnson Onuigbo which over the period have by several conducts consistently exhibited loss of confidence and trust culminating into deliberate usurpation of my duties with impunity. This brazen act of impunity has led to the total neglect of the SWC and state exco of the party.

    “The party is now being run as one man show and every important decision including financial matters and ratification of the results of the primaries was done in a hotel without the approval of the SWC. I, as the Organizing secretary have been excluded from all activities of the party. Every message to the national headquarters that needed to emanate from my office was done by the state chairman,” the letter read in part.

    Read Also: PDP urges people to vote

    Ogbonna also alleged that the Abia PDP secretariat is deserted as exco members and workers of the party have been abandoned to suffer while being owed for 6 months.

    The Nation gathered that Ogbonna was among the nineteen Executive members of the party who had on November 27, 2018 in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting to access the state of affairs in the party in the state, resolved among other things to pass a vote of no confidence on the State chairman of the party. This is even as they had setup a seven-man disciplinary committee to investigate alleged illegalities and maladministration of Ounigbo.

    It was learnt that the impeachment of the State Chairman was however jettisoned by the members of the party’s State Executive through the intervention of Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other stakeholders of the party within 48hrs the members of the executive had directed that State Vice Chairman, Hon. P. C Onyegbu to act as the substantive chairman of the party in the state.

    A source in the party who would not want its name in print expressed worries over development of events in the party in recent times and called on the Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other stakeholders to come to a roundtable to address some of the issues that may tear the party apart which the source said could affect the chances of the party winning the February 23rd and March 9th elections in the state.

    Attempts to reach the Abia State chairman, PDP, Sir Johnson Onuigbo failed as their mobile lines were unreachable.

    But a source close to the Onuigbo disclosed that the chairman and the state publicity secretary of the party in the state, Chief Don Ubani were in Abuja for a crucial meeting of the party’s stakeholders holding Tuesday.

  • Kwankwaso promises to promote justice, fairness if elected

    Former governor of Kano State and Presidential hopeful of the People’s Democratic Party in 2019 general election, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso has vowed to promote justice, fairness and equity if elected the president of the country which he said that the country is lacking at the moment.

    Kwankwaso while addressing members of the PDP at the Abia State chapter secretariat of the party at Finbarrs road Umuahia, the state capital said that he wants to lead a Nigeria where people are educated and exposed beyond the confines of their tribe, religion, linguistic group or place of birth when elected president.

    According to the Kano born politician who attributed the challenges being faced in the country is as lack of leadership capacity by the incumbent administration said he is committed to address the needs of Nigerians bothering on restructuring and stated that the constitution of the country needed to be reviewed constantly in order to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

    While praying for credible primaries of the party, Kwankwaso said he believes in one united and developed Nigeria and appealed to prospective PDP delegates to the primaries to make a good choice amongst the party’s presidential hopefuls in order to withstand the major opposition party which he accused of not giving proper attention to the challenges the challenges that have bedeviled country in recent times.

    He also commended the State PDP Chairman led Executive for their continued support for a free, fair, transparent and credible elections in Nigeria, which according to him will ensure lasting peace.

    In his remarks, the State PDP Chairman, Sir Johnson Onuigbo saluted the consuming zeal and courage of Mr. Kwankwaso, saying that many people have heard about his good deeds even when he served as the Governor of Kano state.

    Read Also: Kwankwaso pledges paradigm shift at declaration

    Onuigbo observed that the Aspirant has both the quality and academic vibrancy to lead Nigeria, pointing out that his leadership in Kano State cannot be wiped out in a hurry.

    Sir Onuigbo pointed that his leadership in Abia also preaches for credible and verifiable elections, disclosing that Abia PDP respects the rule of law and promotes democracy in action.

    He further promised that the party will take his plea of support to the appropriate quarters.

    Earlier during a courtesy visit on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at the Government House, Umuahia, Kwankwaso congratulated Ikpeazu for his giant strides for Abians and his contributions to the PDP family across the country.

    He said he has heard so much about the Governor’s achievements and seen things on the ground despite the fact that Abia receives one of the least allocations from the federation account and also among the least in terms of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    He said Abia was lucky to have Dr. Ikpeazu as Governor and advised the people to come out en masse to vote him back to power in 2019 to avoid the mistake made by Kano state in 2003.

    According to him, his visit to Abia was to inform the Governor and the party in the state of his intention to run for president of the country and to solicit for their support and cooperation.

    The presidential aspirant who said he left the PDP at a time because he thought the party was bad only to realize that the PDP is better than the APC. “This time we are all out to change the change itself”, he said.

    Receiving the Presidential Aspirant, Governor Ikpeazu restated that Nigeria needs somebody with capacity and exposure to confront the challenges facing the country especially security.

    He stressed the need for social mobilization so that every Nigerian will have belief in government and governance of the country.

    The Governor said his greatest achievement in the state is the prevailing peace and unity, explained that Nigeria currently needs a unifying factor as the country is yearning and crying for ownership.

    He assured his guest that Abians are on the same page as it concerns national interest rather than primordial sentiments.

     

  • Turaki urges Nigerians to support efforts to deepen democracy

    Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), has called on Nigerians to support genuine efforts geared toward deepening democracy in the country.

    Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties, made the call in Umuahia when he addressed the executive members and stakeholders of the party in Abia.

    “We believe in the rule of law. We must do everything to ensure that this democracy is not derailed,” he said.

    Turaki decried the spate of killings of innocent Nigerians across the country, ethnicity, maladministration and corruption, saying such activities had become the order of the day.

    He said such activities were inimical to democracy and urged Nigerians to be vigilant and elect credible leaders in 2019.

    “We have started a journey to reclaim our country and reclaim our future. Nigerians must rise to say that enough is enough.

    Read Also: Atiku, Turaki knock Fed Govt over Plateau killings

    “We must be vigilant; otherwise, we will repeat a mistake that was made in 2015. We must be prepared to change what we do not like.

    “If we want to have peace, there must be justice. We must begin to talk to each other about certain critical national issues,” Turaki said.

    He condemned the alleged harassment of the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, and his Deputy, Sen.  Ike Ekweremadu,  by security agencies.

    He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent steps to forestall a repeat of such development.

    Turaki also spoke on the agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria, saying that restructuring could be addressed through regionalism, resource control and state police.

    In his speech, the state Chairman of PDP, Chief Johnson Onuigbo, thanked Turaki for identifying with the people of Abia.

    Onuigbo said that the 2019 general elections would offer Nigerians an opportunity to evolve a lasting solution to the challenges facing the nation.

  • Hold APC liable for killings in Nigeria – Secondus

    Hold APC liable for killings in Nigeria – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Prince Uche Secondus, on Monday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring various killings in the country and must be held responsible for the death of innocent Nigerians.

    Secondus while speaking at the headquarters of the party in Umuahia, Abia State,  also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure  free, fair and credible election in 2019.

    He warned that Nigerians would resist any attempt by INEC to rig the elections in favour of the APC.

    Secondus, who was on a three-day working visit to the state,  said the “PDP is on a mission to recover the land  from the APC.”

    He said: “APC government has collapsed. They must be held responsible for the killings in various parts of the country. APC government has empowered the Fulani’s with the power to kill.

    “They (APC) must be blamed for the mismanagement of the country’s economy. There is hunger in the land. They (APC) are broken bottle and should brace up and get ready to leave because Nigerians are tired of playing politics with the killing of innocent Nigerians and hunger which they inflicted on Nigerians.

    “The APC government has run down the economy of the country. They can no longer protect the lives and property of Nigerians. They have run down the National Assembly that is why Nigerians are yearning for PDP to come and take over power from the APC. We are moving gradually, but working to rescue the nation from the mess that APC has thrown it into. We are not going to allow the APC to rig election in 2019. That is why we are saying that the best gift Buhari will give Nigerians is to conduct a free, fair and credible election, after which Buhari will retire to his house honourably because we know that Nigerians have seen that the APC has failed abysmally”.

     

    Read Also:  PDP  members defect to APC in Kwara

     

     

     

  • No automatic ticket for Ikpeazu, others in Abia – PDP

    No automatic ticket for Ikpeazu, others in Abia – PDP

    The Abia State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) has said that it won’t give automatic ticket to its members aspiring for any elective position for the 2019 general election in the state.

    The party stated that it will provide a level playing ground for all aspirants irrespective of the position involved.

    The State Chairman of the party, Chief Johnson Onuigbo made the decision of the party known at the end of the State working Committee meeting held in Umuahia the State capital.

    He pointed out that the state PDP has resolved to do away with all manners of impositions and impunity in the party.

    Onuigbo noted that party also passed a vote of explicit confidence on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu based on his performance during the last two years and six months in office.

    He said, “The party has declared that all offices for 2019 general election are open and contestable in line with the Abia charter of equity and PDP zoning formula.

    “We urge all our party faithful to remain loyal, steadfast and continue to have confidence in party leadership”.

    Onuigbo also added that the SWC also passed a vote of explicit confidence on the state leadership of the party for transparence and effective leadership.