The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP supporters

  • One stabbed to death as PDP supporters fight over money in Imo

    A supporter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was, yesterday night, stabbed to death at Umuokorobi Umuobom in the Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, following disagreement over the sharing of money released for today’s election.

    According to an eyewitness, the politician simply identified as Chief Uzoma, died on the spot, which prompted other party members to set the house of the assailant ablaze.

    The crisis reportedly broke out over the sharing formula for the money released for mobilisation for the Presidential and National Assembly polls. According to the sources, the PDP members, who had gathered at an unnamed politician’s house, waiting for mobilisation money for the polls, started trading words with each other.

    “The politicians had gathered for mobilisation money but some others accused few persons of diverting the mobilisation money.

    “Voices were raised, which led one of the disagreeing PDP members to stab one chief Uzoma to death. The death of the politician angered members of the community, which made them burn down the assailant’s house.”

    A detachment from the Police Headquarters in Dikenafai, reportedly restored normalcy in the area.

    A Police source who pleaded anonymity,  confirmed the incident, stating that, “Yes, a fight broke out among some politicians sharing money, and one person was killed in the process, but the situation has been brought under control.”

  • Eight PDP supporters die in auto crash on way to campaign rally

    No fewer than eight people were feared dead in a fatal accident involving supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State yesterday

    The accident occurred on Otukpo- Agatu Road in the state while the party supporters were travelling to Agatu for the flag-off of Abba Morro senatorial campaign for the 2019 elections.

    Abba Moro, a former Minister of Interior, is the PDP senatorial candidate for Benue South.

    The accident occurred at about 10 am.

    An eyewitness said the multiple accident occurred when the tyre of one of the buses conveying some PDP supporters burst and it veered off the road.

    Other buses conveying party supporters were then said to have rammed into one another, resulting in the high casualty figure.

    Benue State governor Samuel Ortom and Senator David Mark yesterday visited injured victims at St Francis Hospital in Adoka, Otukpo Local Government Area.

    The accident also forced Abba Morro who is the PDP senatorial candidate to cancel the flag-off campaign scheduled to hold in Agatu, Benue South.

    Our correspondent learnt yesterday that some of the victims were certified dead at St. Charles Catholic Hospital Adoka and deposited at the morgue of General Hospital in Otukpo while injured survivors were being treated in Adoka at the time of filing this report.

    Governor Samuel Ortom, who visited the hospital in Adoka in company with former Senate President David Mark and the Deputy Governor, Engineer Benson Abounu, announced indefinite postponement of the PDP senatorial campaigns flag-off in Zone C.

    The Governor described the incident as painful and unfortunate, saying it was a huge loss to the entire PDP family in the state.

    Read also: BUHARI: We’ll go tougher on corruption from 2019

    He also directed the immediate evacuation of the survivors to Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi for further treatment, stressing that cases requiring further referrals outside the state would be handled accordingly.

    Describing the development as unfortunate, Governor Ortom commiserated with the bereaved families and PDP on the loss of their loved ones.

    Senator Mark, who also consoled the affected families, lamented that most of the victims were very promising youths within his senatorial district and prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

    On his part, the member representing Obi/Oju Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon Samson Okwu, described the incident as painful, saying he met with some of the victims yesterday but never knew they were meeting for the last time.

  • Atiku rallies PDP supporters against Buhari

    Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has described the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch as the most corrupt since the return of democracy in 1999.

    Atiku spoke in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital yesterday. He was addressing supporters of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), at the state secretariat of the party. He was in the state to seek support for his presidential ambition.

    Pointing out the anti-corruption fight as the only achievement recorded by the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government, the former vice president  argued that fighting corruption is not the only responsibility of government.

    He said: “What is happening today in our country is in contravention with all the provisions of our constitution. In our federation, we are supposed to have an inclusive government but you know that this federal government is not inclusive.

    “You know that this Federal Government is not united, you know that this federal government is incompetent, you know that this federal government is more corrupt than any government we have come through since 1999.

    “So, let nobody come and deceive you on corruption. They are more corrupt than any government that I know since 1999 and we shall be revealing their level of corruption. Fighting corruption alone is not the only responsibility of government.

    “Our unemployment is accelerated high and there have never a time we had more than 11 million people, young people, young women thrown  out of job. Today, we have more than 11 million unemployed people. Today, we have witnessed much insecurity in this country. Today, we are witnessing high inflation the APC government has brought to us in this country.”

    Atiku told the crowd that he was in the state to seek their support to battle Buhari from Aso Rock.

    He said the coalition formed by PDP and about 40 other parties is the first step in voting out the president in next year’s general election.

    “Yesterday, 40 political parties came together to meet themselves to present one candidate for presidential election. The coalition is going to have one candidate for presidential election, one candidate for governor, one candidate for senator, one candidate for House of Reps, one candidate for House of Assembly, one candidate for party chairman.

    “We need this alliance because what I have seen in the last three years is what I have not seen in the last 35 years in this country. Therefore, we are determined, we are united and we are ready to make sure that in the next election whether state or national or federal, we will kick out APC in every state in this country.”

     

     

     

  • Scores injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Imo

    Scores injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Imo

    SCORES of people were injured yesterday, as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) clashed at the burial ceremony of the father of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Hon John Kennedy Opara, at Nguru in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. The supporters of the two parties, who stormed the venue of the burial ceremony with dance troops, engaged each other in a free for all, which left no fewer than 25 youths severely wounded. According to an eyewitness, trouble started when PDP supporters accused the APC supporters of sponsoring Boko Haram and inventing the Ebola Virus. The supporters, made up of mainly youths, defied the presence of armed security men and descended on one another with dangerous weapons, including machete and broken bottles. It took the intervention of soldiers and mobile policemen who fired canisters of tear gas into the air to disperse the fighting party supporters. Governor Rochas Okorocha, who was shocked by the incident, said, “when I entered, I saw former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, he came to me and we embraced, and he said to me ‘peace be unto you’, and I replied ‘peace be unto you too’. He is my brother and we know when to unite as leaders and when to separate along party lines.” President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Bayelsa State Governor, Sariake Dickson, at the event, called on clergymen to continue to pray for the unity of the country. He also called on political leaders to be united against terrorism and other security challenges bedeviling the country. Prominent Nigerians who graced the occasion include Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State; Theodore Orji of Abia State; Jonah Jang of Plateau State; Sariake Dicksont of Bayelsa State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State. Others were Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi among other dignitaries.