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Tag: PDP

  • PDP governors condemn president’s refusal to sign Electoral Act Bill

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has condemned the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.

    The forum made the condemnation in a communiqué signed by its Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, after the forum’s meeting in in Abuja on Monday.

    The governors said that the president’s decline of assent to the Bill was indicative that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was afraid of electronic voting or the introduction of technology into the electoral system.

    The forum also condemned what it said was “politicization of security agencies in the country’’.

    “We observe that security agencies have become organs and tools of the APC-led Federal Government to harass and intimidate the opposition and dissenting voices.

    “The Forum decries the use of security agencies to perpetrate electoral fraud as it happened in Ekiti, Osun and Rivers.

    “We urge security agencies to be non-partisan in the performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.’’

    The governors also condemned the raid on the Abuja residence of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and the harassment on innocent Nigerians on what it termed “frivolous claims.’’

    They also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinvent itself as a truly independent umpire of the electoral process in the country, declaring that the forum had no confidence in the commission.

    They deplored “the surreptitious, selective and suspicious payment of N16 billion purportedly from the Paris Club Refund.

    “We are of the view that the money is to fund corrupt inducement of voters in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun.’’

    The forum said that it had resolved to have an all-inclusive meeting with all PDP Presidential aspirants, the party’s national chairman, two national officers and leaders of the party in the National Assembly. (NAN)

  • Ex-Osun Assembly speaker resigns PDP membership

    A former Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Adejare Bello, has resigned his membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    Bello, in a letter addressed to the PDP state’s Chairman, Mr Soji Adagunodo, on Monday in Osogbo, said he was resigning his membership of the party because “the party had been hijacked by some certain elements”.

    The former speaker was one of the seven PDP governorship aspirants that stepped down during the party’s primary in July 21, 2018.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello contested as the party’s deputy governorship candidate to Otunba Iyiola Omisore in the 2014 governorship election.

    Bello alleged that the party was shifting from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “The recent events within Osun State chapter of PDP and the National PDP in general, are to my mind inimical and a total shift from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “This intendment, which was built on justice, fairness and service, had caused me to reconsider my membership of the party, which I hereby resign.

    “It is my sincere belief that some certain elements had hijacked the rudder of the party and changed its cause toward an unknown path, which I am not ready to take,’’ he said.

    Bello, however, thanked the leadership of the party for the opportunities given to him to serve as the speaker of the assembly from 2003 to 2011.

  • Ex-Osun Assembly speaker resigns PDP membership

    A former Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Adejare Bello, has resigned his membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    Bello, in a letter addressed to the PDP state’s Chairman, Mr Soji Adagunodo, on Monday in Osogbo, said he was resigning his membership of the party because “the party had been hijacked by some certain elements”.

    The former speaker was one of the seven PDP governorship aspirants that stepped down during the party’s primary in July 21, 2018.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello contested as the party’s deputy governorship candidate to Otunba Iyiola Omisore in the 2014 governorship election.

    Bello alleged that the party was shifting from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “The recent events within Osun State chapter of PDP and the National PDP in general, are to my mind inimical and a total shift from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “This intendment, which was built on justice, fairness and service, had caused me to reconsider my membership of the party, which I hereby resign.

    “It is my sincere belief that some certain elements had hijacked the rudder of the party and changed its cause toward an unknown path, which I am not ready to take,’’ he said.

    Bello, however, thanked the leadership of the party for the opportunities given to him to serve as the speaker of the assembly from 2003 to 2011.

  • Protests rock C’River PDP over automatic tickets

    …mass defection looms

     

    Protests rocked the Peoples Democratic Party Secretariat in Cross River State on Monday following reports that the National Working Committee of the party has decided to give automatic tickets to National Assembly members.

    With the development, there are indications that there would be a mass defection of more of the party’s stalwarts and supporters across the state to other political platforms in the state.

    Hundreds of placard carrying youths as well as National Assembly aspirants at the party secretariat in Calabar said they were going to resist the decision of the party.

    Some of the placards read, “We reject imposition of candidates”, “Automatic tickets will kill PDP in Cross River”, “Farewell to PDP in Cross River”, “Danger awaits Cross River PDP” among others.

    Addressing reporters an aspirant to the Senate seat of the Southern Senatorial District and former chairman of the party in the state, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, said they would be forced to seek other alternatives if the decision is not reversed.

    Okon, who was flanked by other National Assembly aspirants, said, “We are members of the PDP. Even the name of the party is anchored on the people and democracy and therefore we would stand firmly against it. We will not blink and allow this to go on unchallenged. We are conversant with democratic values and the content of the constitution of our party. We have read the guidelines for these primaries, the process of nomination party primaries and we did not just jump into this. We have been members who have paid our dues. Now the process have started, we paid our nomination forms and paid all fees required only for us to be called and told that the NWC of our party has taken a position to direct all incumbent members of the National Assembly should be returned unopposed. That means even if we go through the congresses, we do not stand any chance because they would send names that they have decided to send.

    “It does not even end at that. They pretended as if we were going to have congress to elect adhoc delegates. And meanwhile did not do any congresses anywhere in the 196 wards of Cross River and wrote lists of delegates to support that charade. The truth of the matter is that it is unfortunate because it means that PDP, as a party, has learnt nothing. All that befell PDP in 2015, one would have expected that PDP would have come out of this situation wiser. But if this is what PDP has chosen to do, it is not acceptable and it is not going to go down well with us and we will not accept it. We are members of the party and insist that let they be level playing field. We are ready to contest on a level playing field. That charade called congresses of Saturday, anyway it did not hold, they just sat down and wrote down names, would not hold, must be cancelled forthwith, and let us do a democratically conducted exercise, supervised by INEC, let us ensure our party members make a choice.

    “Look at APC. They are doing direct primaries. If I remember after the 2015 windfall that finished us, the Ekweremadu committee recommended a direct primary. We jettisoned all that. Today even the indirect primaries we cannot open our hearts and do the right thing.

    “These days people who are holding office, you don’t want to access them on their acceptability. You force them on the electorates and party members. If this was the case, why didn’t you make the pronouncement and stop selling forms. You sold forms, collected money from us and now turn round to and shortchange us it is unacceptable.

    “We want the party to reverse itself on this dangerous process and do the right thing. If they don’t, we will consult with our people and do the needful. I am running an election. It is my aspiration but it is an aspiration that goes beyond me. There are so many people, big and small who have become part of this aspiration. If they say I should move to another party I will move. If they say I should stay, I would stay. One thing is sure that I would stand with the people.

    “We have told our supporters to be calm. Even at time PDP had absolute control of the political space in Nigeria, this level of impunity never happened. That you get to a point where just sit down and blackmail the party, threatening that if they don’t give them the ticket and because of that the party would surrender the will of the membership to them. I challenge them that if they defect they will only make big headlines in the newspapers, not impact in the field. I challenge them.”

    Other National Assembly aspirants who were with Okon include Meil Inyang, Edward Ogon, Saviour Nyong, Don Claimz Enahme, Dr Godwin Amanke among others.

  • PDP: Anger in Mark’s, Jang’s camps over Saraki’s consensus bid

    •Ex-Senate President cautions against ‘imposition of candidates’

    Former Senate President  David Mark and ex-Plateau State Governor David Jang  and their supporters are kicking over alleged moves  by  Senate President Bukola Saraki to  engineer the selection of a consensus presidential candidate for  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Northcentral zone.

    All three are seeking the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election.

    A report at the weekend, from Saraki’s camp, suggested that stakeholders from the zone had opted to pick a consensus aspirant from the zone to contest with similar aspirants from the Northwest and Northeast.

    But loyalists of Mark and Jang are not amused by the report.

    Mark’s camp, in particular, warned PDP against imposition of candidates.

    The supporters said the consensus agenda was a plot to ambush their principals to forego their presidential aspirations for Saraki.

    Mark’s loyalists, The Nation gathered, were uncomfortable that a private session organized by Saraki was turned into a consensus forum.

    “What happened on Wednesday was not a meeting of Northcentral leaders per se. It was Saraki who conveyed the session to brief some leaders from our zone on his presidential aspiration.  The former President of the Senate, Chief David Mark was not even there,” a source in Mark’s camp said.

    “There was no communiqué agreeing on consensus. The leaders only advised the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP, Sen. Walid Jibril to set up a committee to consult with the three aspirants from North-Central and come out with something.

    “They asked the committee to liaise with the aspirants from the zone. No one is talking of a consensus candidate at all.

    “The session was more of a personal agenda by Saraki because at the end of the day, a statement from the gathering was signed by the Director-General, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organization, Wakil Mohammed.

    “With such a sensitive decision on consensus, should the statement come from Saraki’s Campaign DG or stakeholders in Northcentral? Shouldn’t there be a communiqué?

    “Why must only a party be the one to sign and issue a statement? We are suspicious of the session; it was a ploy to outsmart other aspirants in the zone.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “The former President of the Senate has not been consulted on consensus option; he is going ahead with his aspiration and plans for primaries.”

    A reliable source in Jang’s camp said: “The meeting was called by the Northcentral zone of the PDP at the request of Saraki. It was chaired by the Zonal Chairman,  Theophillus Dakas Shan,  himself.

    “Saraki wanted to brief the zone about his ambition. It was not a Middle Belt meeting but Northcentral and consensus was not up for discussion.

    “Actually, it was ex-Governor Babangida Aliyu who urged the meeting to set up a small committee to encourage the three aspirants from the Northcentral to discuss among themselves.

    “Going by our plans, Jang will on Monday submit his presidential nomination form.”

    When contacted, the Zonal Chairman, Shan said: “We didn’t reach any agreement on consensus.

    “We resolved to allow our elders in PDP in Northcentral to talk to all the aspirants. If there is a possibility, we will bring one candidate and if it is impossible, they will go for the primaries. Whatever we are going to do, the three aspirants must reach an agreement.”

    Asked if the PDP in the zone had raised a committee on consensus by the three aspirants, Shan said: “We are not going to set up any committee; our elders will talk to the aspirants.”

    He admitted that Saraki came around to brief Northcentral PDP on his presidential aspiration.

    He added: “We are expecting Mark and Jang to come and brief us on their presidential aspiration too.”

    A former governor in one of the Northcentral states said: “I think the DG of Saraki Campaign Organization misrepresented the meeting. There was a suggestion by the President of the Senate for the adoption a consensus candidate by PDP Northcentral which does not amount to automatic recommendation.”

    In an address at the session on Wednesday, Saraki said: “Leaders from the North Central need to work together to ensure that a PDP candidate emerges from the zone.

    “It is clear that the only way to achieve unity in the country is when you have a leader who can manage the differences and galvanize our energy towards achieving development.

    “It is not about where you come from, but it is about what you can do for our country. If there is anybody who can do better than those of us in the North Central Zone, let them stand up.

    “It is important that in October, our delegates from the Northcentral should work to ensure that a Northcentral candidate emerges – and they should work together with delegates from across the country to ensure that a Northcentral candidate emerges. We request your support.”

    Mark cautions PDP against imposition of candidates

    In a statement in Abuja, Senator Mark cautioned PDP leaders against imposition of candidates.

    He urged all members of the party to conduct themselves peacefully with a view to ensuring respect for law and order.

    “As we converge to elect delegates to the Congresses beginning from Saturday, we must be guided by democratic tenets and observe the principle of fairness and justice,” Mark said in the statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Paul Mumeh.

    He added: “We must demonstrate to fellow country men and women that we are truly democratic.

    “I am sure that our members nationwide will showcase our reformed and rebranded party as the preferred choice for the people.”

    Senator Mark said he joined the presidential race because “I believe I can make a positive difference in Nigeria.”

    Continuing, he said: “nobody can shy away from the fact that Nigeria is currently faced with intractable security, economic and socio-political challenges that unarguably threatens the corporality of the country.

    “Rarely has our country been faced with such a state of uncertainty, despair, suspicion and division.

    “The time has come for all men and women who care and have the requisite experiences and courage to stand up, retrieve it from the brink and lead our nation into prosperity.”

    Senator Mark expressed optimism that his roadmap to economic recovery and prosperity tagged ‘730 model’ will turn around the economy of the nation within two years of his administration if he is elected President.

    He said he has assembled a team of young professionals who can hit the ground running and facilitate the economic recovery.

    He also pledged to give education top priority as the bedrock for development.

    His words:”We will focus on education and create a pool of highly trained citizens with excellent IT skills who will be employable as well as create jobs.”

    “We will support Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) as a matter of priority with interest free cooperative loans and appropriate technology, which will be the main driver of the economy with attendant rate of huge employment opportunities.”

  • PDP accuses Buhari of secretly releasing N16bn to Osun

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of authorising secret release of N16.6 billion Paris Club fund to Osun State.

    In a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said the president’s action amounted to aiding corruption.

    The PDP said its investigation had revealed that the N16.6 billion was meant to bribe officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    It also alleged that part of the money was meant to compromise international observers as to pay hoodlums to be contracted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a plot to rig the upcoming September 22 governorship election in Osun.

    The opposition party further alleged that part of the fund was to be moved to some unnamed private company accounts, as well as various hidden locations for the ‘compromised’ INEC officials and APC leaders.

    “The PDP has been at alert regarding the movement of these funds and other secret deals between the APC and INEC and will not hesitate to expose the INEC officials, including a close relation of the President, who has been the arrow head of plots to rig elections for the APC.

  • Shekarau to PDP: ‘You lack internal democracy’

    Former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday with a declaration that the party lacks internal democracy.

    Shekarau switched to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with thousands of supporters at his Mundunbawa residence in Bompai, Kano.

    Interchanging between Hausa and English, the former education minister said he and his supporters  decided to leave the PDP on the strength of  the over-bearing privileges accorded Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to take over 51 per cent of the party structure, without respect to the party’s constitution.

    Shekarau promised to ensure that Kano and Nigeria continue to benefit from his wealth of experience in the APC.

    Shedding light on his defection, the former minister said: “Chapter two, part one, section A, sub-section 17 of the PDP constitution, reads and I quote, ‘a person who has earlier decamped (sic) from the party, but later decided to return to the party, he shall lose the seniority and the privileges conferred on him by his previous status.’

    “This is in the Constitution of the party. The latest amended Constitution of the 2017 of PDP contains this:

    “We, therefore, argued that in relation to this provision, when we welcomed all decampees (sic), when we celebrated the return of our brothers to PDP, we must accommodate them within the provisions of the Constitution.

    “And secondly, on the issue of granting them positions in the leadership of the party, we also quoted a section of the Constitution chapter 9, section 49, sub-section 4 which reads as follows: “no member of the party shall be qualified for nomination, or election, or appointment into any of the offices of the party unless he or she has become a registered member for, at least, 18 months in the party.”

    “So, we felt the returnees who have come in the last one or two months have failed to meet with the requirement of this section of the party’s constitution for them to occupy any elective office in the party, let alone, removing an elected officer and accommodating someone who has not spent the minimum number of months in the party; and there is provision for waiver.

    “The waiver provides that the only reason you can occupy an office without this 18 months requirement, you have to be granted a waiver. The procedure of the waiver is that you must go back to your Ward level

    “The Ward level executive should consider when you apply in writing to grant you waiver. If they approve, they recommend you for waiver to the Local Government executive council.

    “The Local Government executive council will consider your request. If they approve, they refer you to the state executive council.

    “If the state executive council considers your application, they will recommend and approve you to the National Executive Council.

    “It is only the National Executive Council that can grant the waiver for you to vie any elective position in the party if you have not spent 18 months.

    “We argued that none of these returnees has gone through this process; none of them has spent up to 18 months; none of them will, therefore, benefit from the privileges and outrageous conditions given to them.

    “This was our stand; this was the stand of the PDP stakeholders in Kano.

    “We conveyed this to the party’s national secretariat. In spite of this, people prevailed on us; we decided to invite former Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso as a family member for us to meet.

    “Our leader, Ambassador Aminu Wali, myself, Senator Bello Hayatu and our state chairman, Senator Masaud El-Jubrin Doguwa—four of us represented the stakeholders of Kano PDP.

    “We invited Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to come with his representatives, but he came alone. We met in Kaduna. When we were to start deliberations, Kwankwaso said ‘I am in possession of the recommendations or agreement with the party—which we didn’t have.

    “Kwankwaso said that he wanted 51 percent and we said we were not willing to agree to that.

    “This deliberation could not continue. We held four separate meetings with Kwankwaso and the Committee of Liyel Imoke.

    “We went as far as granting delegates at the Ward level that would be shared between Aminu Wali’s group, my group and Kwankwaso’s group; but Kwankwaso said he did not recognize such.

    “What he was after was that he would be granted 51 percent of the party structure at all levels; which we said we would not tolerate.

    “On the basis of this, the National Chairman decided that we of the PDP in Kano were not cooperating.

    “He felt we were not cooperating. Because of this, he felt we had disagreed with the party and therefore, he pronounced the dissolution of the party structure in Kano which is unconstitutional; and we said we don’t recognize it.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Shekarau officially defects to APC

    Former Governor of Kano state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has formally defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)

    Shekarau made the declaration on Saturday in Kano while addressing his followers who converged on his personal residence at Mundubawa quarters in Kano metropolis.

    He said that his decision to leave PDP was necessitated by the failure of the National leadership to resolve the lingering crisis which bedevilled the party following the illegal dissolution of the state executive committee.

    He explained that the leadership had violated the party constitution by dissolving the state executive committee without giving any cogent reason.

    Shekarau added that as a result of the injustice by the PDP and after series of meetings with stakeholders he decided to dump PDP without any formal conditions attached.

    “Weighing the available three options, that is either to remain where we are, retire from politics or defect to another party.

    “So finally I Ibrahim Shekarau, Sardaunan Kano and my followers have resolved to defect to All Progressives Congress (APC) from today, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018,’’ he said.

    Read Also: 2019: Atiku visits Makarfi

    According to him, the dissolution of the Kano State Executive Committee of the PDP and subsequent setting up of a seven-member Caretaker committee is against the constitution of the PDP.

    “We have tried our best to ensure amicable resolution of the lingering crisis between our side and Kwankwaso side on the sharing of party positions at the state, local government and ward levels but it failed,” he said.

    Shekarau said he had no option than to leave PDP because of the inability of its national leadership to respect the earlier court order restraining it from taking the action it took.

    NAN reports that the Deputy state chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ibrahim KT and secretary, Alhaji Auwalu Danzabuwa as well as gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the party also defected to APC at the occasion.

  • Dickson shops for replacements as aides seek PDP tickets

    …CPS leaves for Benue

     

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, is seeking competent persons to fill vacancies created in his cabinet following resignations of his aides.

    It was gathered on Friday that many of his aides left their appointments to obtain expression of interest and nomination forms for the forthcoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary elections.

    Dickson earlier directed that aides interested in PDP tickets should resign their appointments and leave his government to pursue their ambitions.

    Latest to submit their expression of interest and nomination forms were the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Francis Ottah-Agbo and the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lawrence Ewrujakpor.

    Though it was not clear whether Ottah-Agbo formally resigned his appointment as directed by the governor, he was said to have traveled to Benue, his state to submit his forms.

    Ottah-Agbo, who styled his campaign as the moving train, is seeking the PDP ticket to represent Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

    Sources said there was no way the CPS would have traveled to Benue to struggle for a PDP ticket without first resigning his appointment to avoid creating a vacuum.

    Already, competent aides in the governor’s media team such as the SpecialAdviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei and the Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Daniel Alabrah were said to be jostling for the position of the CPS.

    But Ewrudjakpor’s ambition to clinch the PDP’s ticket for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District was said to be generating mixed feelings in Dickson’s cabinet.

    The cabinet members were said to have applauded the move but at the same time unhappy that a person of his quality and competence would be missing in the government.

    Described as a super commissioner, Ewrujakpor, a confidant of Dickson, has been instrumental to the strides of the governor on infrastructures.

    Most of the cabinet members said it would be extremely difficult for the governor to find a replacement for Ewruhjakpor.

    Other key members of Dickson’s political family such as the Speaker, House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson, lawmakers representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal constituencies, Douye Diri and Fred Agbedi as well as former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof Steve Azaiki also submitted their forms.

    The aspirants alongside their teeming supporters defied heavy downpour to submit forms ahead party primaries scheduled for September ending.

    Ewrudjakpo, in an interview with the newsmen shortly after the submission of his nomination form said his decision to join the race is hinged on bringing government to the grassroots, and, as well fast tracking infrastructural development in the state.

    He bemoaned inadequate federal presence in the state, in spite of Bayelsa’s contributions to the socioeconomic growth of the country.

    “These are the issues that needed to be addressed through restructuring and proper legislations”, he said.

    He said as a lawyer, he would bring his wealth of experience on the bench to bear in the act of law making and true representation.

    The aspirant thanked the teeming youths from the senatorial district for the confidence reposed in him and promised not to let them down.

    Also, Benson, Diri and Agbedi, said law-making was not a tea party but a serious business adding that their experiences as lawmakers would assist in sponsoring bills that would be beneficial to the people of the state.

  • Defection: APC decries PDP’s claim

    All Progressives Congress (APC) has described claims by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that six APC governors and 27 lawmakers are planning to join it, as a comic relief.

    Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena said in a statement yesterday that while PDP hallucinated on APC members’ defection to PDP, APC consolidated on going into the general election as a smarter, more united and stronger political fighting force.

    He told the opposition party that Nigerians had rejected it and what it stood for, which included corruption, waste, greed, among others.

    The statement reads: “With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claim that six All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and 27 National Assembly members have ‘concluded discussions’ to join the PDP, it is now clear that the PDP has assumed the role of comic relief ahead of the 2019 general election.

    “Nigerians have rejected PDP and all it represents – corruption, impunity, waste, greed. Hence, in the face of imminent 2019 defeat, PDP has chosen to hide behind lies and false realities to save face.