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Tag: PDP

  • PDP must be sacked from power in Ekiti, says former Speaker

    Former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Hon. Femi Bamisile has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must be sacked from power in the governorship next election. The election holds in 2018.  He said the sacking of the PDP will halt bad governance in the state.

    Bamishile unveiled his master plan, which he tagged: ‘Ekiti Economic Recovery.’

    At a meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, he said change is possible.

    He said he joined the governorship race to salvage the state.

    Bamishile flayed Governor Ayo Fayose for raising thugs, thereby breeding youths without future.

    The former Speaker promised to implement the manifestos of the APC on human capital development, if elected as governor.

    A student leader, Sunday Asefon, who spoke on behalf ot the youths, described Bamisile as a man of integrity and honour.

    He said:“It is unfortunate that the Governor Fayose has portrayed the state as a poverty-betrothed one, with no plans for the youth in any of his cabinet or government, unlike the previous one. Even the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports has been proscribed because it has little or no importance before the governor.

    “We need somebody urgently like Rt. Hon. Bamisile, to restore the integrity and confidence of the Ekiti people in her governments, and to also develop the education sector.

     

     

     

     

  • Appeal Court reserves ruling in Ondo APC, PDP petitions

    THE Court of Appeal sitting in Akure yesterday heard the two appeals brought by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two of its candidates, Gbenga Edema and Festus Aregbesola.

    It reserved its judgment to a date to be communicated to parties in the case.

    The two appeals were over the disputed House of Assembly’s seats in Akure Constituency I and Ilaje Constituency II.

    They were filed by their counsel, Charles Titiloye, following the dismissal of the petitions by National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunal sitting in Akure.

    At the hearing, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) appeared with Titiloye for the appellants and they adopted their briefs of argument.

    They urged the Court of Appeal to rely on Paragraph 53(2) of the Electoral Act and deem as waived all non-compliance with the rules complained of by the tribunal, which led to dismissal of the petition.

    Akeredolu prayed the court to allow the appeal and set aside the dismissal of the petition and revert it back for retrial before another panel of the tribunal.

    In his response, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Remi Olatubora urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the verdict of the tribunal.

     

  • PDP’s BoT meeting in Bayelsa sparks row

    PDP’s BoT meeting in Bayelsa sparks row

    It was meant to bring peace. But a meeting by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  in Bayelsa State to reconcile feuding groups ahead of the December 5 governorship election has provoked more controversies.

    The Acting Chairman of the party’s BoT, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, it was gathered, presided over the parley which was convened on Sunday at the courtyard of the former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.

    It was gathered that the meeting was at the behest of Jonathan, who was said to be making efforts to halt the exodus of his party men to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A core decision taken at the gathering, it was learnt, was the lifting of the suspension and expulsion of party leaders by the State Working Committee (SWC).

    The SWC, in a move supported by the Governor Seriake Dickson, expelled for anti-party activities during the last general elections.

    They were sanctioned a few months after the state chairman of the party was suspended for allegedly diverting N40million campaign funds donated by the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke – an allegation he denied.

    But the move backfired and led to a prolonged crisis that saw some disgruntled people pitching their tent with the APC.

    The Saturday meeting, which started at 11am, however, ended with anti-Dickson forces claiming that the governor and the chairman of the state Reconciliation Committee were barred from the gathering.

    One of the anti-Dickson party members said the meeting, insisted that Dickson and Alameiyesiegha should not be part of it.

    The source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The two were asked to leave and were accompanied out of the venue by Haliru before the meeting commenced. They accused Alamieseigha of taking sides and insisted that he should not be party of the gathering.

    But a loyalist of the governor who spoke in confidence said nobody was walked out of the meeting.

    He said: “This is part of a campaign of calumny against Dickson. I was present at the meeting and nobody was walked out. It is senseless to say that a sitting governor who also initiated the reconciliation and a former governor who is the chairman of the reconciliation committee were barred from attending a meeting. It is unbelievable. Nothing of such happened”.

    Also, the Secretary of the state Reconciliation Committee, Chief Thompson Okorotie, said there was no time the governor or any member of the party was walked out of the meeting.

    He said the Haliru-led committee met with groups separately as part of diplomacy in resolving the crisis.

    “Dickson had an engagement to inaugurate the Nembe City stadium. So after concluding his meeting with the committee, he was allowed to go for his engagement with his entourage. We also followed him to Nembe.

    “Alamieyeseigha followed us to Nembe. Even the former President left shortly because the committee wanted to be left alone with the people they invited to meet. So, it is not true that he was walked out of the meeting,” he said.

    Also, the state Secertary of PDP, Mr.  Godspower Keku, said the meeting ended peacefully, with a call on feuding members and stakeholders to close ranks, ahead of the forthcoming governorship poll.

    He said the meeting resolved to rescind the suspension and expulsion of some members, who had despite the internal squabbles, remained in the PDP, unlike those, who defected to the opposition.

    He said the decision was taken in the best interest of the party, especially with a crucial election around the corner.

    According to him, the decision was taken on Dickson’s request.

     He, however, pointed out that, the lifting of the suspensions was still subject to the ratification of the state’s working committee, which is expected to deliberate on it soon.

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”BoT,” count=”6″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link” header_background=”#ededed” header_text_color=”#000000″]

  • ‘PDP NWC post-election committee a ruse’

    ‘PDP NWC post-election committee a ruse’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, Ben Onyechere, has described the post-election committee set up by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), as diversionary.

    He said the NWC ought to have resigned for allegedly being responsible for the party’s electoral woes.

    Onyechere, a former Special Assistant to former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, said if the leaders have the party’s interest at heart, they must accept responsibility for its failures.

    He said: “The committee set up by the unrepentant NWC is not only an aberration, but repulsive and diversionary.

    “It is a slap on our cheeks that the same people, who prosecuted the worst electoral failure in the history of democracy, are bent on holding on to their despicable positions, long after the chairman had resigned. They even constituted a fact-finding committee on the failure, a mockery of our sensibilities.

    “It is unbelievable that irrespective of the corruption that transpired during the primaries, they have not been sacked.

    “It is clear that the NWC has embarked on another senseless jamboree in the name of opposition by confronting the Buhari-led government on every front, in efforts to stave away calls for their sack”.

  • PDP, APC and politics of second term in Bayelsa

    PDP, APC and politics of second term in Bayelsa

    Bayelsa State Governor is Seriake Dickson is fighting to get the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for a second term. Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU examines the obstacles on his way.

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson is in the eye of the storm. His bid for a second term has become a tough battle between his camp and his foes, in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Dickson is fighting to remain in the Creek Haven, the Government House, next year.

     

    Thorny path to second term:

     The first obstacle against the governor’s re-election bid is the crack in the PDP. The crisis between Dickson and the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has not been resolved. The former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was a pillar of support for Dickson when he competed for the ticket with his predecessor, Timpreye Sylva.

    Mrs. Jonathan resigned her appointment as a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State. After her resignation, the friction led to the factionalisation of the PDP.

    Sources said that Mr. Weripamowei Dudafa, a former presidential aide, was being sponsored by Mrs. Jonathan. According to them, the former first lady was planning to use the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) as a platform to campaign against Dickson. The leader of the group, Hon.   Talford Ongolo, a former Speaker of the old Rivers State House of Assembly, who is the Chief of Staff, was shoved aside to pave the way for the former deputy governor, Werinipre Seibarugu, an associate of Mrs. Jonathan.

    The group has continued to wax stronger in Bayelsa. Its office on Isaac Boro Road, Yenegoa, is always alive with partisan activities.

     

    Crack in PDP

    The governor moved swiftly by whittling the influence of Mrs. Jonathan. He sacked members of the State Executive Council perceived to be loyal to the iron lady. Last year, Mr. Francis Egele, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Mr Ayakeme Massa, Trade, Investment and Industry Commissioner, and Dr Anapurere Michael Awoli, the Health Commissioner, were removed. Also dropped from the council were Mr. Nelson Belief (Tourism Development); Mr Gesiye Isowo (Special Duties (Federal Projects); Mr. Parkinson Macmanuel (Science, Technology and Manpower Development), Mr. Zuwa Konuga (Capital City Development), and Dr. Sylvanus Abila, (Environment).

    Other prominent politicians, including the Commissioner for Local Government, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, the Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, Chief Remi Kuku, were sent packing. The aggrieved politicians may have resolved to team up with Mrs. Jonathan to work against Dickson’s re-election bid.

     

    Suspension and defection

    The PDP was further torn apart by the suspension of founding members. The Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba, was suspended in controversial circumstances by the State Working Committee (SWC). The development worsened the bad blood between Dickson and Mrs. Jonathan. Inokoba, an associate of the former President, was accused of financial impropriety.

    However, the suspension is yet to be upheld by the National Working Committee (NWC) as stipulated in the PDP constitution. Therefore, ahead of the election, the PDP has two factional chairmen-Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff and Inokoba. The Federal High Court was has restrained Inokoba from parading himself as the chairman. Yet, Dokubo-Spiff is yet to be recognised by the NWC.

    The governor has filled the leadership vacuum. He set up a committee chaired by his deputy to investigate the activities of erring chieftains during the last general elections. He also vowed to punish those indicted of anti-party activities. Consequently, nine chieftains were punished. Expelled from the party were Dudafa, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange and former Acting Governor Nestor Binabo, former Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Chamberlain Kren Ikidi, Mr. Osomkime Blankson, Mr. Emmanuel Okponipre, Mr. Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei.

    Dokubo Spiff said the Executive Committee of the party has adopted the recommendations of the disciplinary committee in an unanimous voice vote.

    He, however, noted that some of the indicted members, who are in the National Assembly or holding appointments at the national level, would be referred to the national body of the PDP for further disciplinary measures in line with the provisions of the constitution.

    He said: “The State Working Committee met after receiving the report and deliberated on it and the State Executive Committee took a unanimous voice vote, based on the gravity of the offences and the attitudes of the affected members. Some were expelled, others suspended and a few others were reprimanded and exonerated.”

    Defending the disciplinary action, Dickson said that it would check indiscipline and disloyalty, which are inimical to the survival of the party. He said chieftains who sponsored candidates against the PDP in the state in the last elections were disloyal members.

    Dickson stressed: “You cannot have a situation where party leaders will sponsor candidates on the platform of other political parties to contest for political power and space against our party. And they do so with impunity, campaign openly while they are PDP members benefitting from the platform provided by our party. This can no longer be tolerated.

    “This is a PDP state, but our party’s strength will wane, if we do not maintain party discipline. We cannot tolerate a situation where a few people consider themselves above the party and do things with impunity without regard for the authority of the leadership of the party just because they are in one leadership position or the other which by the way were positions they got through the instrumentality of the PDP.”

    But, Inokoba fired back. He described the activities of the governor and the disciplinary committee as null and void, accusing Dickson of destroying the party. He said the crisis was engineered by the governor to send potential governorship aspirants out of the PDP and pave the way for him as the sole candidate.

    He said: “As the truly elected chairman of the PDP in the state, I am the only one that can summon any meeting of the executive committee or set up any disciplinary committee”.

     

    Failed reconciliation

    The defection of prominent chieftains is a setback for the PDP. The defectors-Senator Clever Ikisikpo, Mr. Nadu Karibo and Hon. Azibola Omekwe-dumped the PDP for the APC, citing the protracted crisis as the reason for leaving.

    Former President Jonathan’s move to reconcile the warring chieftains were belated. Many members have berated him for failing to stop his associates from leaving for the APC. They alleged that he refused to call them to order as they sowed the seed of discord. Although he called a meeting, many aggrieved chieftains shunned the parley. Sources said Mrs. Jonathan’s associates refused to attend the fence-mending meeting because of the presence of the Dickson and his supporters.

    For the PDP to retain power next year, party elders said the aggrieved members should rally round Jonathan and Dickson. Jonathan has endorsed the second term aspiration of the governor and party members to support him.

    The former President also set up a three-man committee headed by former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to reconcile the aggrieved groups and individuals. Other members are King A. J. Turner and Chief Thompson K. Okorotie.

     

    A house divided

    Despite the endorsement of Dickson for a second term by Dr. Jonathan, Dickson’s kinsmen, under the aegis of Ogbia Joint Initiative (ODJI), said rejected the endorsement. Then, a gale of defections followed. Dr. Jonathan’ friend, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, defected to the APC.

    Ikiogha, a founding member of the PDP, Chief Victor Awala, Mr. Paul Ajuwa, Mrs. D. Irene, Mr. Prince Abeki, a former commissioner, and  over 150 former councillors led the ruling party.

    At a rally in Yenagoa, Ikiogha said he decided to quit the PDP because it is party of betrayal and deceit.

    He said:  “The PDP is full of betrayal and deceit. There is lack of internal democracy and it is a party where the highest bidder always has his ways.”

     

    Division among elders

    Dickson’s second term ambition has divided the party elders under the umbrella group, the Bayelsa Development Forum (BDF) headed by Chief Thompson Okorotie. Those opposed to the governor’s ambition have left the group. Following their exit, they held a meeting in Yenagoa to map out strategies. In attendance were former commissioners, special advisers and local council chairmen. Majority of them came from Dickson’s Bayelsa West Senatorial District. At the meeting, they formed a group, the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA). Senator John Brambayefa from Sagabama, where Dickson hails from, was elected chairman of the group.

    Speakers flayed the Dickson administration, saying that it has made the state stagnant. They were unanimous in their clamour for change.

    Brambayefa disclosed that a 14-member committee has been set up to work out the modalities for their defection to the APC.

    Also, an elder statesman, Alex Ekiotimin, said decried what he described as the inhuman polices of the governor. He accused him of disregarding elders, adding that their decision to join the APC was in order.

    But, Dickson described the elders as greedy and hypocritical politicians.

    He said: “This is an opportunistic lobby group, desperately in search of power without any modicum of integrity. They should be reminded that contrary to their assertions, they actually constitute the problem of development in the state. Their selfish conception of politics and attitude in government are what had retarded development in the state since the era of the late statesman, Chief MelfordOkilo.

    “Bayelsans can never exchange the present peace and tranquility in the state and the unprecedented level of development for the chaos and unmitigated rent culture of the past”.

    Dickson said the aim of the group is to return the state to the era when state resources were shared among few people at the expense of development.

    He added: “Since 1999, these are the same people, who benefited in state and federal appointments, which came with huge influence and privileges, but what did they do with such power and influence?                                         “What has been their contribution to economic development and empowerment of Bayelsans? All they want is free access to money, which will enable them to live big at the expense of development.”

    Also, the PDP said the defection to the APC is insignificant, although it acknowledged that it was unfortunate and embarrassing.

    The party said the defectors were not grateful to the platform that offered them opportunities to rise to stardom.

    The Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Makbere, alleged that the defectors  have wrecked havoc on the platform before leaving for the APC.

    He said: “These fellows, who actually have no electoral value and whose fibre are also spent, are creating the impression that they are moving with supporters.”

    He said the defectors took undue advantage of the PDP’s defeat at the centre to reposition themselves as APC members, adding that they did so to curry favour and attract patronage from the APC leadership. He said it is shameful and disheartening that the defectors were the key men of the former President.

    Makbere added: “They ought to remain faithful to the party in this period of sober reflection as a way of demonstrating our appreciation and eternal gratitude to the party for providing the platform for us as a minority to produce the President.

    “But they are now busy jumping ships in passion for greener pastures. This clearly show them as people who are untrustworthy, disloyal, unfaithful and treacherous”, he said.

    He said the defectors sought to fly the flag of the party at the last general elections, but lost out by divine providence.

    He said: “It is repugnant that most of these persons are beneficiaries of the magnanimity of the Seriake Dickson Restoration Government which either appointed them to senior sensitive positions or awarded them contracts. These are the ones turning around to say that nothing is happening in the state.”

    Makbere said Dickson has recorded many achievements in the areas of good governance, rule of law, safety of life and property, education, rural electrification construction ad equipment of hospitals.

    He added: “We are not perturbed by these show of shame because the party ad the government enjoy massive support from within and outside the state. We use this opportunity to appeal to our teaming party supporters ad the general public to remain calm and collected and have unflinching confidence in the government and the party”, he said.

     

    Divided cabinet

    The State Executive Council is also divided over the governor’s ambition. Commissioners and special advisers are attending anti-Dickson’s meeting in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital, by the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, who may run for the governor in the APC.

    A source said: “Timi Alaibe hosted a meeting in Port Harcourt. I have the names of Dickson’s aides who were in attendance. Even people in Government are in the opposition. The governor is aware of all the moves by some of his appointees to join forces with his detractors and move against him.”

  • ‘PDP is dead in Lagos State’

    Politician, Chief Babatunde Olorogun – Etti, has called on Lagosians to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to salvage the country.

    He also urged Buhari to steer the ship of state away from economic hardship, political wrangling and insecurity.

    Speaking in Lagos, shortly after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olorogun-Etti praised, Senator Bola Tinubu for piloting the party along the path of greatness. He described him as a dynamic and brilliant politician.

    He said: “The development, growth and peaceful co-existence of the state should be paramount to us. APC is large enough to accommodate everybody. Senator Bola Tinubu has been fair to everybody no matter which divide of the state such a person comes from. Therefore, any indigene of Lagos State who loves this state, who believes he has a stake in the development of this state with a passion, has no reason to be in PDP” he said.

    Olorogun Etti also hit at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos chapter, saying that it has no future in the state.

    “It’s time to face facts. The PDP is finished in Lagos State. PDP can no longer compete in any serious way in Lagos. The local government election in the state will be a formality” he said.

    He urged his supporters to go to their wards and register in the APC.

  • PDP, DSS and election matters

    PDP, DSS and election matters

    [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a syndicated publication in several newspapers and prime-time news-reports in the electronic media, a group known as the Public Interest Lawyers League, accused the Department of State Security (DSS) of intimidating, coercing and detaining vital witnesses of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting at Abuja.

    Earlier, the same group of lawyers had accused the DSS of harassing the Akwa-Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Austin Okojie so that he will acquiesce in the execution of an alleged plot to deny the PDP the governorship seat in the state. Of   course, not to be left out in this DSS-bashing game is a group of senators and members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State under the auspices of Rivers State Caucus, National Assembly, led by Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers South-East Senatorial District), who claim that the secret service is being used to arm-twist the hands of the electoral tribunal hearing the petition against Governor Nyesom Wike.

    A single thread that runs through their protests is the unsubstantiated claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has elicited the services of the DSS as a manipulative and arm-twisting tool to reclaim the governorship seats from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states.

    In a press statement signed by Abdul Mahmud and Mathew Jibril, President and Executive Director respectively, the Public Interest Lawyers criticized the DSS over what it described as “certain hideous occurrences, outside of the courtroom, that portend clear and present danger to the ends of justice in the election dispute”.

    Similarly, the group claims that the allegations against Okojie “were inappropriate and the APC had no right to conclude that the man’s actions (Okojie) were criminal without any proven evidence”.  Given these protestations, the pertinent question remains:  Are these protests being driven by political considerations or genuine concerns for the promotion of justice in election matters?

    It would appear that the protestations from these groups with regard to the activities of the DSS in election matters border not only on ignorance but on the need to ensure that INEC officials and PDP members accused of the promotion or commission of violent crimes during the governorship elections in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers States are not tried and punished.

    These critics of DSS activities do not seem to appreciate the fact that the same activities by INEC officials could lead to two different outcomes – the one, electoral; and the other, criminal.  For instance, the non-release of election result sheets by a resident electoral commissioner to the polling centres and booths as required by the electoral law could lead to the distorted outcome of the result of an election, as well as the maiming and killing of voters arising from the violent disruption of election proceedings.  In this circumstance, are the police or the DSS expected to keep hands at akimbo and allow injustice to prevail?

    Now, it must be mischievously absurd to suggest that the investigation of a resident electoral commissioner whose activities wittingly or unwittingly led to the death of innocent voters on Election Day is tantamount to the police or the DSS interfering in an electoral matter before an election tribunal or the courts.

    The truth of the matter is that while election tribunals and the courts are meant to redress distorted election results arising from the manipulation of an election process – rigging, the police and the DSS are required by law to investigate, arrest and prosecute all those, including INEC officials, whose actions engendered crises and violent crimes in the electoral process.

    And there is no law that I know in this country or elsewhere in the world which says that election tribunals and security agencies cannot carry out their different constitutional responsibilities in election matters, simultaneously.

    From the benefit of the appraisals just made above regarding the different outcomes – electoral and criminal – that could manifest, for instance, from the single action of a resident electoral commissioner, it becomes clear that almost all the groups or interests using the media to demonize the DSS and its operatives over the election matters in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states are simply crying wolf where there is none.

    In the light of what we know about the killings on the day of the governorship election in Akwa-Ibom State allegedly arising from the actions or inactions of the resident electoral commissioner, what do we make of the ranting of the Public Interest Lawyers League that the DSS has been unduly harassing Okojie because of “the interest of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Akwa-Ibom’s natural resources”?

    Similarly, in the light of the reported widespread violent crimes and killings that graced the Rivers State governorship election, can any rational mind take seriously the moronic insinuations by the Rivers State Caucus, National Assembly, led by Senator Sekibo that “they have witnessed the modus operandi of the DSS and have come to the conclusion that what’s happening can be best described as dictatorship in a democratic regime”?

    No matter what anybody might like to say to the contrary, the Public Interest Lawyers League and the Rivers State Caucus, National Assembly, among others, are just the public arrow-head of the hierarchy of the corrupt and discredited past PDP henchmen in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states.

    Their strategy is to cry foul and sound alarmist in order to embarrass the Buhari Presidency in the hope of getting it to interfere and obstruct the DSS from carrying out its constitutional duty to Nigeria regarding the atrocities that were committed by INEC officials, – high and low – in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states during the 2015 general elections that led to the death of innocent voters.

    The members of these groups are no democrats interested in protecting the peoples’ mandate.  They are simply the fronts for PDP politicians in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states interested only in protecting their anticipated loot and underserved privileges they hope to reap and enjoy over the next four years if the PDP governments of Emmanuel Udom and Nyesom Wike are given the oxygen of life by the election tribunals.

    Nigerians must, therefore, resist these characters masquerading as public do-gooders for the peoples of Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states by extending their undiluted support to the DSS in its crackdown and investigation of Okojie and Mrs. Gesila Khan, the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, with regard to their activities during the 2015 general elections that reportedly led to the death of innocent voters.

    After all, there is nothing special about INEC officials to warrant their being treated with kid gloves or as persons above the laws of Nigeria.  The DSS must, therefore, continue its investigation of the activities of INEC officials in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers states, whether or not they are witnesses in the petitions filed at the election tribunals.

    There is no known law in Nigeria, including the Electoral Act that precludes the DSS from doing its work because suspects in the cases its operatives are handling are witnesses in matters before election tribunals and the courts.

    • Nkemjika, is Co-author of “Oil Exploration in Northern Nigeria: Problems and Prospects”.
  • Buhari running communist economic agenda, says PDP

    Buhari running communist economic agenda, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of running a communist economic agenda.

    The party said the administration’s attempts to repeal the provisions of the Foreign Exchange And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, otherwise known as Decree No.17 of 1995 and replace it with “unilateral imposition of new regulations was not acceptable.

    In a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP kicked against what it described as moves by Buhari to deny Nigerians the right to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts.

    “This Act remains the subsisting law regulating the operations of domiciliary accounts in Nigeria and by its provisions therefore, Nigerians are empowered to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts.

    “As such, any enactment and or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are deemed void. Thus, the recent foreign exchange transaction restrictions by this government are illegal, unlawful and void.

    “Besides the provisions of the law, the PDP declares this administration’s archaic communist economic agenda as unworkable and unsustainable”, the statement said.

    The PDP said President Buhari should remember that “this is 2015 and not 1984”, stressing that trade and import restrictions are archaic and outdated.

    It added that “we are practicing a proper democracy and not the dictatorship of the politburo under a communist regime”.

    The PDP also said the apparent absence of an economic team in the third month of the administration was leading the country into economic quagmire and doldrums.

    The statement continued, “In the past, we had given examples of the devastating effect of lack of an economic team and a clear-cut fiscal policy by this administration as evidenced in the lull and painful decline in the stock market, spiral rate of inflation, the disastrous outing of the government team in bilateral talks during the recent visit to the United States of America and the shambolic state of our economy at present.

    “This confusion has been extended to operations and regulations of the foreign exchange transactions in Nigeria wherein the government is making it impossible for honest Nigerians to engage in free trade and regulate their personal activities as guaranteed by the constitution, and this is clearly an agenda to illegally impose a communist economic regime on Nigerians.

    “In a desperate attempt to create a semblance of movement out of the clearly motionless and stoic state of affairs of this government, they have reeled out bans and complete clampdown on free trade. One begins to wonder therefore whether we are not heading back to the era of import duty licenses and regulation of commodity prices”.

  • PDP workers to party leaders: ‘Stop blaming APC for your misery’

    PDP workers to party leaders: ‘Stop blaming APC for your misery’

    •Metuh replies them: ‘I am ready to face probe’

    Workers at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday  insisted that the party’s leaders were the architects of its current misery, and should therefore stop blaming the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for their woes.

    The workers are currently at war with members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over a planned 50 percent slash in their salaries and allowances.

    The NWC had, through a circular by PDP’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, also given notice of a 50 percent reduction in secretariat staff strength.

    But the workers responded to the NWC’s move by dismissing the officials as corrupt, insensitive and reckless.

    They also staged a protest at the party’s secretariat on Friday, and threatened to drag the NWC members to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation.

    But the   National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, did not take kindly to the workers’ action.

    He accused them of acting the script of the APC with a view to destabilising the PDP.

    However, the workers, under the aegis of the PDP Staff Welfare Association, dismissed Metuh’s accusation as “absolute bunkum, clumsy, and blundering blackmail.”

    The association’s Chairman, Ngozi Nze and the Secretary, Dan Ochu-Baiye vowed, in a statement, to expose more of the party leaders’ corrupt practices.

    Describing Metuh’s stand point as “a weak shot from a mortally crippled arsenal of witch hunt”, the workers said such blackmail would not break their resolve to see the NWC members investigated and prosecuted.

    Their words: “Metuh’s allegation is a wide window into the impressionable character of the man who has been in the saddle as the party’s image-maker and an ominous signpost into the shallow manner the publicity of the party has been run.

    “We wish to state that this is a man whose conduct, demeanour and media outings have been a repulse to professionalism and a source of embarrassment to party members.

    “We therefore place it on record that the majority of the establishment staff of the PDP are not just unrepentant members of the party who have spent over sixteen years in service; who have assimilated the PDP ethos as a way of political life, but are also the repository of the party’s institutional memory whose spirit can hardly succumb to the ephemeralty of power loss.

    “Who plays anti-party? you may ask. Staff members who are genuinely resisting the morally repugnant and obsessively corrupt NWC so that the PDP will survive, or the likes of Olisa Metuh who have a track record of anti-party given his open endorsement of APGA candidate in the 2013 Anambra governorship election.

    “What with Metuh’s subsequent denigration of the PDP candidate and his chances on live television programme less than 24 hours after the election, even as the result was being awaited?

    “Earlier in January 2010 Anambra governorship election, Metuh as National Vice Chairman, South East, abandoned Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the PDP candidate while openly galvanizing support for Hope Democratic Party candidate, his friend and benefactor.

    “The PDP did not only woefully lose in Otolo Nnewi Ward 1 of the Party’s zonal vice chairman, but came a distant third in his polling booth! What a faithful party officer!”

    They queried Metuh’s support for former President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the last election and wondered what happened to “a whopping sum of N450 million media fund earlier approved for the office of PDP Publicity Secretary by President Jonathan.”

    They also cited the recent congresses in Anambra as “another signpost to the destructive trajectory which the likes of Olisa Metuh is driving the PDP to.”

    They added:”as we write, the party is still waiting for the result of the congresses a week after it was held, pending when Metuh is done with his conclave of distortion and extortion.

    “This is the same man who we reliably gathered, is surreptitiously scheming to emerge as the Organizing Secretary of the party next year. To do what? Turn the party organization into Idumota Market and institutionalize extortion, graft and impunity.

    “This is a man who started in 1999 as a zonal youth leader, then National Ex-officio, Acting National Auditor, Zonal Vice Chairman and now publicity secretary. It is either his umbilical cord was buried at Wadata Plaza or that he can’t survive on any other thing except the PDP.

    “We make bold to add that the worst form of anti-party is the mindless plunder of the party resources by the NWC which Olisa Metuh is an integral part. He is, in fact, the leader of the body’s extortion gang.

    “Recall that the same man was the Chairman of Kogi State congresses which held last week and match it with the fact that the widely rumoured request for one billion Naira from the state governor emanated the same week.

    “Indeed, labelling the staff of the PDP could be a veiled attempt to justify the huge sum of N70 million which Metuh collected in July in the name of fighting the APC in the media.

    “We wish to therefore advise him and the NWC to respond to gritty issues raised in our press briefing without which the fortunes of the party will continue to dwindle.”

    The workers had, among others, accused the party leaders of squandering N12 billion realised from the sale of nomination forms during the last general election.

    They also alleged that the party leaders had compelled delegates to pay N10,000 each into a private account of a company called Morufi Nigeria Limited only to squander the over N1 billion realised from the transaction.

    Metuh in his reply to the workers volunteered to be investigated by the security agencies over the allegations of corruption against him.

    In a statement by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Richard Ihediwa, Metuh said the workers’ actions were meant to bring to public odium and to distract him from his duties.

    He said he was being persecuted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through the workers, for his relentless criticism of the policies and programmes of the administration.

    According to him, “This is not unexpected given the role of the National Publicity Secretary in the rebuilding of our great party and how uncomfortable the ruling APC has been for his outspokenness.

    “We are aware that the anti-PDP forces have easily found a handful of disgruntled PDP staff as willing tools to attack Chief Metuh with a view to bringing him to public odium, distract him and deny our party a credible voice to propagate its positions.

    “These forces had even gone to the extent of engineering some discontented PDP members to portray statements by the National Publicity Secretary as his personal opinions in the attempt to discredit and intimidate him.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the National Publicity Secretary will not be deterred or detracted by such threats and cheap blackmails as he remains committed to his role in the rebuilding of the PDP and in providing firm, credible and issue based opposition to the ruling party.

    “This office would not join issues with these elements, however we make bold to state that Chief Olisa Metuh, being aware of the challenges that come with his new role has offered himself, his office as well as all his private companies for probe by the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other government agency for that matter.

    “We also find it laughable that anybody would criticise the recent PDP congresses in Anambra and Kogi that have been widely applauded to be transparent and credible as established by the peace and harmony that characterised the processes.

    “One also wonders how the issue of congresses helps the case of welfare matters being pushed by the staff, if not for the ulterior motive of destroying the PDP publicity”.

    Metuh said his accusers have deliberately refused to appreciate his immense contributions to the party and the fact that he became the longest serving member of the National Executive Committee due to hard work and the confidence members of the party reposed in him as an individual.

    He expressed relief that his accusers are now calling for his investigation instead of resorting to plots to assassinate him.

    “However, we restate that the National Publicity Secretary will not in any way be cowed or intimidated by the threats, blackmails and attacks by anti-PDP forces to abandon his mandate as spokesperson of our great party”, the statement

     

  • Anambra PDP: How far can Emeakayi go?

    Anambra PDP: How far can Emeakayi go?

    Over the years, the influence of the super rich and the politically strong has been blamed for the incessant crisis and factionalisation in Anambra State’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Following the return of Prince Ken Emeakayi as the party’s state Chairman, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on the challenges before him and how far he can go to reconcile the warring factions and reposition the party in the state 

    The future of Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been a source of concern both to members of the party and to other observers. This is because of the varying interests of powerful elements in the party, which have not only led to incessant clashes and factionalisation but also to lack of a generally acceptable leadership of the state chapter of the party.

    Even the recent election of the new State Executive Council (SEC), where Prince Ken Emeakayi and Mr. Joemartins Uzodike emerged as Chairman and Secretary respectively, is yet to assuage the fear over the future of the once ruling party in the South-East state. Some observers, who are still worried that it would take unexpected twists to conclusively resolve the ongoing crisis in the state chapter of the party, said Emeakayi, who is the immediate past chairman of the state chapter of the party, has been involved in the crisis over the years, having been the arrow head of one of the leading factions.

    Such critical observers of the politics of Anambra State are therefore wondering if his return as PDP state chairman, barely nine months after the party’s former State Executive Committee (SEC) was dissolved by the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP will bring the needed peace, unity and progress. According to them, “it should be clear to all that except something more concrete is done to really reconcile the powerful godfathers behind the factions; it would be difficult for Emeakayi to carry all along.

    Even the way he emerged the new chairman, according to an insider, who belonged to the other faction, is “obviously suspicious.”

    It would be recalled that Emeakayi was the sole candidate for the position of chairman in the election that led to his return. But the Returning Officer at the congress election, Mr. Ike Abonyi, said at the end of the voting that a total of 968 votes were cast, 10 votes were voided, while 958 votes were accepted as valid.

    So, evoking the power conferred on him by the PDP Constitution, Abonyi declared Emeakayi winner. Some of the stakeholders who witnessed the congress included, the members representing Aguata Federal Constituency, Hon. Eucharia Azodo, her Awka/South counterpart, Hon. Anayo Nebe, Idemili Sorth/South, Obinna Chidoka, Nnewi North/South-Ekwusigo, Hon. Chris Azubogu, and Dr. Alex Obiogbohu among others.

    Years of crisis:

    Crisis in Anambra PDP, which was primarily blamed for the party’s loss of political power in the state to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) over eight years ago, still manifest in the current factionalisation within the party. Although all the party chieftains agree that the party has since remained out of power in the state, primarily because of the internal crisis, each of the influential leaders of party has seemingly refused to cooperate with the other, leading to factionalisations. This problem was well pronounced in 2013 prior to the 2014 governorship election in the state when the party clearly split in two with the national leadership of the party recognizing one faction while the other was recognized by INEC. At the primaries, the two strong factions came up with different governorship candidates. The Ken Emeakayi-led faction, which was backed by the national executive, produced Tony Nwoye as its candidate while the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive, which was backed by INEC, produced Senator Andy Uba as its governorship candidate.

    At the commencement of the drama, Oguebego-led Executive had approached a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt. At first, the court gave an exparte order restraining both INEC and PDP from dealing with the Ken Emeakayi faction until the main application is heard. Later, the trial Judge, Justice H.A Nganjiwa, ordered that the result of the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive, backed by INEC where Senator Andy Uba emerged winner, should be accepted pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the court.

    The confusion deepened when the national leadership of PDP formally declared that its candidate in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State was Comrade Tony Nwoye, who won the primary election conducted by the Emeakayi faction of the party in the state while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State maintained that it won’t recognise the Emeakayi-led faction of the state chapter of PDP.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state then, Professor Chukwuemeka Onukogu, had explained in Awka why the commission did not monitor the primaries conducted by Oguebego faction, which produced Senator Uba as its candidate.

    He had said: “We have taken our position and as a person under authority, I am bounded by the decision of the commission. We, as a body are guided by the rule of the law. If the PDP does not follow the law guiding the electoral process, they may not present a candidate in Anambra election. They must follow, they have to follow and it’s incumbent on them to follow the electoral law. Once they do that we don’t have any problem with them.”

    The Anambra REC added: “The party said their candidate is Nwoye but I wasn’t there. I didn’t monitor it. We didn’t monitor the two primaries for obvious reasons. One, we don’t recognise the Emeakayi faction and I will have nothing to do with it until there is an order from the court of law against what we have. Secondly, for the other one, it should have been the national office of the PDP that should have invited us to attend, not the state.

    “The state branch invited us but going by the law guiding the political parties, it should have been the national office in Abuja that would invite us. So, we stayed clear. When my chairman tells me what to do, I will know but for now, we are dealing with the Oguebego faction. I have instructions to deal with that faction; we monitored their ward congresses substantially. We didn’t monitor the other one. We respect the law of the land and what my chairman tells me is what I’m going to do. Nothing more, nothing less.”

    By December of that year, unknown gunmen kidnapped Emeakayi. Early reports of his kidnap said he was on his way to Awka, the state capital from his village in Okija when his car was intercepted at Anyafulujiji Junction, Nri by his abductors.

    As would be expected, his abduction worsened the crisis and distrust within the state chapter of the party. He remained in the kidnappers’ den for two days until he regained his freedom.

    Narrating his ordeal in the hands of his abductors, Emeakayi alleged that his captors were instructed to assassinate him but that divine intervention saved his life.

    “On Sunday, the first day of December, 2013, I was on my way to Awka from Ihiala my local government when on reaching Anyasoijiji, a junction between Agulu and Nise on that Agukwunri junction, one RAV4 SUV overtook my car and blocked me and about four young men inside the vehicle, well-armed with weapons opened fire on me and my vehicle.

    “After some minutes of steady firing, one of them pulled me out of the vehicle and blindfolded me and pushed me into their waiting RAV4 vehicle and took me away to an unknown destination”.

    He said after some hours of driving, they pulled over and disembarked from the car and trekked for about 15 minutes until they got to a river bank he could not recognize, before his blindfold was removed.

    According to Emeakayi, from the interrogation by his abductors, it was obvious that his kidnap was political, just as he added that the leader of the gang which he said has about 80 men under his command from what he could count promised to call him and tell him the politician behind his abduction.

    The controversy or the rivalry between Emeakayi-led faction and its opponents continued all through 2014.

    In November of that year for example, there were conflicting reports over allegations that police operatives sealed off the secretariat of the Emeakayi-led faction in Akwa.

    This followed the controversy then that Emeakayi’s tenure had ended on the 24th of October, 2014 when the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) dissolved it, paving way for Ejike Oguebego to take over the leadership of the party in the Anambra State.

    2015 controversial primaries, elections

    The crisis and the controversies continued during this year’s National Assembly primaries and National Assembly elections. Several factions backed different aspirants even as many accused the party leadership of high handedness and imposition of favoured candidates.

    The poor performance of the party during the National Assembly elections in the state have been blamed largely on the confusion occasioned by this alleged imposition and other actions that have further divided rather than unite the party in the state.

    This situation was predictable even before the February elections. This was because of the large scale disaffection of many of the members. For example, in a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Awka, last December, Chukwunweike (Chike) Maduekwe, a senatorial aspirant in Anambra State, while accusing the party of conducting “shady primaries” asked the court to declare that the PDP failed to conduct any primaries to elect candidates for the 2015 National Assembly election in the state.

    He urged the court to rule that “the PDP cannot use any gimmicks to circumvent its obligation to hold proper primaries that are consistent with the party’s electoral guidelines and the Electoral Act of 2010 (as amended): that the party, having failed to conduct primaries, may not field candidates for the National Assembly elections scheduled for February 14, 2015; that the PDP be compelled to refund the sum of N4.5 million it had collected from him as a nomination fee for the party’s senatorial ticket; and that INEC be restrained from accepting any purported list of candidates submitted by the PDP for National Assembly elections.

    In addition, Mr. Maduekwe, from Umudioka in Dunukofia Local Government Area, also sought “exemplary damages of N250 million” from the PDP which it accused of violating its electoral guidelines, pleading that the violation caused him “pain, hardship, and psychological trauma.”

    Given this situation many are worried if Emeakayi, who is known to be actively involved in the politics, as a factional leader, would be able to win the support of all.

    Commenting on the situation, Dr Francis Madumere, a human rights activist and political commentator, said, “It all depends on Emeakayi’s preparedness to forget the past, genuinely reach out to all the stakeholders. In Anambra State here, no candidate will emerge for that office that would not be traced to a faction or to one of the powerful godfathers. So, unifying Anambra PDP is a task someone must do. The lot is in the court of Emeakayi and his colleagues. What they make of the party now depends on them and their intentions.”