The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP

PDP flays security watch on Dasuki

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has questioned the rationale behind the security placed by the Federal Government on the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Sambo, who was on Monday relieved of his duty by President Muhammadu Buhari alongside the Service Chiefs, is being confined to his Abuja residence at 13, John Kadiya close, Asokoro, Abuja.

At least eight plain clothed operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) were on Friday seen in two pick up operational vans parked inside the expansive compound.

One of the operatives who was approached by our correspondent for comments declined to speak on the operation, saying “nothing is happening here.”

The vans and their occupants were still in the premises. It was apparent that Dasuki was still inside the building at about 3pm when our correspondent left the place.

The PDP has said the security watch placed on the ex- NSA was a breach of his fundamental human rights and the right to personal freedom as guaranteed by the constitution.

Addressing journalists a few metres away from the building, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, described the siege to Dasuki’s home as unacceptable.

Metuh demanded explanation from the government on why Dasuki was being put under security watch, warning that the country was sliding towards autocratic tendencies.

“I read the situation about the invasion of the former NSA’s house and his detention and house arrest. So, I drove to his house as a personal friend to see him and to find out what is happening.

“Then about seven or eight security operatives came out and they said that I cannot see him because the house is under security watch. And I asked them, security watch in terms of treason or terrorism? And they said they are not in a position to say anything.

“And why I asked this question is that is he under security watch on account of corruption or any other reason. It’s totally against the constitution of this country because this is a democracy and democratic tenets and principles apply.

“The fact is that we deserve basic freedom, liberty and free movement associated with democracy. The truth is that Nigerians are getting scared. They voted for the President and he was duly elected.

“And now he’s the father of the nation, he’s the father of everyone. He’s not serving any other interest. But there are certain activities by some of his aides and people around him, it’s like they are taking us back to the military era where we were coming from,” the PDP spokesman said.

July 17, 2015
PDP vows to reject elections conducted by new INEC boss

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to reject any election conducted under the watch of the acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. Amina Zakari.

The party has also urged the international community to call President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) “to order” over what it described as the draconian and authoritarian tendencies of the government.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh stated this yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Abuja.

The PDP is making the move ahead of President Buhari’s scheduled visit to the United States this weekend to confer with President Barack Obama on ways to assist Nigeria in the fight against insurgency and corruption.

July 17, 2015
PDP vows to reject elections conducted by new INEC boss

Peoples Democratic Party has vowed to reject any election conducted under the watch of the acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. Amina Zakari.

The party has also urged the international community to call President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress “to order” over what it described as draconian and authoritarian tendencies of the government.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Abuja.

The PDP is making the move ahead of this weekend’s President Buhari’s visit to the United States to confer with President Barack Obama on ways to assist Nigeria in the fight against insurgency and corruption.

He complained to the NDI and the IRI that the INEC chief is “a daughter” to President Buhari and as such would not be fair in the discharge of her responsibility as the nation’s electoral umpire.

Metuh said, “We have INEC and the idea is that people heading it should be above board. But the present ruling party has appointed the daughter of the President to head the position. There is nowhere in the world where such has happened, a person who has a relationship with the President.

“I am drawing the attention of the IRI to this anomaly. Buhari has appointed his daughter as INEC chief, we believe there will not be fairness.

“It will be very difficult to accept result of any election conducted by Amina Zakari. It will be difficult for PDP to accept results of elections if we lose under Zakari.”

The PDP spokesman also decried Buhari’s style of leadership, accusing him of sidelining governors of the opposition on national issues. He maintained that under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, governors from the opposition parties were picked to travel with government team.

Metuh also accused Buhari of working hard to silence the opposition through harassment and intimidation.

He tabled the issue of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who he said was elected by his colleagues at the National Assembly, but who the Presidency was using the security apparatus to intimidate.

“I want to alert the international community on these issues and if they are not handled very well, could truncate our democracy. We have witnessed a remarkable change in the past few days.

“We encourage freedom and in just two months in power, we have witnessed organised witch hunt by the leadership of the APC in trying to muscle our people,” he complained.

Responding, the NDI Resident Country Director, Jasper Veen, noted that anywhere in the world, the most important area to tackle is the political party itself.

Veen, however, said the way Nigeria political parties recruit people for key positions was a reflection of the political system itself.

He urged internal democracy in the political parties, noting that it is not easy to be in the opposition.

July 16, 2015
I’m loyal to Buhari’s course, says Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night declared that he is loyal to the the course of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said there is no truth in the speculations of rift between them, adding that they understand one another.

Tinubu spoke with State House correspondents after joining other Nigerians to break the Muslim fast with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the APC can’t perform majic and clean up the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 16 years’ mess in 30 days.

Stressing that party supremacy must be upheld, he said that the party must have disciplined leadership and followers.

On the alleged rift with the President, he said: “I have no demand than the party. If you understand what party politics is all about and leadership is all about, it is about loyalty and commitments to the values that leadership believes in.

“I believe in what President believes. I respect him and I stand firmly loyal to his course. So, you can go to any length of speculation that you might want. I have not responded to all of that because I understand the president and the president understands me clearly.” he said

Asked to comment on the crisis in the National Assembly, Tinubu said: “That is an area I am very cautious of my position and my utterances. I still want to keep my side of interpretation or analysis to me to be able to achieve a resolution of the matter as quickly as possible.

“I am backing all the president has carefully enumerated and articulated to the party. The party is supreme, the party must have disciplined leadership and followers. The party’s process must be respected because that is the confidence and the trust of the people.”

He however pointed out that conflicts should be expected in every political environment.

“That is politics. And conflict resolution mechanism will be applied to resolve all problems. So, we are there, there is honour in every struggle, in every competition and there must be honour in victory too.” He added

On how prepared the APC is to avoid the mistakes of PDP, he said: “We are different. We cannot be PDP, we are APC. We will not repeat their mistakes. We know their mistakes, we know their errors. And we understand what Nigerians wanted. Nigerians gave this party a mandate because of our manifesto.

“We are pro-people, we are progressives. We have had a conservative government in the last 16 years. This is progressives party, just coming barely 30 days. We understand the hope of Nigerians and we respect that hope. We understand the expectation of Nigerians. We believe in that expectation and in our promise of prosperity to come. We will not change that,” Tinubu said.

July 14, 2015
PDP tasks Buhari on economy, key appointments

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on the appointment of ministers and other critical cabinet appointments.

Describing the steps taken so far by the President as “cosmetic”, the party noted that certain indices, if not properly corrected, were capable of derailing the smooth running of the administration.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, urged Buhari to focus on the promises he made to Nigerians and on policy thrusts that will move the economy forward.

“As the leader of the most populous black nation in the world, we believe you should not allow your Presidency to be pushed into the gimmicks of playing to the gallery and attempting to use the dramatisation of promissory notes and pledges by foreign interests, false premature claims of victory against insurgency, dramatisation of salary cut and rejection of official cars, all to gain cheap popularity and create an impression that the government is on course when in the actual fact, the new administration has not been able to locate a bearing since its inauguration in May,” the statement said.

The party urged the President to extricate himself from these agents of propaganda who continue to believe that Nigerians would be swayed by these “cosmetic interventions” instead of real business of governance.

The PDP said, “While we appreciate the symbolic gesture by Mr. President in cutting his N14 million annual basic salary by 50 percent, it should be noted that Nigerians would not be wavered by the N7million annual donation and rejection of official cars, and forget their expectations for the implementation of his long list of campaign promises for which he was elected into office.

“The Presidency should know that these orchestration, no matter how populist it may seem, does not in any way address the burning issues of employment, worsening security situation, decline in the economy, avoidable inactivity in government businesses, and continued apparent slide of the naira which has dipped from under N200 to the dollar in May to an all time low of N238 under the APC administration, among others.”

According to the PDP, Nigerians cannot be overwhelmed by these gestures especially given that they are aware that the salary is a mere drop in the ocean of personal allowances and privileges that come to the President.

The country, the party added, cannot be deluded by impressions aimed to make government appear to be on course when it has only been a case of all motion, no movement, spiced with unnecessary excuses.

The statement continued, “Nigerians, going by feelers, have not been thrilled by such orchestrations as other leaders who at one time or the other adopted similar stance did not dither or become laidback, but hit the ground running with governance. What the citizens want is a government that is urgent in living up to its billings and campaign promises.

“Instead of allowing his government to be taken over by needless showmanship, Mr. President must realize that the people would not judge him by such measures but on the extent to which he addressed critical issues of governance for which he was voted into power.

“The issue is about the President facing the challenges of governance and assembling his team of experts and capable hands to manage the economy, which has been on the decline since he assumed office.

“It is also about allowing the different arms of government, especially the National Assembly to work smoothly and encourage conducive democratic environment where the rule of law, personal freedom and security of lives and property are guaranteed.”

July 14, 2015
APC, PDP quarrel over court‘s decision on Rivers council chiefs

•They have been reinstated, says Ikanya
•Wike: no such order was given by court

Did the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, yesterday reinstate the 22 of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State?

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said the court held that its earlier order restraining Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike from dissolving the local government areas still subsists.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said such a verdict did not emanate from the court yesterday in Yenagoa.

Rivers APC Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, through the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, said the council chiefs should return to their offices.

But Wike, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, alleged that “disgruntled” elements wanted to cause a crisis and make Rivers State ungovernable for him.

As at July 9, when the Federal High Court sacked the local government chairmen and their councillors, there was a subsisting order of the NIC that the council chiefs retain their seats.

The sacked 22 chairmen and their councillors were APC. They were elected on May 23 during Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.

The tenure of the chairman and councillors of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area will expire next year. They were not affected by the dissolution.

Ikanya said: “The ruling today (yesterday) has confirmed our earlier position that Justice Lambo Akanbi embarked on judicial rascality, because this same National Industrial Court, presided over by Justice J. T. Agbadu-Fishim, on June 22, 2015, barred Wike, the court, Rivers House of Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and others from tampering with the existence of the 22 councils and their chairmen.”

The PAC chairman described the development as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, which ended Wike’s alleged impunity and desperation.

But Inko-Tariah said: “The falsehood dispensed by some frustrated elements of the APC in Rivers State that the National Industrial Court in Yenagoa has reinstated the local government chairmen sacked by Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, is malicious and a calculated attempt by the disgruntled elements to stimulate a crisis in the state, thereby making it ungovernable for Governor Wike. They have failed.

“While I urge Rivers people to dismiss this falsehood, I call on the police to arrest the messengers of doom for trying to cause a breach of the peace in Rivers State.”

The 23 local governments’ chairmen, on behalf of their councils, approached the NIC in Yenagoa, seeking an interim injunction restraining Wike from dissolving the councils.

Their prayers were granted on June 22.

The court yesterday failed to hear the applications asking it to vacate its initial order, which restrained the Rivers Government and the House of Assembly from sacking the 23 elected local government chairmen.

Following the chairmen’s sack, the parties to the case returned to the NIC with the lawyers to the state government raising different applications against the court’s initial interim injunction.

One of the lawyers to the government, Mr. L. A. Njemanze, told the court that their two applications, filed on July 1, were ripe for hearing.

He said one of the applications sought a pronouncement discharging the order of interim injunction made ex parte by the court on June 22.

The lawyer said the second application sought to dismiss the suit by the claimants (local government chairmen) for being an abuse of court process.

Njemanze said the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

Another lawyer to the government, Dr. Z. Adangor, reminded the court that his client filed a notice of preliminary objection, dated June 30, challenging the jurisdiction of the court on the grounds that the subject matter was outside the court’s jurisdiction.

But the lawyer to the local governments, R. E. Wanogho, averred that some of the motions were not ripe for hearing.

The lawyer urged the court to give him time to respond comprehensively to the applications filed by the state government.

He said: “It is our desire to respond holistically to all the applications that are served us. We have also filed Form 48 because during the pendency of this order, the third defendant dissolved the claimants in disobedience to this court’s order.

“Even if this court does not have jurisdiction, it does not mean that the parties, on their own, should resort to self-help and overrule the order of this court, when the order has not been specifically set aside by this court.”

Justice James Agbadu-Fishim held that there was need to allow the parties to file the necessary processes and submit relevant exhibits to support their applications.

The judge adjourned the matter till October 6 for hearing on pending applications.

Following the submission of the court, reports went virile across the state that the sacked local government chairmen had been reinstated.

But Wanogho told reporters that since the court had not vacated its order of interim injunction, the directive was still subsisting, pending a counter-order discharging it.

Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma, said nothing unusual happened in the court.

He said: “Nothing happened. The only thing that happened in court today (yesterday) was that the matter was slated for the hearing of the motion. Each of the parties had raised various preliminary objections.

“The claimants had not responded to the motion. They sought an adjournment on the two that were ripe for hearing and his lordship graciously granted them the adjournment. We agreed to come back on October 6, to argue on preliminary objections.

“The court never set aside any order of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt. There is no such application before the court.

“The court never reinstated any local government chairman anywhere because no such application was before the court. All the court did was what is fair and just in the circumstance.

“People had been calling me to say that they heard I fainted in court and that I was missing. But I told them nothing like that happened. None of the claimants were in court. So, I wonder where this malicious rumour against the integrity of the judge is coming from.”

July 14, 2015
APC, PDP trade words over Rivers dissolved councils

• Council chairmen ask Wike to obey court injunction

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter, has accused the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of crying wolf over the Rivers local government councils.

The party, through its Rivers Chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, yesterday in Port Harcourt, declared that rather than making reckless, unguarded and careless utterances on the political crisis in the state, it should rather call to order, Governor Nyesom Wike.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement, alleged partisanship by the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in the decision by the police to secure and forestall breakdown of law and order in Rivers state, following the illegal dissolution of 22 of the 23 local government councils and replacement with caretaker committees by Wike.

However, Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday in a radio broadcast claimed that the Inspector General of Police has ordered the seal off of the council secretariat. This could not be independently confirmed at press time.

Rivers APC said: “As a political party, the APC fails to see the need for such accusation by the PDP, while it refused to caution Wike to resist the lure of polluting the hallowed corridor of justice, through the encouragement and purchasing of Jankara court rulings, as witnessed in Port Harcourt.”

In Abuja, the chairmen of the 23 dissolved local governments told Governor Nyesom Wike to obey the court injunction restraining his government from sacking them.

They told reporters in Abuja that they obtained the order of injunction from the National Industrial Arbitration Court sitting in Bayelsa State to restrain the governor from implementing judgement on their sack.

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had, on Thursday, nullified the May 23, 2015 local government election in the state on the ground that it was conducted in flagrant disobedience of a court order.

Justice Lambo Akambo ordered that the election should therefore be set aside and the chairmen and councillors that emerged there from be sacked.

But speaking to reporters in Abuja yesterday, the 23 chairmen operating on the platform of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) said “we have obtained an order of interim injunction restraining the same River State government, the House of Assembly and other parties, from ýthe National Industrial Court in Bayelsa State.”

They described Wike’s action as the latest in the series of moves to destroy the legacies of the immediate past governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Their spokesman and State Chairman of ALGON, Mr. Sogbeye Eli, said they are currently “under an atmosphere of war levelled against us by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.” He added, “The same governor has done the same to make it impossible for the third tier of government to work in the state.

“From embarking on litigation where PDP decided not to participate in elections, they went to court to seek an order stopping INEC from tampering with the process by not giving INEC updated voters register.

“Where that did not work, they decided to ambush…I mean the same government had directed via the same governor that councils in Rivers State should not be availed of any credit lines, loans, grants by financial institutions. That clearly was a forced regime of financial strangulation.

“It does not matter to this government whether or not such actions touch on the lives of our people where the majority of our people reside.”

Eli insisted that he and his colleagues were validly elected and only after three years will their tenure expire “by the provisions of Rivers State law 2 of 2012.”

He also cited previous decisions of the Supreme Court on the sanctity of the tenure of elected local government councils.

“We have gone to court to ask that governors, the State House of Assembly and other agencies connected there to, be restrained from tampering with ourý tenures,” he said.

“On our part, we have obtained an order of interim injunction restraining the same River State government, the House of Assembly and other parties from ýthe National Industrial court, in Bayelsa state. Our return day to court is 13th of July, 2015.

“One would have thought that a law abiding government under a democratic dispensation would not resort to self help; that they will wait until 13th July, 2015 and see what to do; not to vacate that interim order; and argue that we have no case.

“We have had the dissolution, reckless and very reckless dissolution of boards of parastatals and commissions duly inaugurated by the past regime of Chibike Amaechi as if to say, they are here to obliterate the legacies the last governor.

“We are calling on all good people of Nigeria, authorities of this nation, particularly law enforcement agencies to please step into River State and call these people to order. Everyone is subject to the law and local government chairmen have the right to remain in their offices because they have the mandate of the people of River State in their respective LGAs.”

APC in Rivers also expressed surprise that purportedly acting on the sham ruling by Justice Akanbi, the Rivers governor immediately dissolved the councils, in spite of the fact that there was a subsisting order of interim injunction by the national industrial court in Yenagoa, which Wike, the Rivers House of Assembly and other parties were duly served, describing the action as illegal and aimed at humiliating the subsisting order by Justice Agbadu-Fishim.

It said: “It is worthy of mention that the National Industrial Court in Yenagoa, which issued the order of interim injunction on the 22nd of June, 2015 is of equal or cognate jurisdiction with the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi, which handed his curious ruling on July 9, 2015.

“Obviously, the Nigeria Police were properly advised to obey and stick to an order, duly issued on June 22, 2015 until vacated or superseded by a judgment or order of the same court or of a higher court.

“The APC simply sees the accusation by the PDP against the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police as cheap blackmail, aimed at eliciting undeserved sympathy from the Nigerian populace and the international community. However, we are happy that both Nigerians and the international community are discerning enough to see through the antics of the PDP.”

Justice Akanbi had sacked the 22 chairmen, for allegedly disobeying his order, who all belong to the APC, and their councillors, who were elected on May 23 this year, during the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.

The tenure of the chairman and councillors of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA will expire next year and not affected by the dissolution.

Prior to Thursday morning’s sitting of the FHC, there was an explosion at the premises of the FHC, which led to pandemonium, with the people around scampering to safety, but no life was lost, while Justice Akanbi still went ahead to deliver the ruling.

Wike immediately sent names of members of caretaker committees for the 22 LGAs to the state’s House of Assembly, led by Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani and they were quickly screened by the 32 lawmakers, consisting of 31 PDP and one APC member. The caretaker committee members were inaugurated by Wike around 10 p.m. on the same day.

July 12, 2015
PDP blasts Bayelsa elder over attack on Dickson’s government

The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday accused Chief Alex Ekiotenne, an elder of the party and former adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson of hypocrisy and greed.

The party said insatiable quest for money was the real reason why the elder statesmen and his Likes abandoned the Bayelsa State Government.

PDP said Ekiotenne and other elders in the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA), who are against the re-election of the governor, were only after their selfish interest against the collective interest of the state.

Ekiotenne, a former supporter of Dickson, told journalist that he opted out of the governor’s administration because he (Dickson) disappointed Bayelsans.

He said the governor derailed from the consultative approach to developmental programmes and transparency objectives of his government.

According to him, Dickson without consultations embarked on many projects in one swoop without considerations to prioritisation, strategic needs and funding prospects.

But PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Macbere, condemned the action of Ekiotenne, describing it as most embarrassing and disgraceful.

He said the elder has remained one of the major beneficiaries of the Dickson administration.

July 11, 2015
PDP blasts Bayelsa elder over attack on Dickson’s government

The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday accused Chief Alex Ekiotenne, an elder of the party and former adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson of hypocrisy and greed.

The party said insatiable quest for money was the real reason why the elder statesmen and his Likes abandoned the Bayelsa State Government.

PDP said Ekiotenne and other elders in the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA), who are against the re-election of the governor, were only after their selfish interest against the collective interest of the state.

Ekiotenne, a former supporter of Dickson, told journalist that he opted out of the governor’s administration because he (Dickson) disappointed Bayelsans.

He said the governor derailed from the consultative approach to developmental programmes and transparency objectives of his government.

According to him, Dickson without consultations embarked on many projects in one swoop without considerations to prioritisation, strategic needs and funding prospects.

But PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Macbere, condemned the action of Ekiotenne, describing it as most embarrassing and disgraceful.

He said the elder has remained one of the major beneficiaries of the Dickson administration.

July 11, 2015
2016 Polls: PDP re-brands, fields young candidates

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having ruled Nigeria for 16 years and now the opposition party is considering fielding young candidates for the forthcoming elections in selected states.

The PDP is considering young gubernatorial candidates for Bayelsa and Kogi states in its desire to re-brand the party by involving young people as the new faces of the party.

Describing the party as one that is bleeding at the moment and in need of redemption is not an overstatement.

Furthermore, there is no denial that majority of Nigerians have lost hope in the party after its 16 years tenure with a history of broken promises and haphazard performance.

Some Nigerians now see the party as that of looters and old crooks not to be trusted. The massive onslaught against the party by the current ruling party, All Progressive Congress, (APC) is another factor responsible for the poor perception about the PDP.

The APC is a party of young and vibrant ideas as exemplified by their involvement of young people in their presidential and generation election campaign. The APC recognizes the place of every Nigerian youth and were greatly rewarded by the youths as majority of them mobilized for ‘Change’ during the last general elections.

The PDP National Working Committee and the Board of Trustees has woken up to the painful reality that Nigerians will no longer trust the same old politicians within its fold and as such they must evolve new ways to communicate, reach-out and get the support of the Nigerian people, and as such have decided to strategically position young people with good names to become the new faces of the party.

It was gathered that the former president Goodluck Jonathan has also advised the party to consider fielding younger candidates in forthcoming elections of Bayelsa and Kogi and ensure they make provisions for some influential and brilliant young people in the BOT and the NWC at the next year’s Extraordinary Congress Election when new officials of the party are to be elected.

Many elders within the party have now accepted the fact that they need to give the younger ones within the party some major roles and advised the party to zone at least 5 positions of the NWC to young people and another 5 to the BOT, following the appointments of Rinsola Abiola, Ismaeel Ahmed and Jasper Azuatalam, 3 young people into BOT of the APC in furtherance to giving young people a strong voice within the party.

The NWC on its part has agreed to allow the younger generations take over Party Registration and Membership drive as they believe the youths within the party can get millions of Nigerians to once again have confidence in the party and join the party.

They have also agreed that young people within the party should setup a robust online platform to include Online Membership Registration.

One of the greatest challenges the PDP has always had is the issue of imposition of candidates on the party which makes it impossible for young party members to secure party tickets or even have the courage to contest for elective positions.

With the new development within the party, more young people will be able to contest for elective positions within the party. The immediate beneficiaries of this new policy of the party might be two young men within the party who are contesting to become governors of their respective states, Moses Siloko Siasia who is contesting to be governor of Bayelsa State and Mohammed Ali running to be governor of Kogi State.

Profile of both Persons:

Moses Siloko Siasia, from Sagabama LGA, a 35year old young leading light of Nigeria was named as one of the 200 Young African Economic Leaders for Tomorrow by Choiseul, renowned French Institute in their 2014 ranking.

Parisian institute describes Siasia as a young African leader who is reshaping the continent’s economic scene. It said men like Siasia embody the vigour and renewal of an entire continent and carry the hopes of an entire generation.

Mr. Moses Siloko Siasia is the Chairman of Mosilo Group, with huge investments in Engineering, Real Estate, Oil & Gas, Agro Processing and Project Management. The Group is a wholly owned indigenous Company with strategic partnership with some of the world’s leading technical Companies. The Group has employed over 400 young people and has continued to up the ante in human capacity development locally, with offices in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and United States.

He is the Chairman/Founder of the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, a non-governmental organisation made up of primarily young, dynamic and upwardly mobile individuals with innovative ideas that is aiding Nigeria’s development. Siasia conceived the NYPF as a platform for the development of young professionals in Nigeria through quality educational programs, national and global networking and leadership opportunities, the group has united over 7million young professionals globally with presence in 15 countries. A lawyer by profession, he is running under the platform of the PDP and has attracted lots of grassroots support most especially from youths and women.

Mohammed Ali (39years old), from Dekinah Local Government Area of Kogi, is the immediate past LGA Chairman of Dekinah.

The governor dissolved the LGA suddenly to frustrate his political ambitions. He has the support of many LGA Chairmen in the state. He was the Secretary National Association of Kogi State Students NAKOS 2002-2004, then became the President of NAKOS from 2004-2005.

Ali became Special Adviser, Student Affairs to former governor Ibrahim Idris, then Liasion Officer 1 of Dekinah LGA and later elected substantive Chairman of the LGA. When he was Chairman of the LGA, he was elected as the Chairman of the Northern Local Government Forum which compromises of 419 LG Chairmen. He coordinated the 419 LGAs for Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign for 2015. Now he is aspiring to govern Kogi State. He is a graduate of Bayero University, kano. He is an Economist. Has a Masters Degree in Economics with option of Petroleum and Energy Economics.

A new generational leader, he has the support and network of all youth within the age bracket of 30-45years old in all the 21 LGAs of the state.

Since he declared his intention to run for governor in the state, the PDP that was almost dying in the state has come back to life because the younger generation see his declaration as an opportunity for them. Many who have lost hope in the party have started to once again believe in her.

July 11, 2015