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Tag: PDP

  • ‘Rural development’ll be our priority’

    ‘Rural development’ll be our priority’

    The Ogun East Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Kashamu Buruji, has assured the grass roots urgent development in Ogun East senatorial district.

    Addressing a mammoth crowd of party supporters and faithful at two separate rallies in Ogun Waterside Local Government and Ijebu East local government areas, Kashamu said the rural areas in the zone needs urgent and prompt development, saying he’s canvassing for grass roots development because he was so much concerned about the people living in the rural areas.

    He said when it comes to relating with the grass roots, his party PDP was fully on ground, prayed that when he emerged as the senator to represent the zone at the National Assembly, he would concentrate more on the grass roots.

    Kashamu, who reiterated his commitment to the creation of Ijebu State, the revamping of Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ijebu Division and Cargo Airport in Remo Division, assured that he would lobby the relevant government agencies and institutions “ to make these projects a reality”.

    He said: “The impressive turn out at these rallies have shown that our party, the PDP is on ground. We are the party to beat and we are ready to win at all levels in the state.”

     

     

     

  • Appeal court reserves judgment in APC suit

    The Appeal Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has reserved judgment in the suit by the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the election of Governor Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The APC urged the court to declare former Governor Kayode Fayemi, winner of the June 21, last year, governorship election.

    The party, in the alternative, also urged the court to order a re-run of the election on the grounds that Fayose was not qualified to stand as a candidate at the poll.

    The five- man panel, led by Justice Abdu Aboki, adjourned after listening to counsel to all parties in the appeal.

    The respondents are PDP, Fayose, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief of Army Staff and Inspector General of Police.

    The APC is challenging Fayose’s election on the grounds that he was not qualified to stand election as a candidate by reason of his impeachment from office on October 16, 2006.

    The party also sued the governor for the alleged forgery of academic certificates and violation of the Code of Conduct Rules.

    The Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Sirajo, in a judgment delivered in Abuja on December 19, last year, upheld Fayose’s election and dismissed the APC’s petition.

    APC’s counsel Hakeem Afolabi adopted and relied on all briefs filed on behalf of his client, urging the court to allow the appeal and grant all reliefs sought by the appellants.

    Afolabi drew the court’s attention to the striking out of paragraphs 110-120 and 125a of the petition by the lower tribunal, which borders on the qualification of the second respondent (Fayose).

    The APC counsel argued that the reason given by the lower tribunal cannot be accommodated under Section 138 (a) of the Electoral Act.

    He contended that the decision of the tribunal was taken suo moto and that the right to fair hearing of the appellants was breached.

    PDP’s counsel Robert Emukpoeruo argued that not only did the tribunal strike out the paragraphs in contention, it also considered the merit of the complaints of the appellants.

    Fayose’s counsel Yusuf Ali urged the court to dismiss the APC’s appeal.

    Ali argued that the constitution of the panel that recommended Fayose’s impeachment violated constitutional provisions in that it was not set up by either a chief judge or an acting chief judge.

    INEC’s counsel Wilcox Abereton, in adopting his brief of argument, averred that APC’s candidate Kayode Fayemi had conceded defeat, maintaining that the appellant (APC) is no longer entitled to any appearance.

    The Army Chief’s counsel, Abayomi Sadiku, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal. He was seconded by the IG’s counsel, Olusola Oke.

    After listening to the lawyers, Justice Aboki reserved judgment in the appeal.

  • Fashola blames Fed Govt, PDP

    Fashola blames Fed Govt, PDP

    •Governor cautions residents against violence

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola believes that with the shift in the dates of the general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Federal Government have succeeded in hoodwinking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Fashola spoke to reporters shortly after collecting his Permanent Voters Card (PVC) at his polling unit at Itolo Grammar School, off Eric Moore in Surulere Local Government Area.

    The governor, who was presented his PVC by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Akin Orebiyi, condemned the postponement, saying the move was to achieve the Federal Government’s and the PDP’s premeditated agenda.

    He flayed the excuse given by the security chiefs that they could not guarantee the safety of INEC officials as well as voters and election observers in 14 local governments in Northeast, hence the suggestion to shift the polls by six weeks.

    Fashola said: “The credibility of our governance is regrettably diminished. I don’t know any serious democracy in recent times that have set date and then changes them, except perhaps the last one was when a British Prime Minister backed down from elections. And you know what happened in the end; he was still defeated.

    “I think that when a country sets in motion a process like this, it ought to know that there would be political and economic consequences and that is why investors and the global community watch what is going on. I mean it’s disappointing; to put it lively.

    “When you now even hear the Presidency, the Federal Government and the PDP saying they cannot guarantee security; they say it with such relish as if they have a choice in guaranteeing security. That is the primary purpose of government.

    “And when you say it to ambush an electoral manager into not conducting an election because you are afraid of defeat; I mean it’s really a very low point for governance in this country. Because whether we go to elections or not, government will still have a duty to secure this nation. And if countries like Afghanistan, Syria and all those countries where there was war and internal conflicts have held elections, I don’t see why not here.”

    The governor wondered why elections were held in 2011, about a year after the insurgents started attacks in the Northeast.

    He urged Nigerians not to fall for the gimmick of those who orchestrated the postponement.

    “I think Nigerians can see beyond this smokescreen. But it is a deferment of the imminent date of change,” the governor said.

    Fashola, who spoke earlier at a rally organised by the Hausa speaking community in the state at the Onikan Stadium, however, urged residents to refrain from violent acts over the latest development.

    “I use this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to remain calm, especially to the supporters and members of the APC.

    “This is just a matter of time and the momentum of change is already on and the momentum is Nigerian people’s momentum. But it’s just that it would have consequences for us as a nation,” he said.

     

  • Shift won’t save PDP, says Buhari campaign organisation

    Shift won’t save PDP, says Buhari campaign organisation

    Coordinator of the Lagos Office of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, James Abiodun Faleke, has condemned the postponement of the general elections by six weeks as announced by Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega.

    The INEC chair cited security reasons to justify the shift in the dates for the national election from February 14 to March 28 and the state election from February 28 to April 11.

    Faleke said the postponement could endanger the nation’s budding democracy and diminish the reputation of Nigeria in the comity of nations.

    Faleke, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics and Values, accused those who are afraid of defeat at the polls as the architects of the postponement.

    His words: “We condemn this shift in election dates. It is a sad development and a dangerous signal to the growth of democracy in Nigeria. The time-table was released more than a year ago. Why is it that a week to the presidential and National Assembly elections, INEC is just announcing the postponement?”

    The lawmaker accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of intimidating and blackmailing the electoral body into submission.

    “It is obvious that Nigerians will overwhelmingly reject the ruling party and its candidates at the polls. The Federal Government has seen the defeat of the party clearly and boldly written on the wall and it is now afraid of the rules it set for the game and decided to shift the goal post in the middle of the game,” Faleke said.

    He, however, stated that the PDP has only succeeded in pushing forward the doom’s day as six weeks cannot make up for the pains of six years. Nigerians are wiser and would not be fooled.

    “Let them postpone the elections. Nigerians are waiting for them. Nigerians are bonded in this struggle for change and they are determined to make it happen. Is it in six weeks that the PDP will correct the evils of 16 years?”

    “The plot is to weaken the opposition and give some respite for the ruling party. The PDP thinks the opposition will run out of steam because it is the only party that raised more than N20 billion to perpetuate itself in office.

    “What we are telling them is that the people’s will to effect a change is stronger than the federal might that the PDP has exerted INEC to shift the polls.

    “All agents of change must, however, remain steadfast and calm. They should avoid falling into the trap. The APC is determined to give Nigerians a new direction and a new lease of life from the rudderless leadership the PDP has offered for 16 years.”

    Faleke, who is the candidate of the APC for the Ikeja Federal Constituency, urged those who have gotten their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of the shift window to do so.

  • Uba, Okonkwo, Emeka not substituted as PDP’s candidates

    The Court of Appeal, Abuja did not order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to substitute the names of Chief Chris Uba, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Prince John Emeka as candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Anambra South, Central and North senatorial districts.

    Counsel to the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the PDP in Anambra State, Gordy Uche, said in Abuja on Saturday that contrary to media reports, the issue of who was the party’s candidate was never before the trial court and as such could not have formed part of the issue before the appellate court.

    Some media reports claimed that the Court of Appeal ordered INEC to substitute the names of Uba, Okonkwo and Emeka with that of Senator Andy Uba, Uche Ekwunife and Stella Oduah as the PDP candidates.

    Uche said the background was based on the judgment by Justice Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, in the case between Emma Mbamalu and Chuks Okoye.

    He said Mbamalu and Okoye were not parties in the case and that when  Oguebego learnt of the case and they (Oguebego and Okoye) applied to the court to be joined as interested parties, the court refused to join them, and went ahead with the matter.

    Uche said his clients later approached the same court, presided over by Justice Kekemeke to grant them leave to appeal against the judgment it gave in the case. The judge refused and in his ruling, he went into another issue which was not what was before him, by saying the tenure of Oguebego and his executive had lapsed.

    He went on: “But then, normally and legally judgments bind the parties before it. This Court of Appeal in its judgment tried to take the position now although they were not parties to the suit then, that the suit concerned the PDP in Anambra State, the one before Kekemeke but that is not the law because there were specific parties before Kekemeke and who the court also refused to grant leave to appeal. This judgment has nothing to do with the delegates’ lists.

    “It has nothing to do with the candidates whose name have been sent to INEC and another very important thing you should remember is that these candidates whose names have been submitted to INEC were not parties to either the case before Justice Kekemeke or the appeal before the Court of Appeal, and the Court of Appeal cannot now make an order to remove somebody whose name has already been sent to INEC.

    “You also remember the provision of the Electoral Act that once somebody’s name has been submitted to INEC, that it cannot be substituted or removed even by INEC except the person is dead or he resigns willingly, which is not the situation here.

    “These people whose names have been submitted are not dead, neither have they withdrawn from the race. So there is no way that judgment could be said to operate against these candidates. At worst, with relation to the Anambra State Executive Committee of the party, it brings the parties back to the status quo as if the judgment never existed, it does not mean that the primaries were never conducted or that their names ought to have been submitted in the first place.

    “It is also noteworthy that as at the time the matter was pending at the trial court, the primaries have not been held. So the issue of primaries was not what was before the trial court and cannot now be what is before the appellate court. Because an appeal is merely an appeal from the issues before the trial, so the issue of candidates was never before the trial, the issue was whether the PDP can be allowed to set up a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the state executive committee, whose tenure was still subsisting.

    “In previous decisions of these courts, including the Federal High Court Port Harcourt Division, they have all held that the tenure of the Oguebeho-led executive is still subsisting that the national body does not have the powers to appoint a caretaker committee.

    “So the issue being bandied about that INEC should remove Chris Uba, Prince John Emeka and Senator Annie Okonkwo was never before the Court of Appeal. INEC cannot even go ahead to act, based on that judgment because as at Friday, my clients, Oguebego and Chuks Okoye, have filed an appeal before the Supreme Court and also filed an application for a stay of execution.”

  • Kogi PDP chieftain, others join APC

    Kogi PDP chieftain, others join APC

    Scores of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Kogi State at the weekend defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The defection took place at Ayangba in Dekina Local Government Area during APC’s Kogi Eastern zonal rally.

    Governor Idris Wada is from Odu-Ogboyaga, a distance of less than 30 kilometres from Ayangba.

    Among the defectors were two former PDP governorship aspirants, Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi and Senator Nicholas Ugbane.

    They joined the progressives with their supporters. Other prominent PDP members who defected to the APC included former Accountant-General of the state, Elder Ubolo Okpanachi; former State PDP Chairman Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja; former Kogi State Teaching Service Commission Chairman Mallam Sani Ogu and former House of Representatives member Samson Abdul Ihiabe (aka Positive).

    The venue was filled to capacity.

    The crowd went into jubilation when former Governor Abubakar Audu drove into the venue in a long motorcade.

    Audu told the people that the defection of the “political gladiators into the APC” indicated that the reign of the PDP had ended.

    The former governor described the defection as a further boost for APC’s success in the March and April general elections.

    On behalf of the defectors, Atawodi said the decision to join the progressives followed wide consultations with major stakeholders.

    He described the PDP as a party of mediocre individuals who were not interested in the nation’s progress but their personal gains.

    Ugbane said the PDP’s ship was sinking, adding that he would not to be among its victims.

    He said: “Kogi State under the PDP government is the least developed state in Nigeria.”

  • APC, PDP in make or mar contest in Akwa Ibom

    APC, PDP in make or mar contest in Akwa Ibom

    The general elections in Akwa Ibom State will be a stiff competition between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is waxing stronger by the day. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI examines the contest for relevance between the two parties. 

    There is a crack within the ranks of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State that has seriously whittled down the influence of the party. The party has governed the state since the return to civilian rule in 1999 and was hitherto considered to be entrenched in the state. But, seeds of distrust had been sowed in the party over time because of the leadership style of Governor Godswill Akpabio, who has governed the state like his personal estate. Many of the founding fathers of the party had borne the whole thing with equanimity, believing that everything would be over soon with the expiration of Akpabio’s second term in May.

    But, things began to fall apart as the December 8, 2014 governorship primary approached, when stakeholders realized that Akpabio was not ready to allow the contest to take place under a free and fair atmosphere. He turned deaf ear to entreaties by senior citizens from the state such as former Governor Victor Attah and Donald Etiebet, asking him to make the race open to all. Stakeholders in the state regard the candidature of Udom Emmanuel, the PDP governorship flag bearer, as a third term agenda on the part of the governor. As a result, things have moved from bad to worse since his emergence after the primary.

    Twenty-two of the 23 governorship aspirants under the auspices of the ‘Forum of Akwa Ibom State PDP Gubernatorial Aspirants’ otherwise known as the G-22, alleged gross irregularities in the conduct of the primary. The aspirants registered their grievances in a petition signed by all of them and appealed for fair play and justice from the national leadership of the party. The major grievance is that no primary took place, as everything was skewed towards returning the governor’s anointed candidate, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, as the party’s flag bearer.

    For instance, the aspirants said there was no accreditation of any delegate at the venue of the state congress. They insist that accreditation was done at the Government House, Uyo and that unqualified persons were smuggled into the venue with accreditation cards which was contrary to paragraph 19 (e) (f) and (g) of electoral guidelines, which stipulates that names of accredited delegates shall be announced to the hearing of all persons present. Though members of the G-22 have doggedly refused to leave the PDP, they are believed to be working underground to thwart Akpabio’s ‘third term agenda’.

    What really went wrong in Akwa Ibom? Observers say the problem could be traced President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid for a second term. PDP governors are believed to have entered into an arrangement to return Jonathan for a second term in exchange for a free hand to choose their successors. This explains why the party is having internal crisis in most of the states it controls. “Our people are fed-up with the insults, arrogance and provocative insensitivity of President Jonathan and the PDP to the wishes of the people and they will show to the world that there is no gain or pride in slavery and imposition,” a source who wants to remain anonymous said.

    Observers say in spite of the support President Jonathan enjoys from the state that there is no federal presence in terms of empowerment and projects and that Akwa Ibomites are totally disenchanted with the conspiratorial silence on and the obvious acquiescence of Mr. Jonathan with Akpabio’s dictatorial tendencies, especially the imposition of the party’s governorship flag bearer.

    Akpabio has been accused of treating the people of Akwa Ibom with contempt and disrespect. In spite of the amount of money that accrues to the state on a monthly basis, the Akpabio’s administration has been squandering it without planning for the future of the state. On average, Akwa Ibom’s share of federally allocated revenue is five times that of the average state and the state is acknowledged as the richest state in Nigeria. Today, there is a veneer of tranquility when one drives through the streets of Uyo, the state capital. But, beneath the glitter and tranquility on the surface lies a deep rancour. Critics say there is no long term planning and that the government is squandering the states resources on white elephant projects.

    Former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly Uwem Udoma said healthcare is in shambles, agriculture remains at subsistence level and that government is paying lip service to education, but the environment is not conducive for learning and government has not provided facilities in the schools, especially in the hinterland. School pupils in the rural areas do not have access to laboratory equipment and a good number of them study in dilapidated structures. Udoma, who is now a chieftain of the APC said there is no functional hospital in the state, except the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, which is owned by the Federal Government.

    Akpabio has no doubt constructed roads and put up some other physical infrastructures in the state. But, critics say what he has achieved is nothing, when compared with the amount of resources that accrues to the state. Indeed, some of the structures he has put in place is nothing but white elephant projects and critics say he has pocketed the “kickbacks” and the inflated costs from them, even though they are not yet operational. There are those who have been bought over by “Akpabiosm” and the “uncommon transformation” of the governor. To such persons, the PDP still remains the party of choice for the people of Akwa Ibom.

    But, there are a growing number of persons who are insisting that the party has run short of ideas and that the electorates should try the alternative provided by the APC. The second school of thought believes that Akpabio wants to extend his tenure through Emmanuel. Constitutionally, the governor would be concluding his second term as governor in May, but if he succeeds in imposing his candidate, the incumbent governor would continue to hold on to the reins of power through his protégé.

    Take the stadium for instance; he has refused to state the exact sum expended in putting up the structure. Yet, the stadium project has not been completed. The only unit that has been completed is the football arena. The swimming pool, the gymnasium and other components of the project are yet to be put in place. In spite of this, Akpabio went ahead to organise a extravagant opening ceremony believed to have gulped over N500 million.

    There is also a lot of hype about the number of flyovers in Uyo. But, as far as many Akwa Ibomites are concerned, there is no need for such flyovers at the moment. In December last year, Akpabio also organized a profligate Christmas carol believed to have gulped over a N1 billion. Well known personalities, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, were brought from different parts of the globe to Uyo for the carol.

    Yet, civil servants have not received their salaries since September last year. Workers in the local governments have been on strike since December and have vowed to remain on strike until all their demands are met. Chairmen of local governments owing salaries claim money released to them by Governor Akpabio could not cover their salary bills. Former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Akwa Ibom State chapter, Felix Udo, said apart from unpaid salaries and allowances of workers, retired NULGE members had not been paid gratuities since 2009. The former NULGE boss said another reason for the strike was the irregular computation of salaries and allowances of local government workers.

    Primary school teachers are also on indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries since last December. The schools are now ghost towns. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Akwa Ibom State chapter, said its members would not go back to classes until the state government fulfilled the agreement it reached with the teachers in concrete terms.

    The union’s secretary, Mike Ike-Ene, said its members proceeded on the strike following the breach of agreement earlier reached between the government and the union. Unpaid salaries aside, teachers in the state have not been paid promotion arrears since 2009. Ditto their leave grants since 2012. Besides, there is also a huge backlog of pensions and gratuities due to Akwa Ibom primary school teachers.

    For the first time since the return to civil rule in 1999, the opposition appears to have taken root in Akwa State politics. Umana’s defection to the APC has breathed life into the hitherto comatose opposition party. It has turned it into a viable alternative for the people, particularly for politicians who have crashed out of favour with the ruling PDP. With thousands of politicians who were hitherto the foot soldiers of the PDP in their respective political domains now in the APC, there are fears that the PDP has lost its steam in the state.

    Apart from the likelihood that the PDP may lose the governorship election, there are fears that President Jonathan may not receive the kind of overwhelming support he got there in 2011. Most of those who have decamped to the APC have vowed to ensure that the President does not win in Uyo Senatorial District and the state as a whole. But, Akpabio is not impressed by Umana’s threat to sweep the polls. He described the threat as “laughable and impossible.” According to the governor, Umana has never been a politician and as such does not have the political clout to win the governorship.

    Aside from the governorship election, the other contest generating interest in Akwa Ibom is the David versus Goliath senatorial election in Ikot Ekpene District, otherwise known as the Northwest Senatorial District. In the contest, Obong Inibehe Okori is challenging Governor Akpabio’s bid for the seat. Abak division, which is one of the two major components of the district, has turned against Akpabio and the PDP. After governing the state for eight years, Akpabio is bidding to retire to the Senate, against the subsisting agreement that the next senator from the district should come from the Abak division. As a result, there has been a frosty relationship between people from the area and Governor Akpabio. Okori, who is contesting on the APC platform, is one of the arrowheads of those protesting against the perceived injustice. Akpabio has tried to placate the people by choosing the running mate to Emmanuel from the area, but the people are saying it is not acceptable.

    Indications are that the election is going to be keenly contested. But, Akpabio is widely expected to use his huge financial war chest to try to influence the outcome of the contest.  However, Okori is of the view that the Lord will give him victory, in spite of Akpabio’s huge war chest. His words: “What type of money does Akpabio have? Is it not the peoples’ money that has been entrusted in his hands? Is it justifiable for him to use this money to oppress the people? The God I worship would not allow that. As I speak to you, I want you to look at me once again; I am that David that fought Goliath; I am that Moses that confronted Pharaoh on behalf of the people of Israel. It shall come to pass.”

    For the first time, ethnicity is going to be a major factor in the forthcoming election in the state. The state is made up of three major ethnic nationalities: Ibibio, Anang and Oron. In the governorship election, the Uyo Senatorial District, which is predominantly an Ibibio enclave, is expected to back Umana, who is an Ibibio person from that district. Umana defected to the APC along with a large chunk of PDP faithful and notable chieftains, who are opposed to the decision of Governor Akpabio and the PDP to exclusively zone the governorship slot to Eket and the governor’s insistence ticket, against the logic of zoning.

    The entire Oron ethnic nationality (in Eket District) has resolved to back the APC. A group known as Oro Think Tank, an umbrella group of Oron stakeholders, made the above declaration last Thursday. It says that with the way are, an Oron person may not be able to govern the state in the next 24 years. The position of the group was articulated by its chairman, Comrade Okon Osung and secretary, Prof. Eminue. So, from all indications, the five local government areas that make up the Oron nation is likely to vote APC. Naturally, the three Ibibio local governments in Eket District, where Emmanuel comes from, may back the PDP flag bearer.

    The Ibibios in the two local governments in Ikot Ekpene district are also likely to vote APC. Ikot Ekpene district has 10 local governments. Three of the local governments are from the axis where Akpabio comes from, while five belong to the Abak division where Okori hails from. Based on this calculation, Okori is very confident of victory in the senatorial race. He said: “To be honest with you, I am not aware of any prominent citizen of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district that is supporting Akpabio’s ambition. The people that are adopting Akpabio are his commissioners, his special advisers, in short, his aides. Those are not political leaders. Besides, his performance in the state has no bearing on the legislative matter.” For the first time in 16 years of civil rule, the opposition held a rally in Ikot Ekpene last week Monday, which attracted a mammoth crowd.

  • ‘PDP vandalising APC billboards in Lagos’

    ‘PDP vandalising APC billboards in Lagos’

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of defacing and vandalising billboards, posters and banners of its candidates across the local governments.

    The ruling party said suspected thugs masquerading as members of the illegal Federal Task Force in Lagos were instigated by the PDP to cause mayhem and  provoke APC leaders and followers.

    The Publicity Secretary, Comrade Joe Igbokwe, who raised the alarm that the PDP was inciting war, said the evidence of vandalisation of campaign materials are visible in Gbagada, Third Mainkand, Osborn and Victoria Island, where vandalised APC banners were replaced with those of the PDP.

    He lamented that suspected thugs and hoodlums instigated by the PDP invaded Osborn with dangerous weapons removed the posters of the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, and the presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the police deliberately refused to stop the brigandage.

    Igbokwe added: “Last wednesday, the PDP mobilised its members and thugs and held road users and traffic on Ikorodu Road for eight hours in the pretext of holding rallies. In the process, they targeted all APC posters, billboards and posters on the road for destruction and removal. We are yet to see any police action against such act of recklessness and rascality. This was the same police that threatened to arrest LASAA officials for regulating indiscriminate defacement of Lagos with posters and handbills.”

    The party official said that the PDP is planning to instigate violence because it has been rejected by Nigerians. He added: “The PDP thinks it can overwhelm Lagos with brute force and state sponsored criminality and, if it is so sure that it will win Lagos, as it has been boasting, why is it precipitating a war in Lagos?

    “Does it also have the capacity to manage the war in the unlikely event that it wins a state where it is not welcome? Our members are running out of patience in this continued provocation. While we are trying our utmost best to restrain our members from being drawn into any war that will undermine our well oiled wheel of change, we warn that there is a limit to tolerance and that our members may be forced to react, if to defend themselves and their interests.

    “Our silence should not be mistaken for submission and docility. We may be forced to react, if pushed to the wall and the perpetrators of this on-going deliberate brigandage will be held responsible for this. We call on the Lagos State Police Commissioner and his command to act quickly and decisively to stop this brigandage. We cannot continue to complain while the PDP is deliberately allowed to breach the security and peace of Lagos. Lagosians will not tolerate this criminality any longer.”

  • PDP in the web of a wise grasshopper

    THERE is a particular grasshopper that is called “Olafuru Nwata” in my local parlance. This grasshopper is very deceitful. Kiddies normally go after it because of its antics. The grasshopper when pursued, will never escape to a conspicuous distance, so as not to discourage the child from its pursuit. A child in pursuit of “Olafuru Nwata” may have covered kilometers unknowingly. As an adult now, I have come to realise that it was only kiddies that went after the grasshopper, for obvious reasons. The reasons range from exuberance, inexperience, adventurism to foolhardiness.

    In most cases, it is the child that looses comprehensively but for its athletic advantage. In the first place, the child fails to kill its prey, gets spanked in the house for not attending to routine chores, pays a lip attention to his studies and fails. In extreme cases, the child ends up a delinquent.

    This equally happens in politics when a leader goes on a wild goose chase. The “grasshopperian” theory of politics must have two dramatis personae at every point in time.

     “Grasshopperianism” simply means that the more you pursue, the more you lose. The theory equally suggests that the less crafty loses in respect of dignity, focus, resources, et al.  The theory played out in the loss of America in the Vietnam War. It equally played out in the bipolar ideological war between America and the former USSR, which culminated in the disintegration of USSR.

    At present, the two dramatis personae in the epicenter of this are President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State. One person seems to be the grasshopper personified while the other is the pursuer. The crux of the matter before now was the contention for the soul of the Governors’ Forum. The fight snowballed into a big crack in the Governors’ Forum that saw to the emergence of PDP Governors’ Forum. Ever since then, the glamour and political clout of the Governors Forum waned. As if that was not enough, some PDP governors decamped to the major opposition party thereby weakening the PDP. All these happened overtime because the presidency went after Governor Rotimi Amechi (“Olafuru Nwata”).

    It was a very big political miscalculation on the part of PDP leadership as it fought from all fronts. Even as the election approaches, many PDP governors are disenchanted with the party. The party does not seem to have a standard and benchmark for its affairs. The National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, was vociferous in condemning the lack of internal democracy and suppression that has become a mantra in the party. While some governors were given tickets to the National Assembly elections, others were denied that. While some governors were allowed to anoint their successors, others were denied such opportunities. The resultant effect is that some PDP governors are tacitly supporting the opposition. In Ebonyi State for instance, it is a well known fact that Governor Martins Nwancho Elechi is not happy that he was denied the party’s ticket to the senate. He was equally denied the privilege to produce his successor. He had wanted Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, the immediate past Minister of Health, to become the PDP gubernatorial flag bearer. Those two dreams eluded him and from all indications he has unofficially dumped PDP for Labour Party. The position, authority and influence of a state governor is not minor. That is the very reason why any level headed party should not toy with a sitting governor. PDP will surely pay heavily for slighting some of its serving governors.

    As the election approaches, the polity will yet experience a lot of alignments and re-alignments. It is widely being speculated that some PDP governors are romancing with the opposition. PDP as a party should have known better that most governors in their fold are serving out their second terms and do not have much at stake. A good number of them still have love for the “Olafuru Nwata”. A child will never be wiser than “Olafuru Nwata” and that informed why adults turn a blind eye whenever they come across it.  The 14th February, presidential election will however provide the answer to this puzzle.

    —- Otunko, “Arkaman” wrote in from Enugu

  • Fresh crisis hits Edo PDP

    Fresh crisis hits Edo PDP

    A fresh crisis has hit the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP) over alleged non-disbursement of funds made available to the chapter for last Thursday’s presidential campaign rally in the state.

    Youths, numbering over 200, stormed the party’s secretariat along Sapele road in Benin City and sealed it up to protest the failure of the party leadership to pay them for their presence at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the campaign rally.

    The youths, under the auspices of Grassroots Youth Initiative (GYI), caused heavy traffic on the highway, as they blocked the party’s gate, demanding for their share of the N1.2bn provided for the rally by the presidency.

    It was learnt that the protesters took to the streets after they allegedly refused the N20,000 offered to them last night.

    They specifically mentioned the Edo State Director General of President Jonathan Campaign Organization, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as being responsible for keeping the money meant for them.

    The youths carried placards bearing inscriptions, such as “PDP pay us our money” and “Our youth must grow”.

    The National President of GYI, Osarobo Idahosa, said he was part of the campaign planning committee in the state, but was surprised that only N20,000 was given to him to pay thousands of youths mobilized for the rally.

    Idahosa said he personally mobilised youths to the stadium, but was not paid any money.

    Another protester, who gave his name as Cromwell Aigbona, said, “It is a new time and a new dawn. It is time our leaders recognized that there are youths in the state. We will not be used and dumped. The time has come for the youth to say no to use and dump. We want transparency.

    “Our money has not been given to us. That is why we are here. We want to tell the leaders of PDP that we want to move on.”

    A PDP leader, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the protest was sponsored by a former governorship candidate of the party and founder of Goodluck to Goodluck, Gen Charles Airhiavbere.

    He said, “The money was shared to all the leaders. Ize-Iyamu is not concerned about this money. This protest is because of one person within the party. Airhiavbere paid and sponsored this protest,” he alleged.

    However, while reacting to the allegation, Airhiavbere said, “It is not true. They should address their problems.”

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu, however, accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) for sponsoring the protest because of the crowd that attended the presidential rally.

    Ize-Iyamu denied collecting N1.2bn for the rally and said what was spent on the rally was less than what the APC spent on its own rally.

    “We have never seen that kind of a crowd at a rally. We are optimistic that this will translate to votes for us on February 14.

    “The APC was terrified about the rally attendance. The story of N1.2bn is another lie from the APC camp. The money that came for the rally was pittance. We want to assure the youths that the disinformation was to cause disarray in our ranks. The protest was inflamed by the disinformation from the APC.”