Tag: PDP

An Akwa Ibom leadership advocacy group, Ibom True Leadership Forum (ITLF), has cautioned that unless the discord following the December 8 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State is resolved, the peace in the state may be compromised.

ITLF’s warning is in a statement it released yesterday in Abuja after presenting a letter at Wadata House in Wuse, the national headquarters of the PDP.

The group urged the PDP leadership to address the grievances of the 22 governorship aspirants, who were protesting alleged irregularities and the lack of transparency in the party’s primary in Akwa Ibom State.

The statement by ITLF’s Chairman, Dr. Uwem Effiong, reads: “Akwa Ibom, as a Niger Delta state, has enjoyed relative peace and unity, even at a period when the zone was boiling as a result of youth restiveness and widespread agitation. So, we plead with the PDP, under the leadership of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to exhibit responsible leadership by addressing the grievances of the 22 aggrieved governorship aspirants in the state to avoid jeopardising the peace and unity we enjoy in Akwa Ibom.

“The views of 22 of the 23 aspirants should not be ignored as if they don’t matter. PDP, as a leading political party in Nigeria, should at all times be a unifying factor and not one to sow the seed of discord among its followers.

“The simple requests of the aspirants, as was publicised, is a plea for fair play, equity and transparency in the process of electing who should fly the flag of the PDP in next year’s governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.”

The group added: “Such harmless and civil request, which embodies the will of not only the aspirants but those of their teeming supporters and sympathisers, when swept under the carpet, would most likely result in a breach of the peace, but would also obviously be costly for the PDP in the general elections where our son, President Goodluck Jonathan, is seeking a re-election.”

ITLF added that the PDP should deepen democracy by “always ensuring that all parties are given fair hearing and should not be seen as favouring certain interests to the detriment of others”.

An Akwa Ibom leadership advocacy group, Ibom True Leadership Forum (ITLF), has cautioned that unless the current discord over the December 8 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State is resolved, the in the state may be compromised.

ITLF’s warning is in a statement it released yesterday in Abuja after presenting a letter at Wadata House in Wuse, the national headquarters of the PDP.

The group urged the PDP leadership to address the grievances of the 22 governorship aspirants who were protesting alleged irregularities and the lack of transparency in the party’s primary in Akwa Ibom State.

The statement by ITLF’s Chairman, Dr. Uwem Effiong, reads: “Akwa Ibom, as a Niger Delta state, has enjoyed relative peace and unity, even at a period when the zone was boiling as a result of youth restiveness and widespread agitation. So, we plead with the PDP, under the leadership of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to exhibit responsible leadership by addressing the grievances of the 22 aggrieved governorship aspirants in the state to avoid jeopardising the peace and unity we enjoy in Akwa Ibom.

“The views of 22 of the 23 aspirants should not be ignored as if they don’t matter. PDP, as a leading political party in Nigeria, should at all times be a unifying factor and not one to sow the seed of discord among its followers.

“The simple requests of the aspirants, as was publicised, is a plea for fair play, equity and transparency in the process of electing who should fly the flag of the PDP in next year’s governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.”

The group added: “Such harmless and civil request, which embodies the will of not only the aspirants but those of their teeming supporters and sympathisers, when swept under the carpet, would most likely result in a breach of the peace, but would also obviously be costly for the PDP in the general elections where our son, President Goodluck Jonathan, is seeking a re-election.”

ITLF added that the PDP should deepen democracy by “always ensuring that all parties are given fair hearing and should not be seen as favouring certain interests to the detriment of others”.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Ogun West–Chief Iyabo Apampa, former Deputy Governor Salmot Badru and Chief Ebun Oyagbola– led hundreds of party members yesterday to protest the alleged imposition of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole as the party’s governorship candidate.

The protesters, bearing placards with various inscriptions, decried the alleged plan by the party’s national secretariat to substitute the governorship candidate, Prince Nasir Isiaka, with Bankole.

The PDP chieftains said Ogun West had been marginalised politically, reiterating that any attempt to favour the former Speaker would be resisted.

They urged party leaders and supporters from the two other senatorial districts to support their zone in realising its ambition of producing the governor for the first time.

The PDP Senatorial Chairman in Ogun West, Boye Adesina, said a few powerful and undemocratic elements and their collaborators were bent on throwing Ogun PDP into needless crisis as witnessed in 2011.

Adesina said: “It is not in the tradition of the PDP to impose or select candidates for elections but to go through democratic process of open, transparent election as was conducted on December 8.

“We passionately appeal to the national leadership not to be hoodwinked by these elements to short-circuit the transparent process that has produced Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as Ogun PDP governorship candidate.

“Isiaka emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP through the process as defined by the party and we are irrevocably committed to his candidature.”

Their protest letter was delivered to the party’s state Secretary, Semiu Sodipo, who assured them that the party leadership would stand by the mandate given to Isiaka during the primary election.

There was a heavy presence of security yesterday at the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The party’s executive members met to appraise the outcome of its governorship primaries amid fears that the outcome might be reviewed by the national secretariat in Abuja.

About 20 riot policemen mounted sentry at the entrance to the party’s secretariat on Asa Dam Road in Ilorin.

But the State PDP spokesman Rex Olawoye said the presence of security men was to prevent hoodlums “who may want to protest the loss by their principals”.

Olawoye explained that although there was no crisis within the party, there were fears that its national secretariat might tinker with the outcome of the primaries, which produced Senator Simon Ajibola as the governorship candidate.

It was learnt that the police presence might have been used to prevent a protest march to the secretariat by supporters of the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Ajibola. Their protest was meant to counter last Saturday’s march by some members of the party against the emergence of Ajibola as the PDP flagbearer for next year’s election.

Last Saturday’s protest was believed to have been sponsored by some aggrieved stakeholders in the party to give the impression that Ajibola was a hard sell for the election.

The aggrieved leaders were said to have made several moves to rework the outcome of the primaries in favour of their candidate.

Olawoye said: “We have an executive meeting today to appraise the primaries so that we can take a position on some issues. You know some hoodlums could come to demonstrate as a reaction to the loss by their principal. That’s why we asked the police to keep them at bay. We need to meet and review things. If there is a modification, that can come later; if not, we go ahead.”

On the likely modification of the outcome of the primaries, Olawoye said: “When you have a primary like this, the national body still has the final say. You remember when Rotimi Amaechi won the primary, but later the party changed the thing. But he went to court and won without contesting in the election. This is politics. Anything can happen. But for anyone to say he doesn’t know Ajibola is a lie. He has represented Kwara South for 12 years and he has done well for us. We know him very well.”

Also, a Kwara State PDP pressure group, The Freedom Group, warned against the substitution of another candidate with Ajibola.

The group dismissed religious arguments being allegedly raised against the candidate.

In a statement, the group’s spokesperson Tajudeen Kareem said: “We wish that, in the interest of democracy, freedom of choice and peace in our   party, nothing is done to tamper with Senator Ajibola’s mandate. Any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the governorship election supervised by Governor Gabriel Suswam is a recipe for electoral disaster for the PDP in Kwara State.”

He added: “We testify to the fact that the governorship primary election was conducted in adherence to due process, transparency and in conformity with the guidelines and regulations of the PDP. That anyone or group of persons is uncomfortable with its outcome is myopic, divisive and undemocratic. It flies in the face of logic and the facts on the ground in Kwara State.

“When has religion become the basis for political representation in Kwara State? The advocates of anti-Ajibola candidacy are disingenuous. Their antics have exposed them as a bunch pursuing selfish interests and not the interest of our people. If Ajibola is a Christian, so what? All three candidates who recently won tickets to contest senatorial seats under the PDP umbrella are Muslims: Alhaji Yinka Aluko, Central; Alhaji Yinusa Yahaya, North; Lola Ashiru, South.

“As a matter of fact, of the six candidates chosen by delegates for the House of Representatives election, only one, Mr. Richard Babatunde (Oke-Ero, Isin, Ekiti and Irepodun constituency) is a Christian. The rest are Muslims. Going further, the same PDP delegates had elected 24 of their members to contest election to the House of Assembly. Of the lot, only six are Christians. They are: Eunoch Omokanye (Odo-Ogun in Oyun), Henry Olatunde (Omupo in Ifelodun), Ben Duntoye (Irepodun), Olu Adeoti (Oke-Ero), Segun Bamidele (Ekiti) and Sunday Adedoyin (Isin).

“The Freedom Group is comfortable with the emergence of Senator Ajibola. That is the collective wish of PDP members who elected delegates to represent them. His emergence has put a lie to the face of those who tried to hoodwink the delegates that the Presidency in Abuja had anointed a candidate.”

Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants, who contested the National Assembly or governorship primaries in Cross River State have dismissed claims of irregularities by some defeated aspirants.

They said the primaries were free, fair and represented the will of the people.

Among the aspirants who debunked claims that the delegates’ lists were tampered with is Nollywood diva, Kate Henshaw; former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mike Aniah and former Chairman of the Editorial Board of DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM, Mr Ugba Murphy.

Aniah, who was an aspirant for the governorship ticket, noted that there would always be one winner in any contest.

The politician urged the losers to stop throwing mud.

He said: “The governorship race was always going to be a contest and there was bound to be only one winner. For me, the process was fair and I subscribe to it.”

On the alleged tampering with the delegates’ list, he said: “What I saw in the state congress was what was arrived at at the ward congress. The delegates’ list was authentic.”

Ms Henshaw stressed that there was no manipulation of the delegates’ list during her primaries.

The actress was in the race for the Calabar South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi ticket for the House of Representatives.

She said: “It (alleged tampering with delegates’ list) did not occur in my primaries. I have heard the allegation of tampered delegates’ list. I don’t know what they are talking about.

“The delegates I met with before the primaries were the same delegates I saw during the primaries because I remembered all of them. And there was no stranger that voted on the day of my primaries.”

Murphy, a senatorial aspirant for the Cross River North, described the process as credible, particularly the governorship primaries.

Speaking on the sidelines of the governorship primaries at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, he said: “Wonderful. I can see it is very orderly and people are voting according to their local governments. The procedure is wonderful.”

Also, Cross River Youth Vanguard said neither Senate Leader Victor Ndom-Egba nor Mr Goddy Jeddy Agba had the moral ground to question the integrity of the primaries.

The group, in a statement in Calabar by its Secretary-General, Ofem Obiang, wondered how after taking part in the process, the two politicians found everything wrong with it.

He said: “If they had won, they would not have questioned the process. Ndoma-Egba even voted at the National Assembly and governorship primaries, which Agba is now trying to discredit. We don’t know how true this is, but we understand that the Senate leader didn’t even vote for Agba.”

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Ogun West, Chief Iyabo Apampa, former Deputy Governor Salmot Badru and Chief Ebun Oyagbola led hundreds of party members to the state secretariat yesterday to protest the alleged imposition of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole as the party’s governorship candidate.

The protesters, bearing placards with various inscriptions, decried the alleged plan by the party’s national secretariat to substitute the governorship candidate, Prince Nasir Isiaka, with Bankole.

The PDP chieftains said Ogun West had been marginalised politically, reiterating that any attempt to favour the former Speaker would be resisted.

They urged party leaders and supporters from the two other senatorial districts to support their zone in realizing its ambition of producing the governor for the first time.

The PDP Senatorial Chairman in Ogun West, Boye Adesina, said a few powerful and undemocratic elements and their collaborators are bent in throwing Ogun PDP into needless crisis as witnessed in 2011.

Adesina said: “It is not in the tradition of the PDP to impose or select candidates for elections but to go through democratic process of open, transparent election as was conducted on December 8.

“We passionately appeal to the national leadership not to be hoodwinked by these elements to short-circuit the transparent process that has produced Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as Ogun PDP governorship candidate.

“Isiaka emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP through the process as defined by the party and we are irrevocably committed to his candidature.”

Their protest letter was delivered to the party’s state Secretary, Semiu Sodipo, who assured them that the party leadership would stand by the mandate given to Isiaka during the primary election.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Obubra/Etung in Cross River State, Michael Etaba, has hailed the peaceful conduct of the state’s primaries.

The candidate noted that the success of the primaries followed the level-playing field Governor Liyel Imoke provided.

Etaba, who beat 17 aspirants to pick the PDP ticket for the seat occupied by Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, John Owan Enoh, told reporters that “Imoke deserves a special mention for the transparent manner he supervised the entire process that led to the emergence of all our party’s candidates for the forthcoming general elections; from the House of Assembly to the House of Representatives, the Senate and the governorship”.

He added: “Imoke allowed internal democracy to flourish by creating the platform for all aspirants to interact and sell their visions and intentions to the electorate through the Party Caucuses at Ward, Local Government, Constituency, Senatorial and State level. This has, in no small measure, deepened the entire democratic process. The process was transparent and credible as caucus members were given the liberty to grill the aspirants and score them as they saw fit. This process eliminated rancour and led to the emergence of a strong field of quality candidates for our party in the State.”

Etaba congratulated the party’s governroship candidate, Prof. Ben Ayade; the three senatorial candidates (Gershom Bassey, John Enoh Owan and Rose Oko) and other candidates for their victory at the primaries.

The House of Representatives hopeful also said President Goodluck Jonathan had delivered on his electoral promises to Nigerians.

He said the President would win a second term in office in February 2015.

Etaba said: “The Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has borne fruit and Nigerians are the better for it. Some of the success stories include the restoration of rail services which have been moribund for decades. He has sanitized the procurement machinery of government and improved transparency; has cut down corrupt practices in government contracts; transformed the Nigerian economy to become the biggest in Africa, and has not interfered in activities of INEC thereby paving way for free elections in states like Edo, Ekiti and Osun.

“There’s visible improvement in the road and aviation sectors. The president established almajari schools and new universities to ensure that every state now hosts a Federal University, eliminated fertilser fraud, made Nigeria self-sufficient in food production through better financing of the Agricultural Sector, introduced free healthcare for pregnant women, and fight against insurgency, and oil theft, among others.”