The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP

Remove Fayose now, aggrieved PDP members urge Jonathan

Aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Ekiti State have given President Goodluck Jonathan five days to nullify the primary that produced former Governor Ayo Fayose as the party’s flag bearer in the June 21 governorship election and order a fresh one.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Ado-Ekiti after a meeting, the aggrieved members, led by Mrs. Feyisayo Fajuyi, said: “The PDP’s constitution was fundamentally breached as congresses did not hold in whole seven of the 16 councils in the state. Massive rigging occurred in many of the councils where the congresses were said to have held.

“We urge the President to immediately reverse the sham that produced Fayose as our party’s flag bearer. What we are saying should be clear to every sincere Nigerian. PDP never held a primary in Ekiti and so, there is no candidate for the party yet.”

They blamed the PDP leadership for “open bias”, saying former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili presided over “a fraudulent primary that lacks legitimacy”.

The aggrieved members urged the president to nullify the primary, adding: “Time is ticking fast against the party as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed a timetable for the election.”

Others at the press briefing were Chief Abel Fayori (Irepodun/Ifelodun); Chief C. Ajayi (Ise/Orun); Mrs. Foluke Adetunji (Ekiti West); Biodun Ajibadeola (Ikole-Ekiti); Comrade Oluwalana Ayobami (Youth President) and Comrade Akinola Adams (Ijero-Ekiti).

They said: “The media is definitely aware of the events that led to the emergence of a supposed flag bearer of our party. The details were made available to Nigerians through the media by the authorities and leaders concerned.

“As we have said and will continue to say, you cannot build something on nothing. If a university student undergoing a six-year course is discovered to have used a forged certificate in the fifth year, he would be removed from the system immediately. The amount of years he has spent will amount to nothing. President Jonathan must order a fresh primary, as the one said to have been conducted was fraught with fraud on a large scale.

“With the party’s national hierarchy pretending that all is well, we took it upon ourselves to encourage our large followership to wait for Mr. President’s return, upon which we believe he will intervene with other respected party leaders.

“Today makes it the 16th day of our waiting for a redress by such interventions. While waiting, some leaders have been persuaded to abandon the truth and settle in criminal compromise. We jointly, as a group, and individually dissociate ourselves from being a part of moving on at the looming peril of failure at the coming poll.

“The purported primary itself was a daylight rape on democracy and it was widely acclaimed as unacceptable by majority of the party’s stakeholders.”

Expressing readiness to leave the PDP and “opt for a better and more assuring option”, should efforts fail to have a fresh primary conducted, they said: “The likelihood of loss is too great and glaring in the coming election in Ekiti. Unless the president does the needful now, we run the risk of being branded a party of unrepentant criminals.

“We await Mr. President’s intervention to prove that the PDP’s surname is not fraud and neither is its middle name corruption. True leaders are never passive or negatively active. We await Mr. President’s action and positively too.”

April 8, 2014
‘Dankwambo’s work speaks for itself’

Alhaji Buba Shanu is the State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State. In this interview with VINCENT OHONBAMU, he speaks on the party’s chances in 2015, and recent defections in the state.

How prepared is the PDP for the 2015 general election in Gombe?

As you can see, the Peoples Democratic Party, both at the national level and in Gombe State, is taking this as a serious business. I say so because we have the political infrastructure in place to take care of the business. If you look at our structure and activities, it is obvious that we are a serious party doing a serious business. At the national level, when the management of the PDP sneezes, Nigeria catches cold. This tells you that we are the party to beat. In Gombe State, we produced the last two governments from 2003 to date. And, if I may quote, His Excellency, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during the economic summit here in December, said: “If every politician would act the way the Gombe State governor is acting, if every state is like Gombe State, there would be no problem in Nigeria”. This is because Gombe State exemplifies what democracy should be – the government of the people, for the people by the people. So, to sum it up, the PDP has never been readier because we take this as a serious business.

Considering that Senator Danjuma Goje has defected to the major opposition party, the APC, what are the chances of Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo remaining in office beyond May 29, 2015?

I know for certain he would be in office. The PDP is going to continue to rule Gombe State for quite a long time to come. As Jesus Christ once said: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” What that means is that the product of a system characterises what the system is. Yes, I agree, personalities make government. The last government in Gombe State was principally characterised by Alhaji Mohammed Danjuma Goje; he gave it direction and form. This one is given direction by Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and he characterises the system. If you’ve been following trends in Gombe, you’ll discover that they are governments of the same party, but have taken two different steams. The incumbent is a government of professionals, by professionals, for the people. Every one of us is a professional in his own right. I have two Masters Degrees. You would be surprised, if I give you the rundown of other party officials. At the executive council, virtually 70 per cent of those individuals came from different professional constituencies. But, in Goje’s government, there were executive council members who didn’t see the four walls of secondary school.

What, in your view, are the strengths of this government that would guarantee Dankwambo’s re-election?

It’s a government that is prudent. We are accused of everything, but not stealing, killing, maiming, or coercion. We may be slow, but we are steady. We are not in a rush because we are sure footed. The government is moving step-by-step. This government is a government of people who are knowledgeable; it is a participatory government and everybody gets involved at his or her level. That way, it’s a government of Gombe people for themselves. If the people decide they no longer want this, they want the money to be shared; the money comes in and everybody gets his portion, no problem. But, I know for sure that we have done our best. These four years are going to speak for us, not just today, but for a long time to come

There were speculations recently that some PDP councillors defected to the APC. What is the true position of the matter?

I can tell you categorically that it is not true. It is not possible because, if you go back to our selection process, the PDP has a culture of obedience, particularly in Gombe State. Obedience is a child of faith. If you have faith and confidence in the system and then, you follow. In the process of selecting those who will ultimately contest as community leaders, the PDP management takes into cognisance loyalty, how long you have stayed with the party, your contributions to the party, your personal standing with the community where you want to contest and other factors. So, there is no way a serving councillor would leave the party. It’s like a crime has been committed – if they say Mr. Shanu killed somebody. The councillorship, I think, is one of the most serious responsibilities of elected representative of this country today. You want to leave the job and go to another party to contest for what, councillor again? It doesn’t make sense. If you say a former Councillor, I can understand that. Yes, he wants to be councillor again, but there is a better person in the community who is a councillor. So, he is going to another party to get a ticket.

Talking about defectors, we have Senator Dajuma Goje here and others who defected with him? What is your view?

I can understand the case of any politician who does not hold any public office, who out of frustration or wanton quest for power or office decides to politically prostitute. The former Vice President wants to be the President at all cost. But, it’s prostitution for a politician who is elected under the auspices of a party by his people to go and represent them, only to cross-carpet out of personal interest without the mandate and consent of his people. My advice to them is to come back because he is using your mandate for personal gains. But, if it’s okay with you, fine. If you are satisfied with what he has done, fine. But if out of ignorance you are not aware that you have an option, you are now aware. You decide the way you want to be represented, not the representative. It’s like religion; you don’t serve God the way you want, no. You serve him the way He should be served. So, we should not take these things for granted. My call for his people is that first, they should audit him. Why has he decided to change political party, is it because maybe he sees there are better people that probably might represent his people in 2015 and he is afraid he might not get the chance to contest, that is why he is running away, or has he committed some offence and he is like trying to take some insurance by moving to another party and maybe give conditions for returning? Or are there reasons why being in PDP cannot allow him to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Gombe central?

April 8, 2014
Omisore emerges PDP governorship candidate

Former chairman, Senate Appropriation Committee, Christopher Iyiola Omisore, yesterday emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 1,128 votes.

The two other contestants, former Minister of Youth Development, Olasunkanmi Akinlabi and former chairman, Defence Committee in the House of Representatives, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, scored 45 and 5 votes respectively.

Former Osun State governor, Isiaka Adeleke, withdrew from the primary twenty four hours to the exercise, alleging that the process had been manipulated in favour of Omisore by the state party executives led by Gani Ola-Oluwa.

The chairman of the Electoral Committee, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero, announced that 1,280 delegates had been accredited for the primary.

In his acceptance speech, Omisore said the victory was for all PDP members, commending his co-contestants for their maturity.

He said the peaceful and successful conclusion of the primary showed that the PDP was set to chase Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) out of power.

Akinlabi and Oke said the process of the primary should be reviewed because the party leadership had allowed all contestants to use all the resources they would have used for wrestling power from the APC to fight one another.

They promised to work with whoever emerged as winner of the exercise.

April 6, 2014
Government machinery moves to Yenagoa for Jonathan’s daughter’s wedding

The entire machinery of the Federal Government practically moved base yesterday to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for the traditional wedding of President Goodluck Jonathan’s daughter, Faith Sakwe.

From the executive arm, the legislature, the National Conference and many of the states controlled by the President’s PDP came top officials to grace the occasion. There were also traditional rulers, captains of industry and artistes.

But their efforts notwithstanding, many of the high profile guests could not enter the venue of the event held at the Nikton Road private residence of the President.

Those who made it into the palatial compound did so after much shoving and pushing by security agents who did not want to leave anything to chance.

For the third day running, residents of the area groaned under the tight security occasioned by the presence of the First Family in town and the number of guests.

Most of the roads adjoining the President’s house were closed to traffic as a result of which many of the residents could not drive out of, or into their compounds.

Guests converted many of the roads to parking lots and had to walk some distance to the President’s residence.

Even then, it was extremely difficult for many of them to get inside the compound.

Some had to leave in frustration.

In this category were some members of the State House of Assembly.

Street urchins roamed about, seeking dignitaries to extort money from.

A minister ran into a group of the urchins and once they surrounded him, he threw a bundle of money at them.

This sparked a struggle and the person into whose hand the money fell simply threw it into the air. The struggle that followed was even more intense.

Socio-economic activities in much of the city were paralysed.

Particularly hit was the popular Kpansia Market which holds every Saturday.

It was closed to business yesterday.

The security arrangement was personally supervised by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Hilary Opara and the Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Major. General Emmanuel Atewe.

The roll call included the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, Governors Theodore Orji of Abia State, Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River walked the groom, Godswill Osim, his parents and delegates from the groom’s Osimotu Kingdom, Abi, Cross River to the President.

Vice-President Nnamadi Sambo, who was the chairman of the occasion, said he and Jonathan were committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

He said their government would never support any attempt to divide the country.

He said he was greatly honoured to be part of the ceremony which, according to him, was ordained by God.

Sambo advised the couple to embrace the secret of a successful marriage which he identified as faithfulness, tolerance and honesty.

He praised Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience, for the upbringing of the bride and admonished the couple to “be faithful to each other, to be tolerant and honest. When you do this, God will manifest in your life and good luck will be your portion.”

In his remarks as the tradition progressed, Imoke recalled how Jonathan called him a couple of years ago and told him that his daughter gained admission to the University of Calabar.

He said nobody envisaged that the admission would snowball into a marital union between Cross River and Bayelsa States.

He promised that the President’s daughter was in good hands and that she would be adequately taken care of.

Handing over Faith to the groom, President Jonathan said: “With what has happened today, you have now become my son. Congratulations my son. We pray the marriage will succeed”.

April 6, 2014
Fayemi, Fayose, Bamidele and Ekiti poll

After what must rank as the most extraordinary feat of realpolitik ever, former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has been made the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer in the June 2014 governorship election in the state. The choice before the party big wigs in Abuja was to either get Mr Fayose elected or appointed as candidate. In the circumstance, neither election nor appointment was applicable or appropriate. He had to be made a candidate by the most pernicious sleight of hand the party could muster. With his coronation on March 22, a crowning that is unlikely to be overturned notwithstanding the grumblings from within the state PDP and from among those who contested the ticket with him, Mr Fayose will in June take on Governor Kayode Fayemi for the now ennobled governorship seat of Ekiti State.

Mr Fayose, it will be recalled, ran a populist campaign from 2001 to 2003 to win the governorship seat. But he was impeached in 2006, a year before his first term in office came to an end. The feisty 53-year-old is a study in irony. He has been out of power for about seven years now, and he tends so easily to overreach himself, not to say exaggerate his puny gifts. In his rather violent but abridged first term, he enunciated and implemented horrendously amateurish policies. Not only did he do very poorly in his three years in office, he also reacted very badly to challenges to his power in the typically intolerant fashion of African rulers.

Though Mr Fayose is still being tried for alleged corrupt practices, it is striking that the same PDP – not a different PDP – has found him a fit and proper person to fly their flag in the coming poll. The manner of his emergence itself may have been dubious, and his opponents in the party either weak and ineffective or embarrassingly ingratiating and unprincipled, however, party bigwigs at the state and national levels have curiously and even joyfully turned a blind eye to the strong-arm tactics he employed in muscling his co-contestants into submission. This has prompted many commentators to judge the real objectives of the party in the Ekiti election to be both deceptively intrusive and brutally detached. It must take a huge dose of cavalier politics, they argue, to plot such intrusive machination, and unprincipled indifference to ignore the salient implications of being represented by a man apparently so shorn of ideas and honour as Mr Fayose.

The only explanations for this strange choice of candidate seem to be located in the unearthly inability of the PDP federal government to be identified with noble ideas and standards. First, it is suggested that what the PDP hopes to achieve is not really to win the governorship, but to have a fighting chance of winning sizeable votes for the presidential election in 2015. If this was the aim, the party would still need a man with some dignity and noble carriage, not to say common sense or native wisdom to prise a healthy amount of votes from the ruling party in the state. It is also suggested that having dismissed Mr Fayose’s co-contestants as incapable of discomfiting the more cerebral Dr Fayemi, the Jonathan presidency was prepared to embrace a roughneck. Since Dr Fayemi is expected to conventionally assail his opponents with much learning and self-assurance, the PDP probably guessed that only a southpaw, a brute and a scoundrel could unhorse him.

The choice of Mr Fayose is however more importantly a reflection of the nature and character of the PDP and the Jonathan presidency. The two entities reinforce each other’s callous disregard for sane and elevated politics. They are obviously not thinking in terms of the great heights the country should aspire to, or of the fine ideas it should project. The image of Mr Fayose is settled. No one disputes his mediocrity or his predilections for strong-arm tactics, or even, as evidenced by his last days in office, of his lack of coordination and composure and of his inebriated and insensate gibberish under pressure. What is in dispute, in effect, are what strange motives gingered the Jonathan presidency into abandoning all pretence to principles, principles the president says are anchored on his frantic Pentecostal theology.

There is a general consensus that Mr Fayose indecently and brutishly secured the candidacy of the PDP for the Ekiti poll. There is also hardly a whisper against the open and indisputable fact that he is the wrongest candidate to represent the PDP in the election. If the state and national PDP expect him to win, they have not disclosed on what ideas, past achievements or even penitence they base their expectations. Mr Fayose has not propounded any idea, nor can he, for he is incapable of the robustness and sophistication that Ekiti has managed to acquire in the past few years. As for achievements, there is none for him to showcase, and he cannot dredge up any even by the uncanniest abracadabra. As far as remorse goes, he has sworn to some sort of personal conversion without indicating exactly in what areas of his indistinguishable worldview he practices newness of life, and has also sworn to some sort of maturity without demonstrating any practical evidence of the wisdom that sometimes comes with age.

If normality prevails, Ekiti is unlikely to dignify Mr Fayose with even 10 percent of the votes. (See box). They were grossly mistaken about him in 2003; they won’t like to be caught with pants down again or, after having achieved some sanity and enviable heights in decorous politics, succumb to the lure and fantasies of the juvenile politics propagated by Mr Fayose. However, his entrance into the race and the helping hand the federal forces are expected to give him, are likely to make the June poll a two-horse race between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP. For all his faults, Mr Fayose is a colourful politician, exuberant, gregarious but simple-minded. These attributes are unlikely to be vitiated by his mediocre ideas and lack of philosophical depth. And so, he will draw attention with his egregious remarks, whip whatever crowd he is able to rent into some animated frenzy, and hope, like his PDP counterparts in Osun State, that whenever he foments trouble, Abuja will back him up.

The logic of Nigerian politics favours the ruling party in any state except where its performance is woeful. The APC government in Ekiti has brought a lot of practical and implementable novelties to the state. On account of its programmes and projects, the party is certain to receive a good hearing. And having been governed for about four years by probably the most cerebral governor in the country, and notwithstanding the poor finances of the state, Ekiti is not expected to want to fix a problem that does not exist. So, where does this leave the Labour Party whose ambitious candidate is the former ACN/APC man, Opeyemi Bamidele? My guess is that he will be strangulated in the middle. The APC and PDP will hug all the limelight, and the LP candidate will be left in the shadow of the two, shouting himself hoarse and receiving little hearing and sunlight. It is possible Mr Bamidele indeed has a great programme for Ekiti and a passion to do right by the state, but he has the misfortune of facing in one election both a performing APC governor and a federally-backed and boisterously loud PDP candidate. His timing is appalling, and his haste exposes to his many admirers a great flaw in his character – an unwholesome and devastating lack of a sense of proportion.

Dr Fayemi is of course not impeccable. He incredulously began his re-election campaign even before he became the candidate of his party, thereby indicating unnecessary overconfidence. His opponents may have no democratic credentials whatsoever, but he himself will need to polish his democratic credentials, for his distinguishing qualities, nobility and definitive and futuristic leadership claims rest on those credentials. In a country rife with false democrats and open and closet tyrants, Dr Fayemi’s blots are unlikely to diminish his campaign, let alone threaten his anticipated victory. But he must be acutely aware of the need to project his democratic credentials and beliefs with deep, effortless and philosophical conviction. His admirers must not sense that these values are merely expedient rather than intrinsic.

If peaceful elections can be guaranteed – a tall order given the presence of Mr Fayose – the June poll may even end up an anticlimax. Mr Fayose’s scaremongering and PDP’s chicanery can only be effective in a close race. With the passage of years, Ekiti voters have become more aware of their environment than during the Fayose or former Governor Segun Oni years. They will forcefully try to sustain the heights they have attained nationally, for the alternative will be too grim for them to contemplate.

April 6, 2014
Igbo President an illusion under PDP, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday declared that a President of Igbo extraction under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not possible.

Spokesman of the APC in South-East, Osita Okechukwu, stated this shortly after he voted at the ward congress of the party in Central School, Ekeh, Enugu State.

The warning came amidst the conclusion of plans by South-East Governors Forum to hold a grand rally in Enugu next weekend to drum up support for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Okechukwu called on Ndigbo to shine their eyes and join the progressive train to fix Nigeria and save the country from disintegration under the PDP- led Federal Government.

He said: “APC’s victory in 2015 presidential election is certain for the election is a referendum on President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime, a regime which metaphor is corruption and poor performance.

“And it will be painful if the hard -working Igbo people are not part of this historic victory. Ndigbo should not blame any group for marginalisation.

“As our people say, Ndigbo should count the payback vis-a vis the unalloyed support they gave the corrupt and inept leadership of President Jonathan and the PDP as a party in the last decade”.

He went on: “Is it the political motivated ground breaking 2nd Niger Bridge fanfare that is not in any federal budget or the make believe Enugu International Airport? Can we in all honesty trust a president who cannot complete his own road – the East-West Road in the last four years?

“Is charity not supposed to start at home? We cannot be deceived twice”.

Saying that it was still early for Ndigbo to join the moving progressive train, The APC spokesman warned that voting for Jonathan would be akin to “selling our birthright for mess of porridge”.

He maintained that under PDP, a president of Igbo extraction cannot materialise before 2027 while voting for APC would guarantee Ndigbo president on or before 2023.

April 6, 2014
Of impunity and lies as campaign strategy

Every town, village and community can point to Fayemi’s developmental landmarks

Fehingbepon and Tipa ti kuku are two Yoruba words that not only have the same etymology but, indeed, mean almost the same thing – i.e impunity. They are words that best describe the PDP attitude to elections in Nigeria, but more especially in Yoruba land. Former President Obasanjo deployed Fehingbepon in declaring PDP victorious in Ekiti in 2007 as in the subsequent ‘Mama Ayoka’s macabre dance of ‘conscienceless conscience’. For this election, two events have proved they hadn’t changed one bit. These are: Buruji Kashamu’s ‘I will make Ekiti an example’ speech at Ibadan and the absolutely irreverent manner he stage- managed Fayose’s emergence acting on the orders of President Jonathan. These are clear indications that the shoeless one has bought into the ‘Tipa ti kuku’ strategy of his hatchet men in the Southwest. We would soon see more of Jonathan’s satanic schemes against mainstream Yoruba interests. In this project, his deployment of the two new Yoruba ministers to security portfolios was no happenstance. He is already primed to begin a massive funding of his captured wing of Afenifere for overt purposes to which elements of Labour and Accord had been financially induced. Arrests of APC leaders and supporters by the police on spurious charges are most likely to begin in earnest just as the PDP intends to embark on a massive buying of voters cards at totally unimaginable prices. This, in particular, should tell Nigerians where the billions being daily stolen under President Jonathan are headed. As if the federal government is just waking up, it will now also begin to pour kerosene to Ekiti and Osun as if the product is going extinct.

As earlier mentioned, PDP is relying on ‘Tipa ti kuku’ which is to be stream rolled, like a war armada, from the Villa. Courtesy the presidency, INEC and ALL the security agencies will kowtow to the PDP. President Jonathan has started that process by making the Police ministry a Southwest heredity. The compromised man in charge will do just about anything they direct. In collusion with INEC, they will do everything to rig in the remote areas, the police and other security agencies will have instructions from headquarters to overlook their evil machinations. On election day, APC strongholds will be deprived of ballot papers and where materials come at all, they will arrive late and in insufficient numbers. Even at its topmost level, PDP will not demur from asking INEC to just simply announce its candidate the winner boasting, ‘nothing will happen’. But a thousand and one will happen because Ekiti will not look askance; not after we have been twice cheated in the past.

For the campaigns in the meantime, the two cousins, Labour and PDP, are employing lies as campaign tools. While impunity is PDP’s preferred option, Labour has the rare distinction of being able to manufacture lies at the drop of a hat. Happily, Ekiti people have come to see lies as consistent with the Labour party wherever it rears its ugly head but certainly worst in Ondo state where it is putting our people through a scorching regime of the very opposite of everything it promised during the last election campaigns in the state. Rather than roads, what they see are abandoned projects and in place of new jobs, old ones are being erased at an alarming rate. It cannot but be a surprise that an oil producing state could be shouting itself hoarse over the late disbursement of Sure-P funds even where there is nothing to show for the billions received.

The PDP in Ekiti has miserably, but unsuccessfully, tried to draw a similarity between Mimiko and Fayemi lying that the latter will behave like Mimiko after his already God-ordained victory. In dismissing this arrant nonsense, I have Ondo-state born Femi Odere to thank for his highly analytical article: ‘Between Fayemi and Mimiko’ –The Nation, Tuesday, 25 March 2014.

Wrote Odere: ‘The innumerable socio-economic milestones that are geared towards the creation of jobs and wealth by the Fayemi administration within a short span of a little over three years in a state that comes second from the rear out of 36 states in terms of federal allocation speak volumes about a leader who knows what needs to be done for his people. Mimiko, in contradistinction, flagged off his administration by announcing the construction of a Dome in Akure about five years ago. As you read this, the Dome is still under construction even after its cost had been reviewed upwards. Mimiko established a Tomato Processing factory somewhere in Akoko during his first term. But no sooner after this factory was commissioned than the place got converted into a pure water factory. Mimiko announced years ago that a cement factory will be built in the state, but the bush where the factory was to be sited is yet to be cleared. Mimiko announced during his first term that privatisation of the state’s moribund industries is the way to go in order to spur economic growth and job creation. Oluwa Glass Factory, one of the industrial flagships of the late Papa Adekunle Ajasin administration which fell under his privatization sledgehammer is yet to produce a single piece of glass years after its privatization. No sooner than the state government relinquished its controlling equity in the Okitipupa Oil Palm Processing Factory, several financial scandals broke to rock the factory’s government-appointed Managing Director. The factory is once again comatose. The Akure-Oba Ile airport road, started during his first term at a cost of several billions of naira, still uncompleted, the mere eight-kilometre road has been re-awarded at a new cost of several billions. The Olokola Free Trade zone, an initiative of the late Agagu administration that could have been a major catalyst in spurring huge economic growth in the state was jettisoned by Mimiko because the politics of the Free Trade zone is more important to him than the economic and job-creation benefits which the trade zone would have created for the people of the State. One can go on ad infinitum’

Ekitis, a very discerning people, need not seek any further than this testimonial to put Opeyemi Bamidele where exactly he belongs. Incidentally he has just upped his game by claiming that ALL the 132 towns and villages in Ekiti have mineral deposits. There is also the chimera of what he calls a welfare package for all the chiefs in the state. Lies, lies and yet more lies! You would think he was addressing impressionable 5-year olds. The PDP, master riggers that they are, are no better; only that their strategy is at variance with Labour party’s Joseph Goebbels’s inspired propagandist lies. They are infinitely more satanic and for them, nothing is beyond conjecture.

On the other hand, however, Ekitis already know Fayemi like the back of our palms. Indeed, his other sobriquet, apart from Ilufemiloye 1, is ‘Owi be e, se bee’ –he who fulfils promises. Fayemi only has to tell you his government would do so and so, and the town, community or individual can go to sleep. It is this trustiability that underpins his annual pre-budget state-wide tours, asking the people what their priorities are for the year’s budget. It is the reason why today, every town, village and community can point to his developmental landmarks.

All these devilish schemes are highlighted that we Ekitis may be prepared to the last man to counter whatever the plans the caterwaulers may have up their sleeves. Equally important is the need for the world to know: the likes of the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, the AU, all of which carry the can of the aftermath of immature and anti-democratic actions of African leaders must, willy nilly, be put on notice as to what is afoot in Yoruba land, courtesy President Jonathan, and, long before the Armageddon.

April 6, 2014
PDP in fresh plot to sack 37 defectors

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has returned to the drawing board in its determination to sack from the House of Representatives, the 37 Reps that who umped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP leadership is understood to be unrelenting in getting the 37 Reps out of the House.

Party sources said yesterday in Abuja that the PDP was mounting pressure on the party’s Caucus in the House to raise a motion to ask the defectors to vacate their seats.

The game plan, according to sources, is for the PDP Caucus to disown the House leadership’s position that the court case instituted by the defectors should run its full course .

It was gathered that a principal officer of the House had planned to address reporters on Thursday to disown the resolution of the Executive Session but was called off at the last minutes.

A source said: “The PDP is mounting pressure on its caucus in the House to prevail on Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and Deputy, Chief Emeka Ihedioha to declare the seats of the 37 Representatives vacant.

“If the party had its way, it would not mind its members creating a scene over the judgment. That was the plot on Wednesday before it was tactically foiled by Tambuwal.

“As I talk to you, the ruling party has not given up in its desperation to sustain its majority in the House. “By next week, the party’s caucus might also make its position known too.”

The APC Caucus in the House is also scheduled to meet next week on the judgment,and take a position on it.

A member of the caucus said: “We have many options bordering on the appeal which we have filed against the judgment of Justice Ademola, other legal remedies available to us advised, and the likelihood of joining issues with some judicial officers at the level of the National Judicial Council(NJC).

“When we meet next week, we will come up with a position which may or not be in tandem with the Executive Session of the House on Wednesday.

“Definitely, we will not allow anyone to intimidate the APC Caucus with this judgment. Otherwise, PDP will continue with impunity in the House.”

The enrolled order on the Monday judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja just released shows that contrary to the perception in some quarters, Justice Adeniyi Ademola did not ask the 37 defectors to vacate their seats.

An official of the court yesterday said the reference to the vacation of seats in the judgment was an Obita dictum by Justice Ademola.

A copy of the order of Justice Ademola, which was obtained by our correspondent, reads in part: “It is hereby ordered as follows: That a declaration is hereby made that in view of Section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended), the 12th-53rd defendants cannot lawfully vote and or contribute to any motion for the removal or change of any of the principal officers of the 1st defendant(the House of Representatives).

“That a declaration is hereby made that the 12th–53rd defendants are not competent to sponsor, contribute or vote on any motion calling for the removal or change in the leadership of the House of Representatives or the removal of any of the principal officers of the House. “That an order of perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the 12th- 53rd defendants from altering or changing the leadership of the House. “That an Order of Perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the 12th– 53rd defendants, their agents, servants or privies or through any person or persons howsoever from taking any step or further steps, sitting, starting or doing anything to alter, remove or change the leadership of the 1st defendant.” A highly-placed source in the court said: “There has been pressure on the court and the judge since Monday on the nature of the order given. We have also taken time to explain that Justice Ademola did not ask the 37 Representatives to vacate their seats. In fact, the court produced the enrolled order and made same available to all those seeking enquiries. “Being a political matter, we are surprised that the image and the hard-earned integrity of the judge are being brought into the interpretation of the Obita dictum. “From the judgment and the order, there is no ambiguity at all. There is no where the judge asked the 12th–53rd defendants to leave the House. “The reference to vacation of seats was an Obita dictum. It was a reference said in passing which has no effect on the judgment. It ends there, it has no effect at all. “We were surprised that this Obita dictum was mistaken for judgment by those who should know.” Responding to a question, the source added: “There was no way Justice Ademola could issue an order on vacation of seats when there is another case before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court specifically urging the second court to declare the seats of the 37 Representatives vacant.”

April 5, 2014
LP,PDP, APC battle for Ilaje/Ese-Odo by-election

As the people of Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency prepare ahead of tomorrow’s House of Representatives by-election, Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has relocated to the area to ensure victory for the Labour Party (LP).

Investigation showed that the governor had been to the coastal area more than four times lately, to inaugurate projects, as part of strategies to woo voters for the LP’s candidate, Mr. Kolade Akinjo.

On Monday, the governor moved members of the executive council to the coastal area to canvass votes for the LP candidate.

Virtually, every political office holder has relocated to Ilaje/Ese-odo for aggressive campaign in an election they see as a must win.

The Governor was still in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government, with his aides.

Many people in the area accused him of neglect and alleged that he had failed to execute any project in the coastal communities in the last six years, to merit their votes.

It was also learnt that the Governor is fighting the battle of his life, as the PDP members are bent on recapturing the area.

The Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency became vacant following the death of Raphael Nomiye. He died in Abuja last year.

The PDP has begun aggressive campaigns to ensure that they recapture the area.

Tomorrow’s by-election will prove to President Goodluck Jonathan who owns the state between LP and PDP.

Government sources said: “As I am talking to you, our governor has relocated to Ilaje/Ese-Odo to convince voters to vote for LP.

“His relocation became important to prove again to President Jonathan that LP is in charge of the state.”

Three parties will slug it out at polling stations tomorrow.

They are: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Congress (APC). Adewale Kukute is the standard-bearer of the PDP, while Adewale Omojuwa, the former OSOPADEC chairman, is the APC candidate.

PDP is leaving no one in doubt that it is seriously in the race.

The Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, stormed Ondo State yesterday to drum support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in tomorrow’s by-election.

Speaking at the Akure Airport, on their mission in the state, the men, who were on their way to the riverine communities for the final rally of their party, said the PDP was determined to win the poll and they were in the state to ensure this.

Obanikoro said the people of the riverine area always supported the party, adding that the good work of the Federal Government would be considered by the indigenes in voting for PDP during the election.

He said the party had executed developmental projects, which would improve the standard of living of the people.

Commenting on the belief in some quarters that the Federal Government had been supporting the Labour Party (LP) to win elections in the state, the Minister said: “There is no doubt that the government here is a friendly one, but we are PDP and we have a candidate for the election, so we are determined to win.

“This election is not just a by-election, a representative at the national level is a serious position and don’t forget that the general election is less than a year away, so any election that holds now, we have to take it serious because there is need to ensure that the President is re-elected to enable us continue his transformation agenda.

“The empowerment programme of the PDP is sufficient for the people of Ilaje and Ese-Odo to know that ours is a government, which has the interest of the people at heart.

April 4, 2014
House of Reps, Tambuwal, Ihedioha appeal judgment against defecting lawmakers

THE House of Representatives, its Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, have appealed Monday’s judgment by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja restraining defecting members of the House from altering the current composition of its leadership.

In a notice of appeal filed in Abuja yesterday by their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), the three appellants faulted Justice Ademola’s reasoning and urged the Court of Appeal, Abuja to set aside the judgment.

The judgment was on a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/4/14, filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the House of Representatives, its principal officers and members of the House, who defected from the party to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

The appellants, who raised seven grounds of appeal, with a promise to add more, argued that the judgment is “perverse and not supported by the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.”

They added that the judge “erred in law when he granted reliefs not sought by the plaintiff.”

The appellants contended that the judgment “is against the weight of evidence.” And that he erred “when he granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiff and “went further to hold that the 1st to 39th respondents ought to have resigned their seats as members of the 1st appellant.

They argued that the judge erred when he held that the reliefs of the 1st respondent (PDP) were justiciable and proceeded to grant the reliefs sought without considering the provision of Section 30 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap L12 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The section provides that “neither the President nor the Speaker as the case may be, of a legislative house shall be subjected to the jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise of any power conferred on or vested in him by or under this Act or the standing orders of the Constitution.”

The appellants argued that the judge wrongly assumed jurisdiction over the suit, which was predicated on the internal affairs of the House of Reps, which is protected under Section 60 of the Constitution. They further argued that the reliefs sought by the PDP were not justiciable, yet the judge proceeded to grant the reliefs.

They contended that the PDP lacked the locus standi to institute the case because it was not predicated on any recognised legal interest; the reliefs sought were not supported by any legal evidence and that the judge failed to reckon with the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Fawehinmi vs Akilu (1987) 12 SC 136, Amaechi vs INEC (2008)1 LRECN 1.

The appellants faulted the judge for holding that the suit was rightly commenced with originating summons, without regard to the provision of Order 3 Rule 6 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

They argued that the judge was wrong to have held that the claims of the PDP do not amount to an abuse of court process when there are similar cases, involving the same parties, still pending before the court.

They referred to suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/621/2013 between Senator Bello Hayato Gwazo and 79 others vs Alhaji Bamaga Tukur and four others and argued that the parties and reliefs sought were similar with that on which the judge gave judgment.

April 2, 2014