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Tag: PDP

  • Accord, PDP disagree on Ladoja

    Accord, PDP disagree on Ladoja

    The Accord and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State yesterday disagreed on former Governor Rashidi Ladoja’s governorship ambition.

    House of Assembly Minority Leader Rafiu Adekunle said Ladoja, a former PDP chieftain, could not contest the election without returning to the PDP or partnering another party.

    The Accord insisted that Ladoja would not return to the party he bade goodbye three years ago.

    Adekunle said he was sure Ladoja would return to the PDP before the 2015 election.

    In a statement by its Media Director, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Accord said Ladoja would not return to the PDP because he has laboured to build the Accord to an enviable height.

    The statement reads: “The Accord debunks a report credited to the Minority Leader of the PDP at the House of Assembly that Ladoja will return to the PDP.

    “While the Accord has nothing against any party, including the PDP, Ladoja has worked hard to nurture the Accord to its enviable position in the last three years that contemplating dumping it now will be unacceptable to the masses.

    “Contrary to Adekunle’s opinion that Accord cannot contest on its own unless it collaborates with the PDP, Accord’s tentacles has spread and are entrenched in the 33 local government areas.”

    Ladoja was elected governor in 2003 on the platform of the PDP. He was impeached in 2006 but reclaimed his mandate through a court judgment.

    He joined Accord in 2011 and contested the governorship election on its platform. He lost the election to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

     

  • Ripples over PDP membership registration in Kwara

    Ripples over PDP membership registration in Kwara

    There was confusion yesterday over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership registration billed to have started last weekend in Kwara State.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) described the non-commencement of the exercise as a sign of the party’s unpopularity in the state. The PDP insisted that the exercise had begun as scheduled.

    APC spokesperson Sulyman Buhari said: “We welcome the decision of the PDP to conduct its membership registration. However, we view the continued postponement of the registration by the PDP as a sign of rejection by the people.

    “This is a clear indication that Kwarans have forged ahead with the APC after the mass abandonment of the PDP. Why has the PDP postponed its membership registration four times?

    “The truth is that each time it attempts to conduct it – it is met with stiff opposition from the people who now have better understanding of the PDP and its ill-conceived slogan.

    “The politics of rented crowd has failed the PDP. Where are the rented PDP members who attended its last rally? Will they be mobilised back to the state to make the membership registration a success since the people have rejected the sinking PDP?

    “A party that cannot successfully register its few members cannot be entrusted with the management of Kwara State.

    “Even, with its target of 200,000 which is just 53.5 per cent of our membership strength, the PDP has failed to record any success.

    “When we registred our members, it was like a carnival. The youths participated, the aged were involved, the elders registered, market women, artisans, drivers and all classes of the society were involved.

    “We appeal to our members and supporters not to be distracted by the deceitful propaganda of the out-of-favour PDP. The administration of Governor Ahmed Abdulfatai and the APC will continue to make Kwarans the focus of policies and programmes.”

    But the PDP’s spokeswoman Mariam AlHassan debunked the claims, adding that she had been on air to repeatedly inform members that the registration was still ongoing.

    A source said the exercise was not cancelled, adding that some notable party leaders were expected in the state to witness the exercise.

    The source said: “I can confirm to you that John Dara is on his way and Gbemisola Saraki is also on her way for the exercise.”

  • Aspirants urge party to drop PDP candidate

    Aspirants urge party to drop PDP candidate

    Thirteen aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have rejected the emergence of former Governor Ayo Fayose as the party’s flag bearer in the June 21 governorship election.

    They said Fayose’s choice would cost the PDP the election.

    The aspirants adopted Senator Gbenga Aluko as their consensus candidate.

    They said they chose Aluko to save the party the “tragedy” of fielding an “ineligible” candidate.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday in Abuja, Aluko said having been impeached as governor in 2006, Fayose is not eligible to contest any election until 2016, when his impeachment would have run the mandatory 10-year period of grace.

    Aluko, who spoke for 12 other aspirants, said Fayose is currently facing murder and corruption charges in various courts and it would be unwise for the party to field him while the cases are still pending.

    He said the party’s decision to field Fayose in the election has divided members, “some of who have been reaching out to opposition parties with the view to either defect or work against the PDP at the election”.

    Aluko said: “In most communities in Ekiti State, it is shameful to be seen following Fayose. As a matter of fact, the majority of our people are now saying that it is better for them to stick with Governor Kayode Fayemi than to follow Fayose.

    “Already, our party is undergoing serious meltdown in Ekiti because of Fayose. Out of our 16 local government chairmen, 11 of them are talking with the opposition; 12 of our 16 women leaders are reaching out to the opposition; eight of our 16 youth leaders are talking with opposition parties.

    “This was the same Fayose who contested for Senate on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) and lost. Our party leaders in Abuja are claiming that he won the governorship election in 2003, but as players in that election, we all know how he won that election.”

    Urging President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP leadership to withdraw Fayose’s name and replace it with that of Aluko as the party’s flag bearer, the aspirants said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) window is still open for us to present our consensus candidate. If the PDP insists on fielding Fayose, majority of our supporters will leave the party.

    “We do not understand why the leadership of our party wants to inflict this blindness on the enlightened people of Ekiti State. It is only in a country like Nigeria that you see this type of thing happening.

    “The PDP national chairman is from Bauchi; his deputy is from Rivers and the National Organising Secretary is from Kaduna. Instead of them to listen to party leaders in the Southwest, they are taking decisions that are capable of ruining our chances in Ekiti.

    “If they so wish, let them bring voters from Bauchi, Rivers and Kaduna to vote for Fayose in Ekiti. We can only hope that reason would be allowed to prevail in this matter. If they insist on Fayose, we wish them good luck. June 21 is around the corner. Unfortunately, President Jonathan may be the biggest loser because the presidency is bigger than one state.

    “If we lose in Ekiti and proceed to lose in Osun, we will lose the Southwest. So we are gradually moving towards defeat. We do not want that to happen; that is why we are saying present another candidate and not Fayose.”

    The other aspirants include Adeyanju Bodunde; Dayo Adeyeye; Adubiaro Abibat; Ajayi Deji and Abiodun Aluko.

    The rest are Aribisala Adewale; Bejide Oluwadare; Obafemi Peter; Ogunbolude Ropo; Ogundipe Modupe; Olubolade Caleb and Omoyeni Adebisi.

     

  • Police on alert as Fayose returns to Ekiti

    Police on alert as Fayose returns to Ekiti

    •’We’ll remain in PDP and work against ex-governor’ 

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) flag bearer in the June 21 governorship election former Governor Ayodele Fayose will return to the state today from Abuja.

    He collected his Certificate of Return at the PDP’s national headquarters in Abuja two days ago.

    The police said they are ready to handle security challenges that may arise.

    Police spokesman Victor Babayemi said policemen had been deployed in Ikere and Ado-Ekiti.

    He said: “Like the rallies held in Ado-Ekiti and Ido-Ekiti last Thursday by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP), today’s rally will be devoid of crisis. We are aware of the problems in the PDP and we have to do what is necessary to avert crisis.”

    Fayose emerged the party’s flag bearer after a controversial primary on March 22, defeating former Police Affairs Minister Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd), Prince Dayo Adeyeye and 11 others.

    Publicity Director of the Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation Mr. Idowu Adelusi said the former governor would come into the state through Ikere-Ekiti, a border town with Ondo State.

    Adelusi said: “This is going to be like a carnival. Fayose has been in Abuja since his emergence on March 22 to collect his Certificate of Return from the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).

    “Reconciliation efforts are being made among aggrieved members and they are already yielding fruits as mutual commitments to the progress of the party are being expressed by hitherto rival figures.

    “It is no longer hearsay that Adeyeye and Fayose have reached a common ground for a working and workable alliance. A joint letter written by the two has removed all speculations and doubts regarding that.”

    However, some PDP members, who pleaded for anonymity, told reporters that they scuttle Fayose’s efforts to win the election.

    To them, the alliance between Adeyeye and Fayose was an indication that “politics within the party has remained one of individual interest and lacks in genuine corporate aspiration”.

    They accused party leaders of side tracking members in their decision to broker accord with Fayose, adding: “Many times, we have spoken with our so-called leaders and we made them realise that Fayose is a bad product. We will not go anywhere because this is our party. Fayose cannot make us leave this party. We will remain in the PDP and work for any other party of our interest.

    “We do not hate Fayose. Our position is that he does not deserve to represent PDP. PDP must change its approach to elections. We have to be interested in who we promote as leaders. That is what we are saying.”

     

  • Ondo By-election:PDP cautions LP against planned rigging

    Ahead of Saturday by-election in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State,the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday urged all contending political parties to follow due process as entrenched in the electoral act.

    The Party at a news conference in Akure, the State Capital also called on relevant agencies having any role in the election to act in an unbiased manner.

    Its State Chairman, Mr Ebenezer Alabi said organisations such as Nigerian Army, Police, State Security Service (SSS) Navy, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) among others should maintain neutrality during the exercise to prevent violence.

    Alabi alleged that two prominent Labour Party (LP) Chieftains in the riverine area were invited to security council meeting over the weekend where they allegedly perfected plans to use security agents to truncate the will of the electorate through massive rigging.

    According to him, the planks of the plan is the recruitment of militants as boat operators for the security agencies on the election day, while the training of the selected boys by the Naval Authority in the area is slated for Tuesday.

    Besides, Alabi alleged that emergency military trained boat operators are to be given military uniform for the special assignment.

    He said: “the rigging devices of the ruling LP which have been communicated to the relevant authorities also include the delay of the release of ballot materials to the strongest units of the opposition parties especially PDP.

    “Using LP thugs and loyalists in such strong areas under the pretext that election materials arrive late and create false situation of insecurity and hide under that to relocate collation centre to Akure.

    “General monetization of the electoral process,which has already started with the daily invitation and inducement of monarchs,community heads, religious leaders and strategic stakeholders by Dr Olusegun Mimiko who had in the past one month relocated to the Federal Constituency.”

    Alabi said the PDP was committed to the principle of one man, one vote, which according to him is also in tandem with the electoral reform agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He cited several cases in the past elections particularly in 2010 when LP colluded with INEC officials to remove ballot boxes and papers from Igbokoda Zion and taken it to Forward Operation Base (FOB) foer the purpose of multiple thumb printing and stuffing.

    The PDP Chairman noted that the problems with elections in the state had become more complicated since Mimiko emerged as governor of the State.

    His words: “Dr Mimiko is someone who in public glare pretends to be an apostle of a free and fair elections,but who under covers is the greatest proponent of election rigging.”

    The PDP chairman said following past experiences with security agencies particularly the military during previous elections in connivance with desperate politicians, there should be a level playing ground for all contending parties.

    Alabi however assured that PDP would conduct itself in accordance with the law during the election, but stressed that it would never remain idle while its interest is being jeopardized.

    But a top official of the ruling LP denied the allegations levelled against his party, stressing that the PDP leadership and their followers were jittery and crying over the inevitable defeat awaiting them at the Polls on Saturday.

  • Court orders 37 PDP Reps to resign seats

    Court orders 37 PDP Reps to resign seats

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered 37 former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resign their seats at the House of Representatives for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

    Delivering judgment, Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that the defected lawmakers no longer had any business, morally and legally, to stay in the House of Reps.

    He said they should honourably resign from their seats as members of the House of Representative , having moved to another political party, while their tenure had yet to expire.

    “Having perused the arguments of counsel and the constitutional provisions, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform.

    “It is also the court’s opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP.

    “The defendants are, therefore, not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representatives.

    “An order of perpetual injunction is, hereby, ordered, restraining them from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Reps,’’ Ademola said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP had on Jan. 7 instituted a suit seeking to restrain the House of Representatives from altering the composition of its leadership.

    The party had commenced the action following the defection of 37 lawmakers, who won election on its platform, to the opposition APC.

    Mr Yunus Usman (SAN), PDP’s counsel had, while arguing his originating summons, faulted the cross-carpeting of the lawmakers, saying that the legislators did so during the dependency of a judgment.

    He argued that by virtue of the Oct. 2013 judgment of Justice Evoh Chukwu, which said there was no division in PDP, the matter had been laid to rest.

    Usman had further submitted that by virtue of the provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution, as amended, the  lawmakers ought to have vacated their seats immediately.

    Mr Mamoud Magaji (SAN), counsel to the defendants, had in his submission, argued that it was wrong for the PDP to have sought to restrain its former members from House activities for defecting.

    Other defence counsel, Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN, Mr Sebastian Hon, SAN, Mr James Ocholi,SAN, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko,SAN, and Jibril Okutepa,SAN, had prayed the court to dismiss the suit.

  • Insecurity: Jonathan blames governors

    Insecurity: Jonathan blames governors

    President Goodluck Jonathan has taken a swipe at governors of states plagued with insecurity in the North East part of the country accusing them of failing in their duties.

    Apparently referring to Governor Kashim  Shettima of Borno State and Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, Jonathan at  the  North East Zonal Rally of the PDP in Bauchi on Saturday,  Jonathan said it was wrong for the governors to blame the federal governor for the situation in the states.

    He however noted that the Federal Government will not rest on its oars in bringing an end to the insurgency in the region.

    “It is shameful for a governor who has stayed in power in his state for up to six years or more to come to me and talk about bad leadership when you have youths in your state that more than half have not attended primary and you are doing nothing about it.

    “State Governors should be ashamed when our children do not go to primary and secondary schools and they decided to carry arms. We had insecurity challenges in Bayelsa when I was deputy governor and later governor   and we handled them. It is not the duty of FG to send children to Primary and Secondary schools but it is the constitutional right of the Federal Government to make sure children attend tertiary institutions which we have done, “Jonathan said.

    The President said the situation in the North East is sad but assured that peace will be restored in the affected states soon.

    Speaking on the fortunes of the PDP come 2015, the President boasted that his party will surely reclaim Adamawa, retain Taraba and take over Borno and Yobe States.

    He noted that those claiming to be strong opposition in Adamawa state are only “leaving with one vote”.

    Other Speakers who spoke at the zonal rally acknowledged the insecurity in the region.

    The National Chairman of the PDP Ahmadu Adamu Muazu called on the aspirants in the party to go back to their villages and solicit for their mandate, stressing that there is no God Father in PDP today. Only the God of Adam and Eve that can give you power.

  • Defected lawmakers: Court strikes out suit against PDP

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday struck out a suit filed by 79 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The plaintiffs, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, 78 Senators and Reps members, had prayed the court for an order restraining the defendants from declaring their seats vacant following their defection.

    Joined as co-defendants in the suit, filed in September 2013, are the PDP National Chairman, Senate President, House of Reps Speaker, the PDP and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that the suit was an `academic exercise’ which the court would not adjudicate upon.

    He said that the PDP, being the fourth defendant in the instant case, had similarly filed another suit before him asking the court to declare the seats of the defected legislators vacant.

    “In the final analysis, the lawmakers’ suit is based on the threat of declaring their seats vacant, and the PDP has submitted itself to the court pursuant to Section 68 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

    “The PDP cannot declare their seats vacant, having submitted itself in other pending suits seeking to compel the Senate President and Speaker, House of Reps to declare the seats vacant.

    “This suit is an academic exercise. It has no life of its own, so there is no adjudication and is, hereby, struck out,’’Mohammed said.

    Justice Mohammed had, before delivering the judgment, also struck out an application by the plaintiffs seeking an indefinite adjournment of proceedings in the case when it was slated for judgment.

    The judge frowned at the timing of the plaintiffs’ application, especially coming after hearing had been concluded and the matter was reserved for judgment.

    “I cannot find any reason why the application was not brought before the matter was reserved for judgment.

    “In the final analysis, I find no merit in the application and, hereby, dismiss it,’’ Mohammed ordered.

    Mr Joe Gadzama, SAN, counsel to the respondents, had opposed the plaintiff’s application, arguing that the

    application was a plot to arrest the judgment of the court.

    He had prayed the court to throw out the application and deliver its judgment.

    Gadzama had, also via a preliminary objection, asked the court to strike out the plaintiffs’ originating summons for “lacking in merit and locus standi to initiate the case.

    He had argued that it was a few individuals who defected, describing the circumstances of their defection as “friction,

    fiction and fraction due to mere in-house disagreement in the PDP”.

    “In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/605/2013, (PDP and others against INEC and others), Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Oct. 18, 2013, decided there was no division or faction in PDP.

    “This suit is our magic wand and we, therefore, urge the court to dismiss the plaintiffs’ suit,’’ Gadzama had argued.

  • Court fixes March 28 for ruling on defected PDP lawmakers

    An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday reserved ruling till March 28 in an application brought by lawmakers who defected from the PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who was to deliver judgement in the matter, declined to do so after hearing the arguments of counsel to both the ruling PDP and opposition APC.

    At the resumed sitting earlier slated for judgment, Mr Mahmoud Magaji, SAN, counsel to the lawmakers, moved a motion seeking an indefinite adjournment pending the outcome of a ‘referral’ filed at the Court of Appeal.

    Opposing Magaji’s motion, Mr Joe Gadzama, SAN, PDP counsel, drew the court’s attention that the business of the day was for judgement.

    He noted that the day’s business was “of urgent national importance that different sectors of the society are keenly interested in the matter”.

    Gadzama, therefore, urged the court to “cautiously frustrate any effort by anybody to delay the proceedings’’.

    Citing Section 295(2) of the 1999 Constitution, he said that the court could decide on the matter, suo moto.

    Gadzama argued that the `referral’ by the lawmakers’ counsel was supposed to be filed before the Federal High Court and not at the Court of Appeal.

    He then prayed the court to strike out the motion because “it did not follow the due process of law and is, therefore, an abuse of court process’’.

    “Since there is no ruling, there can never be an appeal against the lower court therefore; the referral doesn’t incapacitate the Federal High Court.

    “In the eyes of the law, there is no referral application; this application is just an example of the most incompetent application to be filed before a court of law.

    “The action of the plaintiff is just an attempt to arrest the judgement of the court, which the Supreme Court has condemned in strong terms,” he said.

    Replying on point of law, Magaji said that the contentious ‘referral’ was in conformity with the provisions of Order 30 of the professional ethics practice rules.

    He said that this was so because the application was brought before the pronouncement of judgement is made by the trial court.

    Justice Mohammed fixed March 28 for ruling on the application.

  • Criticisms trail Fayose’s emergence as PDP flag bearer

    Criticisms trail Fayose’s emergence as PDP flag bearer

    Former Police Affairs Minister Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade (rtd.) and Senator Ayo Arise have rejected last Saturday’s congress of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, where former Governor Ayo Fayose emerged as the party’s candidate for the June 21 governorship election.

    They called for the cancellation of the congress and the conduct of a fresh one.

    In separate statements yesterday, they said the congress was a sham and did not represent the wishes of the majority of PDP members.

    In a statement signed by the Secretary of the Olubolade Campaign Organisation, Mr. Remi Osabusua, the former minister urged party leaders to cancel the primary.

    He said after considering all sides to the issue, he “came to the conclusion that it fell short of acceptable standard”.

    The statement reads: “The exercise was clearly manipulated from Abuja in favour of Fayose, as other aspirants were shut out and election materials made available only to him, thereby turning the event into a one aspirant show.”

    Arise called for the “urgent” intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying: “The way things are going, PDP might lose Ekiti and that will be disastrous.”

    He said he had no problem with anyone who emerges as the party’s candidate, but “the process through which the candidate emerges must be free, fair and transparent”.

    Arise said: “Mr. President should intervene as the leader of the party before things get out of hands. I trust he would not allow the party to collapse because of the ambition of an individual.

    “My position was made clear from the beginning. I made it clear that I will support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate through a process that is free, fair and transparent. However, what happened on Saturday was a charade that cannot be acceptable to men of good conscience and I state it categorically that Ekiti PDP does not have an acceptable governorship candidate yet.

    “We all can see the results of the manipulated process. The State Legal Adviser, Hon. Kola Adefemi, who is the number one legal officer of the PDP in Ekiti State, has resigned, faulting the ward congresses and the primary election. The state secretariat was set on fire this morning and many of our men are threatening to leave the party.

    “Notable stakeholders of the party are angry, not because of the person who emerged from the controversial primary, but because the process was openly manipulated. I doubt if any full-blooded Ekiti person will accept what happened on Saturday and queue behind Fayose as the PDP candidate.”

    A PDP member, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “This party will not know peace until the decision to impose Fayose on it is changed by those who lead us. Fayose represents a force that opposes the spirit of progress in the party. Should calls for Fayose’s removal be rejected, Ekiti PDP risks going into extinction. People will move en masse and there will be no remedy. This is the truth.”