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Tag: PDP

  • 2015: PDP seeks to join suit against Jonathan

    2015: PDP seeks to join suit against Jonathan

    The Peoples Democratic Party has applied to be joined in a suit challenging the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest in the 2015 election.

    A PDP card-carrying member, Henry Amadi, is before a Federal High Court, Abuja, contending that Jonathan is no longer viable to contest in 2015 because by so doing he would be spending more than the maximum period of two terms of four years provided in the 1999 Constitution.

    The suit is similar to another one filed by a chieftain of the PDP, Mr. Cyriacus Njoku on March 20, 2012, asking an Abuja High Court to stop the president from participating in the next general election.

    Judgment in that suit is pending before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi.

    In the present suit, the Respondents are Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    In the application by its National Legal Adviser, Mr. Kwon Victor, PDP prayed the court to join it as an interested party because it would be affected by the outcome of the suit.

    It is also asking the court to make a consequential order directing the plaintiff to amend his originating processes to reflect PDP as a defendant and cause same to be served on the party.

    In the affidavit in support of the application, Kwon argued that from the reliefs sought by the plaintiff in this suit, PDP’s right to sponsor Jonathan for the office of the President in the 2015 presidential election is being challenged.

    He averred that ‘’this action cannot be effectually and completely be determined without joining the applicant herein.

    ‘’By the very tenor of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, this suit questions the right of the applicant to sponsor one of its members (Jonathan) for the 2015 presidential election. The applicant herein seeks to protect its interest in the present action by this application.”

    Justice Adamu Bello has fixed February 26 to hear the PDP’s application following the plaintiff’s lawyer, C.N.Eke’s intention to oppose the application for joinder.

     

  • PDP, ACN disagree on call for Amaechi’s removal

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have disagreed on the call for the removal of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    Amaechi has been involved in a face-off with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, following the dualisation of the East-West Road.

    PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, yesterday in Port Harcourt, condemned what it termed ACN’s open support for the “unfounded” verbal attack on Amaechi.

    Rivers’ ACN Publicity Secretary Jerry Needam called on the House of Assembly to investigate the allegations against Amaechi, especially on bribing Nigerians with state resources.

    The PDP, however, dismissed ACN’s call for Amaechi’s removal.

    It said such “thrash” could have stemmed from the opposition party’s condition of near-extinction in the state.

    The party also noted that it was not right that since Orubebe is a minister, his “lies” against Amaechi amounted to truth.

    It described the assertion as illogical, mundane and frivolous.

    The PDP said: “Falsehood, no matter how presented to the public, would never subvert the truth.

    “ That Satan told a lie would never turn it into truth.

    “ACN’s attempts to somersault truth would further alienate it from voters.

    “Amaechi has been a prudent manager of state resources, which has endeared him to other governors.

    “As Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), he has enjoyed the confidence of his colleagues.”

    The party praised the governor’s media team for the professional manner it had handled the controversy.

  • Kalu returns to PDP

    Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has accepted to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, a party he helped found in 1998.

    Kalu made his decision to return to the party known on Thursday in his country home at Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

    Kalu, who addressed a mammoth crowd at the event to announce his rejoining of the PDP, said he decided to accept the hands of fellowship stretched out to him by the PDP in Wards A and B in Igbere.

    He said the appeal of the PDP members in Wards A and B in Igbere and the subsequent presentation to him of a membership card with number 9787945 by the Chairman of Ward A, Joseph Chika, touched him so much that he decided to return to the party.

    Chika had on January 16, 2013 presented Kalu with the PDP membership card.

    Kalu, during the acceptance of the invitation to return to the PDP, charged party men and women to remain committed to the party by burying their differences in the interest of the party and Nigeria.

    He noted that in politics, there will be differences, but what matters most is the way they are managed.

    He commended the reconciliation efforts of the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and his executives, describing it as a positive strategy that will not only strengthen internal democracy, but will take the party to greater heights.

    He noted that as one of the founding fathers of the party, he is happy to return to his “family house” and assured the people of his commitment, support and dedication to party affairs at all levels.

    He advised all party loyalists to join hands to add value to the party individually and collectively.

    But in a rather panicky move, the state chapter of the PDP on Thursday announced the dissolution of the executive council of Wards A and B of Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of the state.

    The announcement was made on radio and television stations of the state government.

    However, the Chairmen of Wards A and B, Chika and Amadi Kalu, in a joint statement insisted it was unconstitutional and illegal to dissolve the executive councils.

    They described it as the handiwork of selfish political detractors that were not happy with the readmission of Kalu into the party.

    They vowed to challenge the action at the appropriate court, noting that nobody could stop the return of one of the founding members of the party because the party belonged to all and was bigger than any individual.

  • Court grants adjournment in Turkur’s, Oyinlola’s case

    Court grants adjournment in Turkur’s, Oyinlola’s case

    The Court of Appeal in Lagos has adjourned indefinitely proceedings in the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, its Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, the suspended National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and National Auditor, Bode Mustapha.

    They are challenging the May 2, 2012 judgment by Justice Charles Archibong of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which declared the Chief Adebayo Dayo- led Executive Committee of the party in Ogun State as the authentic management body of PDP in the state.

    The judgment aside upholding the constitution of Adebayo Dayo exco ordered the PDP national leadership to accord them all the necessary materials and supports needed to enable them perform their responsibilities until the expiration of their tenure.

    The appellate court adjourned indefinitely upon being served with a copy of a petition written to the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa by the Chief Dayo led Ogun PDP, alleging possible bias on the part of the panel headed by Justice Amina Augie.

    The petitioners had alleged that former President Olusegun Obansanjo allegedly promised to exploit the influence of his lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola to ensure that his faction of PDP in Ogun State wins at the appeal court.

    The petitioners also referred to a purported meeting between Babalola and Justice Augie.

    Reading the petition to an open court on Thursday, a furious Justice Augie denied any relationship between her, Babalola and Obasanjo.

    She denied all allegations made against them in the petition.

    “I do not know Afe babalola. I have no dealing with him. I do not know Obasanjo. I have no dealings with him,” Justice Augie said.

    She averred that the petition was intended to deliberately rubbish the reputation of the justices handling the case.

     

  • PDP replaces Oyinlola with Onwe

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has replaced its National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola with theparty’s Deputy National Secretary, Mr. Solomon Onwe.

    A terse statement signed by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Monday said the change takes immediate effect.

    The statement reads, “Pursuant to the powers conferred on the National Chairman by Chapter V Section 35 (1), 35 (1)(b) as well as section 36(2) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, (as amended), the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Barr. Solomon Onwe is hereby directed to assume duties as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.

    “Barr. Onwe shall by this directive conduct all correspondences of the party, issue notices of meetings of the National Convention, the National Executive Committee, the National Caucus and the National Working Committee as stipulated in the Constitution of our great Party.

    “This directive takes immediate effect and is hereby communicated to all the levels and offices of the Party.”

    Oyinlola’s election as the National Secretary was voided by an Abuja High Court on Friday on grounds that the southwest zonal congress through which he emerged was illegal.

     

  • PDP crisis: If I go, Tukur goes, says Oyinlola

    PDP crisis: If I go, Tukur goes, says Oyinlola

    • Oni, Babatope, Filani in line to replace Oyinlola
    • Ex-Osun gov files court brief, seeks stay-of execution

    The sacked National Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has launched a fight back to save his political career.

    He has filed an appeal against the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which removed him from office, and is also seeking a stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Abdu Kafarati.

    In the face of reports that leading members of the ruling party had counseled him to step down following the court judgment against him, the former Osun State governor insists there is no basis for him to do so. He does not understand why he has to be drawn into the zonal congress controversy when the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who is a product of the zonal congress is not.

    The former governor, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Ayo Olaiya, said if the issue persists it will affect Tukur more than anyone else in the party hierarchy.

    He said: “The argument of Oyinlola is that he was not a product of any zonal congress. So his nomination is not illegal. Oyinlola said he emerged at the National Convention after other contestants had publicly stepped down for him.

    “He said at the South-West Congress in Osogbo, the only candidate endorsed was the National Vice-Chairman (South-West) of the PDP, Mr. Segun Oni.

    “He said the application before the Federal High Court was baseless, an abuse of court process and ought not to have been entertained at all in the first instance.”

    On pressure being placed on him to step aside, the media aide said: “There is nothing like that. Nobody in the party, including the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has asked Oyinlola to leave office. Oyinlola will not vacate his seat and any move to make him do so will be subjudice given the appeal already filed.

    “Tukur or anybody could not have spoken to Oyinlola. All NWC members, except Tukur, emerged at the National Convention of the party, not at the zonal congress.

    “If you can recall very well, Tukur was actually defeated by a former National Secretary of PDP, Babayo Shehu, at the North-East Congress before President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders prevailed on Shehu to step down for him.

    “So, if there is any issue about zonal congress, it will affect Tukur more than any member of the NWC because he emerged contrary to the decision of the zonal congress.

    “Therefore, if they are holding on to the so-called claim of zonal congress, whatever affects Oyinlola will weigh heavily on Tukur. That is why Tukur or anybody in NWC cannot ask Oyinlola to leave office.”

    However, it was gathered that the plot to effectively terminate Prince Oyinlola’s reign as the National Secretary of the PDP gathered pace yesterday.

    According to sources, some party leaders have shortlisted one time Transport Minister, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, National Vice Chairman of the PDP (South West), Chief Segun Oni and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Ishola Filani, as possible candidates to replace him in an acting capacity.

    The National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and some other leaders of the PDP are understood to have asked Prince Oyinlola to step aside until the determination of his appeal.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that some leaders of the PDP and those loyal to Tukur are insisting on Oyinlola stepping aside.

    It was learnt that some of the leaders have tried to reach out to Oyinlola to “act true to type as a lawyer by respecting the judgment of the court to step aside.”

    A party source said Tukur reiterated the same position when he interacted with party leaders and a couple of NWC members on Friday after the judgment.

    The source said: “The party is expecting an enforcement order from the court to enable Oyinlola to vacate his seat till his matter is finally ironed out by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

    “Once Oyinlola leaves office temporarily, the party will prevail on the South-West to pick a nominee as acting National Secretary among three candidates to be recommended. The party wants to stick to the zoning formula instead of asking the Deputy National Secretary to act.

    “The candidates being considered are the National Vice-Chairman of PDP(South-West), Chief Segun Oni; a former National Organising Secretary of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, and a former National Publicity Secretary of the former Social Democratic Party(SDP), Chief Ishola Filani.

    “The opinion of some loyalists of Tukur is in favour of Oni, who is rated as more amenable than the others. But the party will go by the consensus of key stakeholders, including President Goodluck Jonathan.”

    A member of the National Working Committee said: “What the leaders are saying is that Oyinlola must obey court order by vacating office until he secures a stay.

    “Even if there is a court order for a stay of execution, the party will run into a crisis because any decision taken by Oyinlola would amount to nullity if he eventually loses at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. So, the National Secretariat will not function well and there can’t be a smooth working relationship between the National Chairman and Oyinlola.

    “It is going to be a no-win situation for the party.”

    A source close to the PDP Governors Forum said: “As far as the governors are concerned, Oyinlola won’t step aside at all. Instead, they have encouraged him to be steadfast because he remains their candidate for the job.

    “The governors took note of the fact that a High Court is not a final court in the land. Therefore, hanging on to the High Court judgment would amount to mischief.”

    Friday’s court decision on Oyinlola was greeted with jubilation in the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan and Tukur.

    The president and his strategists are determined to regain control of the party ahead of the 2015 elections and do not consider Oyinlola as one whose control of the party’s secretariat would be of benefit to their camp.

    Oyinlola was nominated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the state governors.

     

  • Edo: PDP members seek Aihiavbere’s expulsion from party

    Edo: PDP members seek Aihiavbere’s expulsion from party

    Some members of the People’s Democratic Party in Edo State on Friday called on the party leadership to expel Major-General Charles Airhiavbere from the party.

    Airhiavbere was the PDP candidate in the July 14, 2012 gubernatorial election in the state.

    The party members said they sought the expulsion of Airhiavbere from the party for bringing the PDP into disrepute by challenging the outcome of the election.

    The PDP members spoke at a press conference in Benin City shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the appeal of Governor Adams Oshiomhole against the ruling of a Court of Appeal.

    They said Airhiavbere’s decision to contest the result of the gubernatorial election in the state at the tribunal, against the decision of the party hierarchy has damaged the party’s reputation.

    Spokesman of the PDP stakeholders, Chief Aisulimhen Ighodaro said Airhiavbere’s unilateral decision to go to court was at variance with that of the party at the national and state levels.

    Ighodaro noted that such decision showed that Airhiavbere was not a party man and that “he holds the PDP in contempt and is on a personal voyage to fulfill his inordinate ambition.”

    His words: “The decision by the his running mate, Hon Johnson Abolagba is not only commendable, but it shows that he is a proper, well-tutored and real politician who regards the party as supreme.

    “Airhiavbere’s ambition, which has now been truncated by the decision of the Supreme Court, has further damaged the fabrics of our party, the PDP, which had earlier been badly tainted by his shameful loss to the opposition candidate at the July 14 polls,

    “It is our opinion that Charles Airhiavbere be immediately expelled from our great party, the PDP to serve as a deterrence to others and show to the world that ours is a disciplined party.

     

  • PDP BoT fails to elect chairman

    PDP BoT fails to elect chairman

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) last night failed to elect its chairman.

    At the end of a three-hour meeting at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the board raised a six-member committee to review it membership which generated controversy at the meeting.

    Former Information Minister Prof Jerry Gana is chairman of the committee. Other members are: Alhaji Shettima Mustapha, Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Senator Stella Omu and fomer Deputy Nationa chairman Chief Olabode George. The committee was given three weeks to submit a report.

    The committee will determine the authentic members of the board. These will include those who are statutory members, the founding members and those elected for a period of time.

    Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada Chief Ojo Maduekwe spoke to reporters early today on the outcome of the meeting alongside Board’s Secretary, Senator Walid Jibrin, who was asked to continue in that position, Prof. Gana, and Presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati.

    Maduekwe said the committee would align the membership of the board to ensure that the election is a model of internal democracy.

    He said the meeting did not discuss or endorse any of the twelve candidates.

    “The meeting did not come close to election, nomination or endorsement of any aspirant. There was no deadlock and no gridlock,” he said. He also denied the existence of major cracks in the PDP family.

    He however admitted some form of disagreements as a result of different interests.

    On the Adamawa crisis, Gana said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has set up a committee made up of President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, leaders of the National Assembly and some elders to resolve the crisis.

    Jibrin confirmed the 12 members who showed interest in the BoT chairmanship as: Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dr Ken Nnamani, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr Amadu Ali, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, Chief Don Etibet, Chief Yekeen Adeojo, Senator Onyeabor Obi, Chief Harry Akande and Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun.

    President Jonathan presided over the meeting which was attended by Vice President Sambo; President of the Senate David Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwwal.

    Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was absent.

     

  • ‘Olu Agbi Group no more in Ondo PDP’

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday said a group led by a former Ambassador, Olu Agbi, was no more in the PDP.

    In a statement by its Publicity Director, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, PDP said members of Agbi’s faction had been expelled from the party since October 15, last year.

    It said: “Their expulsion is predicated on their serial indiscipline and disloyal actions, which contradict the party’s goals. It is, therefore, important that we correct the erroneous impression in the media that they remain a faction in the party.

    “They are completely extraneous and detached from the party. The confirmation for this is reinforced by the fact that one Femi Olaleye, who continuously addresses himself as a Professor, was never a PDP member.

    “Our attention has equally been attracted by the serial outbursts of Dr. Dare Bada, who continues to perpetrate falsehood about the party for reasons not completely lost to us, as he has been bought by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the sponsor of the Agbi Group, to do just that.

    “We have tried not to join issues with him because of his unenviable antecedent in politics. This is because like Mimiko, Bada’s politics is not issue-based nor propelled by the desire to ensure the common good of the society, but centred on pettiness and acrimony.

    “We take cognisance of the way he betrayed the Alliance for Democracy (AD) when he joined us in 2002. He later defected from the PDP to the then Action Congress (AC), which he destroyed in 2007 because he was not given the party’s ticket. He betrayed the party for a fee when he crossed back to the PDP.

    “Bada is currently on a one-man riot squad not because he has any reason to so do, but because he has again been purchased to so do.

    “In fact, it is germane that we put it on record that as the Director-General of the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation (OOCO), he failed to render any account to the party and it is our belief that men of honour must give detailed account of funds put at their disposal.”

  • PDP makes u-turn on dissolution of Adamawa exco

    The power tussle between the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, has deepened.

    Nyako appeared to be having an upper hand, as the National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday rescinded its earlier decision on the dissolution of the Adamawa State  Executive committee of the party.

    The Tukur-led national body, on October 17, 2012, announced the dissolution of the state Exco, headed by Alhaji Mijinyawa Kagauma.

    In a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party had said the sacked Exco “flagrantly disregarded and shown serial disobedience to the decisions of the NWC”.

    A nine-member Caretaker Committee was sworn in to replace the sacked Exco. The caretaker committee was directed to run the affairs of the state chapter for three months, pending further directives from the national leadership.

    At yesterday’s briefing, chaired by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, the party leaders said they were “shocked and surprised” to read in the newspapers that ward, local and state congresses were held in Adamawa State last week. Tukur did not attend the briefing.

    Sam Jaja stated: “For the records, the National Working Committee, hereby dissociates the party leadership from the purported congresses which were neither authorized by the NWC nor monitored and/or supervised by the national secretariat. In the history of the PDP only the national secretariat of the PDP conducts state congresses.

    “The NWC is therefore surprised, shocked and embarrassed to read in the newspapers of the purported ward, local government and state congresses said to be on going in Adamawa State.

    “Based upon the above therefore the NWC hereby declare the purported congresses null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    “Consequently, we hereby declare that the only state executive committee constitutionally recognised by the party is the Kaugama executive lawfully elected in March 2012 and endorsed by the national convention”, Jaja maintained.”