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Tag: PDP

  • More PDP aspirants join Bayelsa, Kogi governorship race

    More aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have joined Bayelsa and Kogi states’ governorship race.

    They obtained their nomination documents yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

    For Bayelsa State, Fred Agbedi and Reuben Okoya obtained their expression of interest and nomination forms for N21 million each.

    For Kogi State was Mrs Grace Adejoh, who only paid the mandatory N1 million fee for expression of interest, as the N20 million nomination form is free for women aspirants.

    Read also: APC to hold Bayelsa, Kogi primaries August 29

    All the three aspirants promised to improve the economies of their states and develop infrastructure, with emphasis on job creation and youth empowerment.

    At separate interactions with reporters, the aspirants bemoaned the security situation in the states and pledged to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure improved security of life and property.

    Agbedi promised to end militancy and crude oil theft in Bayelsa State by building modular refineries and proving the right environment for industrialisation, if elected.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16 for the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

     

  • Atiku’s, PDP’s witnesses claimed they transmitted results to INEC server

    The first set of witnesses in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the February 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday appeared before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).

    Three out of the six witnesses that appeared before the panel, claimed to have been engaged during the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as ad hoc staff.

    The three – Peter Obi (not Atiku’s running mate), Adejuyitan Olalekan and Adedokun Adeoye – claimed they transmitted results to INEC server at the conclusion of the last presidential election, as claimed by the petitioners.

    The petitioners’ other three witnesses – Buba Galadima, Mohammed Tata and Mustapha Bello – claimed the election was marred in their polling units by violence, harassment and intimidation.

    Atiku and the PDP also tendered documents, including copies of result sheets from some states; Form CF001, containing personal information of President Muhammadu Buhari and a bundle of documents, which the petitioners claimed were obtained from the National Archive in Kaduna.

    Led in evidence by Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), Galadima, an ardent critic of Buhari, who was the first to testify, adopted his written statement, in which he queried Buhari’s educational qualification and proceeded to explain his relationship with the President and why he fell out with him.

    Under cross-examination by Buhari’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Galadima said he supported Buhari’s ambition in 2003, 2007 2011 and 2015 because he was convinced that he (Buhari) was qualified to lead the country.

    Read also: Atiku, PDP call Buhari’s critic, Galadima as first witness

    “On the four occasions that I supported him, I was convinced he was qualified to be president of the country. I know he was military head of state between 1983 and 1985,” he said.

    Galadima said he did not fall out with Buhari because he was not made a minister, but owing to the President’s failure to abide by their promises to provide quality and fair leadership.

    He said his daughter – Zainab Buba Galadinma – is not a Special Assistant to the President but a board member of the Film Corporation in Jos, arguing that she is one of the most qualified Nigerians in government and that she deserved the appointment having contributed immensely to Burahi’s electoral victory.

    The witness confirmed that Buhari was a military Head of State between 1983 and 1985 and that he addressed Nigeria in many languages, including English.

    Under cross-examination by lawyer to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Galadima said although he was still a member of the APC, he worked with the PDP in the last presidential election because Buhari betrayed their promises to Nigerians.

    Galadima said he knew there was no political party called the Reformed All Progressives Congress, but that he is its chairman.

    According to him,  he travelled outside the country when INEC displayed the names of candidates before the last presidential election for members of the public to scrutinise their qualifications and complain where necessary.

    Under cross-examination by lawyer to INEC, Yunus Usman (SAN), Galadima said he was at his party’s situation room after casting his ballot to get reports from agents.

    Obi, as a Registration Area Technician (RATECH)/E Collation Officers, appointed and trained by INEC, said he was in charge of supervising election in a ward and that his superiors were the Local Government Technician (LG TECH) and the State Technician (State TECH).

    Under cross-examination by Fagbemi, Obi said he could not remember the polling units where he worked during the election and did not use smart card reader on the day of election.

    Olalekan, who said he acted as INEC Presiding Officer during the election, told the tribunal that he is a lecturer at the African Thinkers Community of Inquiry College of Education (ATCOI COE).

    The witness said he transmitted results to the INEC server, using a code provided by INEC.

    “The server is connected to the smart card reader. I don’t not know the name and number of the server. The INEC server’s name is attached to the INEC server,” he said.

    Olalekan said the election went well in his polling unit and that no incident of card reader malfunction was recorded.

    Adeoye, who claimed to have served as an Assistant Presiding Officer during the election and that he transmitted results to INEC server, could not recall the scores recorded by political parties in his polling unit.

    The witness, who claimed to have transmitted results to INEC server, using card reader, said he did not provide particulars of the card reader, server code and the location of the said server in his written statement.

    He also said he could not recall them.

    Tata, who said he served as Party Agent to the  PDP in Jigawa State during the election, claimed to have been compelled to sign the result sheet with a threat to remove his name from the N-Power Programme.

    He said the election did not hold in his polling unit because of violence.

    Bello, who said he functioned as a Polling Agent and Collation Agent for the PDP, said the APC won his polling unit with 511 votes to PDP’s 175.

    He said although over 70 parties contested the election, only four recorded votes, including the APC and PDP. He could not recall the names of the other two parties.

    Bello said he did not sign the election results sheet in his polling unit because the figures on the sheet were not legible.

    The National Chairman the APC Adams Oshiomhole witnessed yesterday’s proceedings at the tribunal. He was with chieftains of his party and those of the opposition PDP. He sat all through the proceedings.

    Oshiomhole, who was attending the tribunal’s sitting for the first time, arrived at the court a little over 9am. He was accompanied by former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman of the Nuhu Ribadu.

    At the tribunal were former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, former Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Tom Ikimi; businessman, Raymond Dokpesi and PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan.

    Oshiomhole, who near Ikimi, said he was representing his party and President Muhammadu Buhari, who are listed as the second and third respondents in the petition by the PDP and Atiku.

    Hearing continues before the tribunal today.

  • PDP House caucus warns party on Elumelu, others

    THE gulf created by the suspension slammed on House of Representatives Minority Leader and six others by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) widened yesterday.

    The Caucus of the party in the Green Chamber urged the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to lift the suspension.

    Elumelu and the six other principal officers — Toby Okechukwu (Deputy Minority Leader); Gideon Gwani (Minority Whip) and Adekoya Abdul-Majid (Deputy Minority Whip); Wole Oke; Lynda Ikpeazu and Anayo Edwin – were suspended for failing to turn up for a meeting.

    The meeting was summoned following the announcement of the Minority officers last Wednesday by House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

    At a news briefing yesterday in Abuja, the Caucus warned of the consequences of upholding the suspension.

    “If the suspension is upheld with the issues remaining unresolved, the fortunes of the party in future are likely to be negatively affected”, the PDP Caucus said.

    Passing a vote of confidence on the Minority leadership and Speaker Gbajabiamila, the caucus wondered why only seven members were affected while 111 were party to the process that threw up Elumelu and the others as the Minority officers.

    Members of the caucus called on party elders to ensure dialogue would be employed to resolve the issue.

    Addressing reporters in the company of his colleagues, Legor Idagbo (Cross River) said the caucus has resolved to work with the party but it should be emphasised that since 1999, the parliament has remained independent to date with no form of coercion from any quarters.

    Read also: PDP suspends Elumelu, Ikpeazu, Oke, others

    “The parliament since 1999 till date remains independent and not coerced,” he said.

    Idagbo also denied insinuation that members of the caucus were induced with N1 million each to endorse Elumelu and others.

    He said: “We call on the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party to rescind its decision of suspending the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu and six others, who through no fault of theirs were nominated and elected by majority of members of minority parties.

    “Where an offence has been committed in this process, the perpetrators would be all 111 of us and not seven members as were suspended by our great party.

    “We, the minority parties, hereby pass a vote of confidence on the newly constituted minority leadership because our decision to constitute the Minority leadership of the Ninth House of Representatives is in consonance with the House Standing Order, that is, Order 7, Rule 8, which is derivative of Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    “We stand by our decision. We stand by our leaders. We use this opportunity to sue for peace and to state that we are available for further discussions with the NWC of our party on how to resolve these issues and move our party forward

    “We call on well-meaning party leaders, particularly those with legislative experience, to intervene in our behalf in order for this matter to be laid to rest so as not to affect the fortunes of our party in future.”

    On alleged monetary inducement, Idagbo said: “I have no information about that and I speak on good authority, I don’t think N1 million can induce any member in the National Assembly. And I’m sure that’s an insult to members of the National Assembly. If you had said N1 billion now, I would have started asking questions.”

     

     

  • House leadership: PDP govs split over Wike’s candidate

    The controversy sparked by the choice of minority leaders in the House of Representatives has caused a split in the ranks of governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The governors are divided over the push by their colleague, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to make his loyalist, Kingsley Chinda the House Minority Leader  instead of Ndudi Elumelu ,who is the candidate of  minority members of the House.

    Chinda is also being backed by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).

    Elumelu was announced as Minority Leader by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila at Wednesday’s sitting amidst protest by some PDP members and the NWC of the party which proceeded, on Friday, to slam suspension on Elumelu and some of his supporters for alleged anti-party activities.

    The PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) seems alarmed by the brewing crisis, prompting it to summon a meeting for Tuesday to find solutions to the division in the House by its elected members.

    Soon after the Wednesday business in the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the BOT, Senator Walid Jibrin had accepted the election of Elumelu only for the NWC to summon Elumelu and his main supporters to come and defend their action.

    What followed was their suspension by the party.

    Investigation by The Nation shows that the disagreement between the PDP BoT and the NWC over the development in the House of Reps has spread to the ranks of the party’s governors.

    It was learnt that while some of the governors are backing Elumelu, a few others are insisting that the party’s list forwarded to the Speaker should be sacrosanct.

    Some of the PDP governors are even indifferent to the situation.

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has sent a congratulatory message to Elumelu, saying: “The unity and progress of Nigeria are bigger than any personal, political or religious interests.

    Read also: How PDP Reps rebuffed party, Wike, Dogara

    “I call on the leadership of the National Assembly to work for Nigeria instead of Nigeria working for them.”

    A member of the NWC confirmed the split among the governors.

    He said: “We have a challenge at hand because our leaders, especially governors are not on the same page over the choice of House Minority leaders.

    “Some have also faulted the suspension of Elumelu and six others. This division is understandable but I can tell you that most of the governors are with the NWC on this.

    “Our overriding interest is the supremacy of the party. We have got to a level that we must enforce discipline.

    “The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is just out to cause disaffection among PDP members in the House. It is a case of divide and rule.

    “If the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan could accept APC’s list of principal officers, why would the Speaker ignore PDP’s list of minority leaders in the House?”

    A PDP governor, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “Some of us are really indifferent because we were not consulted by the NWC in arriving at the list sent to the Speaker. We have other ranking members besides Kingsley Chinda.

    “It is unfair and unjust for the National Chairman of the party to come from Rivers State and the House Minority Leader to be selected from the same state. I think we should have been more circumspect.

    “The last Majority Leader/ Minority Leader of the PDP, Leo Ogor came from Delta State. We were not expecting that out of the six states in the Southsouth, the NWC will zone the Minority Leader to either Rivers State or Delta State. The party should have been fair to other states.

    “The challenge we have is that the party’s leadership defers to a few governors as if they own the PDP. This was not the dream of the founding fathers of the PDP.”

    A member of the BOT said: “The truth is that some PDP governors are displeased with the way Governor Nyesom Wike is calling the shots in PDP because he influenced the emergence of Prince Uche Secondus as the national chairman.

    “For assisting the party to regain its rhythm before the 2019 general election, Wike deserves some praises. But his contributions should not make him the leader of PDP.

    “There was no basis for the recommendation of Kingsley Chinda from Rivers State in an opposition party which has to manage limited political offices statutorily due to it.

    “So, there is a cold war within the party from the governors to other levels. Some of us have been saying it that Secondus must watch it.

    “The BOT chairman was hasty in recognizing Elumelu without hearing from the National Chairman of PDP, Secondus. Although he has recanted, the damage is already done.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The BOT will hold a meeting on Tuesday on the development on the choice of minority leaders.

    “We want to avert a major crisis in PDP over these House leaders. And if we do not manage the situation with tact, it could destabilize the party.”

    Notwithstanding, 111 of the 147 members of the opposition in the House have so far signed a register in favour of Elumelu.

    The PDP had nominated Kingsley Chinda, highly favoured by Governor Nyesom Wike as Minority Leader; Chukwuka Onyema (Deputy Minority Leader); Yakubu Barde (Minority Whip); and Muraina Ajibola (Deputy Minority Whip)

    But based on majority consensus by PDP members and the representatives of other opposition parties in the House, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila announced a new set of leaders.

    Those preferred by members of the opposition are Ndudi Godwin Elumelu as Minority Leader; Toby Okechukwu (Deputy Minority Leader); Gideon Gwani (Minority Whip); and Adesegun Adekoya (Deputy Minority Whip).

    Disturbed by the alleged defiance of its directive, the PDP suspended Elumelu and six others for accepting to serve outside its official list sent to the Speaker.

    The PDP accused those suspended of alleged indiscipline, insubordination and disobedience of party directives contrary to Section 58 (1) (b) (c) (f) (h) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

    A new member of the House said: “Before the election of principal officers in the Senate and in the House, we waited for weeks from PDP for direction but the party was not forthcoming on where it was headed. The only exception was ex-Speaker Yakubu Dogara who tried to guide us.

    “Having been left in the wilderness, we decided to individually make ourselves available to candidates in APC for lobbying. When it was too late, the PDP leadership now came up with some guidance.

    “Yet we were insulted that the same PDP had the temerity to raise a panel to investigate why its members in the National Assembly voted for some principal officers.

    “On the choice of minority leaders, the PDP did not consult its caucus in the House before coming up with the list it sent to the Speaker.

    “The PDP members however invoked Order 7 Rule 8 of the House to pick the minority leaders, headed by Ndudi Elumelu. The order says members from any party will meet and choose candidates for principal offices. We met, built a consensus around Elumelu and others.

    “If PDP had consulted its members in the House, it would have realized that some opposition members in the House came from a few parties too.

    “As at Saturday, 111 out of 147 House members from the opposition parties have endorsed Elumelu. No going back even if all of us are sanctioned.”

  • Tribunal rejects PDP’s, Atiku’s request to re-argue APC’s objection to petition

    The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) has rejected the request by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in this year’s presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, to re-argue a motion by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking the dismissal of the petition.

    The tribunal, on June 11, ruled that the petitioners – PDP and Atiku – had no response to the motion by the APC, on the grounds that they failed to file a counter-affidavit.

    It was the ruling the petitioners prayed the court to set aside and allow them to formally respond to the motion.

    But the tribunal rejected the request in a ruling yesterday.

    In a unanimous ruling delivered by the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammed Garba, it was held that the petitioners were out of time to respond to the third respondent’s motion, having elected not to do so earlier.

    The tribunal stated that the seven days allowed under the Electoral Act for such a response had elapsed.

    Justice Garba averred that it was established beyond doubt that the motion by the APC was duly served on the petitioners on May 16, a day after it was filed.

    The judge said it was a fatal error and mistake on the part of the petitioners to have elected to file only a notice of objection but failed to file a counter-affidavit, as required by law, in denial of the claims contained in the motion by the APC.

    As against the claim by the petitioners’ legal team that a refusal of their application amounted to denial of fair hearing, Justice Garba said the petitioners were represented by their lawyers in all the proceedings, and that the counsel elected to adopt a tactic that suited their choice.

    He said: “We agree that the court has the power to exercise discretion, but in the instant case, the discretion has to be exercised judicially and judiciously.

    “And since the petitioners in this matter did not advance cogent and verifiable reasons for exercising discretion in their favour, we hereby refuse to do so.

    “From the established fact, the petitioners failed to make out a case for setting aside the proceedings of June 11, 2019, and failed, even up till today, to file counter affidavit.”

    The judge dismissed the application for being unmeritorious.

    Read also: Presidential election dispute: Tribunal to hear Atiku’s, PDP’s fresh motion July 1

    In the motion, which the tribunal deemed as unopposed by the petitioners, the APC is praying the tribunal to dismiss the petition or, alternatively, strike out several paragraphs that were not supported by facts and laws.

    APC also prayed the tribunal to remove 10 states from the list of those Atiku alleged electoral malpractices took place in the February 23 presidential election on the grounds that the petitioners failed to disclose the specific polling units where the alleged infraction allegedly took place, thereby “making their claims imprecise, nebulous and vague”.

    The ruling party also asked the tribunal to strike out paragraphs in the petition, where allegations of act of thuggery, arrest, intimidation and conversion were made against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Army, the police and several other individuals who were not joined as defendants in their petition.

    It also applied that the claim by Atiku and the PDP that President Buhari was not educationally qualified to stand for the presidential election be expunged from their petition because it is a pre-election matter, which the tribunal has no jurisdiction to adjudicate upon.

    Also, the APC urged the tribunal to strike out the petition on the grounds that it failed to comply with the mandatory provisions of paragraphs 4 and 7 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 and Section 134 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The party similarly faulted the petition “for being incompetent and in gross violation of sections 2 and 24 of the Legal Practitioners Act”.

    It prayed the tribunal that the petition be struck out together with the lists of documents and witnesses to be relied upon by the petitioners.

    Also yesterday, the tribunal adopted the schedule of proceedings agreed by parties on Monday, and adjourned till today for the commencement of the hearing session during which the petitioners are expected to call their first set of witnesses.

    In announcing the adoption of the schedule, as agreed by lawyers to the parties, Justice Garba said: “You will recall that on Monday you indicated that trial should begin on Thursday.

    “In line with that, the pre-hearing session for this petition will have to end today (Wednesday) to enable us to commence trial in respect of this petition from July 4.

    “It is on that basis that I will now present the report of the pre-hearing session.

    “The court hereby adopts the terms of agreements as the directive that will guide the conduct of the proceedings in respect of the petition but subject to modification, as allowed under paragraph 18 (10) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act.”

    By the agreed schedule of proceedings, as presented to the tribunal on Monday by petitioners’ lead lawyer Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), the petitioners have 10 days to call all their witnesses while each of the three respondents is entitled to six days.

    The evidence-in-chief of those the lawyers described as “ordinary witnesses” will take five minutes, while such witnesses would be cross-examined for 10 minutes.

    For “expert/subpoenaed witnesses,” the evidence-in-chief shall last 10 minutes for each witness, while cross-examination shall be for take 20 minutes.

    The tribunal agreed to three minutes each for re-examination of all categories of witnesses.

    Objection to documents are to be indicated at the point of tendering, and the address on it will be reserved till final address but will be isolated from the main address.

    Parties are also to prepare the schedule of documents to be tendered, file them and exchange with lawyers representing various parties.

    Respondents to the petition will file their final address within seven days of close of evidence, while the petitioners are to file their reply-final addresses within five days of being served with the respondents’ final addresses.

    The respondents will have three days of being served with petitioners’ final address, file their replies on point of law if need be.

    The tribunal also said proceedings shall begin, each day, at 9.30 a.m and end at 4 p.m (Monday to Friday) with one hour break between 1 p.m and 2 p.m.

     

  • Senate minority leader: Edo PDP leaders vow to resist swap of Ordia for Yau

    The last may not have been heard about the plan by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to alter the list of its principal officers in the Senate.

    Members of the party in Edo State yesterday vowed to resist any attempt to swap Senator Clifford Ordia for Senator Sahabi Yau, for the position of Senate deputy minority whip.

    The names of the minority principal officers in the upper chamber are expected to be announced on Tuesday when the Senate is expected to resume sitting.

    Ordia represents Edo Central Senatorial District, while Yau represents Zamfara State.

    On June 14, 2019, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) emerged as Senate minority leader with  Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, (Taraba South) as his deputy.

    Red=ad also: Trouble looms in Senate over choice of principal officers

    Senator Philip Aduda, (Federal Capital Territory) was elected Senate minority whip and Odia Senate deputy minority whip.

    The shadow elections to select the principal officers of the minority party in the Senate were held at the Abuja residence of the PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus.

    There are speculations that the PDP national chairman has concluded arrangements to drop Senator Ordia as Senate deputy minority whip in favour of Senator Sahabi Yau.

    The Secretary of PDP in Edo State, Mr. Felix Imoisili, said that the plan to drop Ordia from the list of minority principal officers in the Senate was in bad faith.

    Imoisili who spoke to reporters on the issue warned of consequences of short changing Edo State in the Senate by the national leadership of the party.

    The party scribe was particularly worried that with the governorship election coming up in the state, the removal of Ordia was capable of creating avoidable bad blood.

    He said their rejection of plot by the party’s leadership in Abuja to drop Ordia, had been communicated to Secondus and other party leaders.

    He said: “It is unfair to even consider taking that position from Edo state. Edo State PDP has made its position known to the national chairman of the party. We are against it and it will not stand. We reject it completely.

    “In Edo State, the PDP has no position and we see this position as a morale booster for our people as we prepare for the governorship election next year. To take it away is unacceptable. It will have its consequences.

    “During the last presidential elections, Edo State gave Atiku the votes. The PDP won the election, despite the fact that the national chairman of APC is from here.

    “We have an APC governor and all the local governments are manned by APC members. To take away the only position we can celebrate will be dangerous.”

    Other PDP leaders in Edo State who spoke in the same with the party scribe insisted that there will be repercussions if the planned decision to drop Ordia was not jettisoned.

    For them, the plan by the party to win the next governorship election in the state could be frustrated by aggrieved members over the planned Ordia swap

    It was learnt that party leaders in the state are expected to meet today, to articulate a formal petition that will be forwarded to the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.

    The National Publicity secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbodiyan, said that issues raised by the aggrieved party members would  be addressed by the party.

     

  • PDP closes case at Niger election tribunal

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday closed its case at the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Minna, Niger State.

    At the resumed hearing on Thursday, counsel to PDP Mohammed Ndayako, presented Tanko Beji as his only witness.

    Ndayako adopted his four witness statements on oath and asked the tribunal to use them as evidence in the petition.

    He also tendered some documents which the witness mentioned in his statement on oath, after which he notified the court that his client was closing its case.

    Counsel to the 1st respondent Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) said he would bring his client, Gov. Abubakar Bello, on Friday, to open their defence.

    Read Also: Row in PDP over Senate list of principal officers

    The chairman of the tribunal, Justice John Igboji, adjourned the matter until June 28, for the respondents to open their defence.

    NAN reports that Umar Nasko, the PDP candidate in the March governorship election in the state, had dragged the APC candidate, Bello and his deputy Ahmed Ketso, before the tribunal.

    Nasko alleged that the duo presented forged academic and birth certificates to INEC.

  • Oyo APC to PDP: name those in possession of govt’s vehicles

    Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to either make public the identity of anyone in illegal possession of government’s property among the officials who served during the Abiola Ajimobi administration or “stop spending available resources on cheap blackmail”.

    Governor Seyi Makinde has been accusing some of those, who served with Ajimobi of having taken away government’s vehicles with them.

    But, Oyo APC said in a statement by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Prince Ayobami Adejumo, yesterday  that the noise about the issue of vehicles allegedly taken away by unnamed persons was a clear indication that the PDP was not prepared for the serious business of governance.

    The statement reads: “They were desperate for power and now that they have it, they do not know what to do with it. How can a serious party be comfortable with the fact that a governor it sponsored into power cannot role out a significant action plan or blueprint, but chose to dwell on mundane issues four weeks after inauguration and without any sign of promise to deliver?

    “As concerned stakeholders, we have done our investigation and found out that none of our members went away with official vehicles or any government’s property illegally as Governor Makinde and his party want the public to believe. Therefore, we challenge the present administration or any of its sympathizers to name all those they have established to be in possession of the said items and initiate appropriate measures to recoveries same from them.

    “But if all the present administration and the PDP would prefer to do while its span runs out is to wage war against the persons of Senator Ajimobi and other who served the state meritoriously between 2011 and 2019 under the banner of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN)/APC, we wish them good luck.”

    The  party said it was regrettable that governance has since gone on holiday in Oyo State.

    Read Also: We have uncovered plots to rubbish Ajimobi’s legacies, says Oyo APC

    The APC advised Makinde “to resist every instinct or pressure capable of causing unrest in the state, especially as it concerned sponsorship of anarchy and confusion at the local government tier”.

    It warned that the Pacesetter State should not be in the news for any wrong reason because a governor must satisfy himself or his party men.

    “The current officials at the local council are a product of legitimacy and since the governor has agreed to edge them out through after his first self-help attempt failed, he should submit himself wholly to the court process without any overt or covert effort to circumvent democracy and the rule of law.

    “We say no to intimidation of elected council chairmen and councillors by the governor or any of his men who are desperate to feast on the resources of local government councils as done in the past.

    “The Appeal Court has picked July 5, 2019 for hearing of the case brought before  it by the governor with a caveat that the status quo must be maintained.

    “What this means is that elected officials should not be prevented from functioning in their capacities and we expect the PDP government to be aware of this,” Adejumo said.

    The APC, in another statement by its spokesperson, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, advised Makinde and PDP to have a rethink on its plans to inaugurate caretaker committee government in the councils  in defiance of court order.

    The APC advised the PDP led government to halt the plan in the interest of the masses to avoid needlessly inflicting untold suffering on the people at the grassroots.

    The state APC accused the PDP government of executive recklessness, especially in its recent decisions to thwart the legacies of the immediate past APC government .

    According to the party, the governor has taken on the toga of impunity by  sacking  elected council chairmen and  the perfection of the  government’s  plan to inaugurate caretaker committee despite a subsisting court order.

  • Osun poll: Oyetola, APC, INEC ask Supreme Court to dismiss Adeleke’s appeals

    Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the four appeals filed by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    Adeleke’s four appeals are challenging the May 9, 2019 judgments of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which affirmed Oyetola’s election as the governor.

    The Court of Appeal also set aside the majority judgment of the election tribunal, which had allowed Adeleke’s petition and declared him the winner of the election.

    On Monday, a seven-man panel of the court, led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, heard the appeals and chose July 5, 2015, for judgment.

    On Monday, by agreement of lawyers in the appeals, the court took submissions from Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for the appellant and Wole Olanipekun (SAN) for the 1st respondent (Oyetola) in respect of appeal marked: SC/553/2019.

    The court said its judgment in the main appeal – SC/553/2019 – will be applied to two other similar cases, filed by Adeleke against the Court of Appeal’s decision in relation to the appeals filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC, marked: SC/554/2019 and SC/555/2019.

    The court also took arguments from Ikpeazu (for the appellant), Yusuf Ali (SAN) for INEC; Bode Olanipekun (SAN) for Oyetola and Olumide Olujinmi, for APC in relation to the fourth appeal, marked: SC/556/2019.

    In their arguments, lawyers to the respondents – INEC, Oyetola and the APC – faulted the appeals and prayed the court to dismiss them for lacking in merit.

    The respondents prayed the court to uphold the judgments as given on May 9, 2019, by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which affirmed Oyetola of the APC as the winner of the governorship election held in September 2018.

    In relation to the first set of appeals – SC/553/2019; SC554/2019 and SC/555/2019, Ikpeazu urged the court to set aside the judgments of the Court of Appeal and restore the majority judgment given in his client’s favour by the election tribunal.

    In a counter-argument, Olanipekun, Ali and Olunijmi faulted the competence of the appeals and urged the court to dismiss them for lacking in merit.

    They prayed the court to uphold the May 9 judgments given in favour of the respondents by the Court of Appeal.

    In arguing the fourth appeal: SC/556/2019, Ikpeazu urged the court to set aside the two concurrent judgments of the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal, in which both courts rejected Adeleke’s request to void the supplementary election held after INEC declared the Osun governorship election inconclusive.

    Ikpeazu said his client’s contention was that INEC lacked the powers to have cancelled elections in some pooling units and order a rerun.

    He argued that the supplementary election was unnecessary because his client had won the election and met the constitutional requirement to be declared the winner.

    Read Also: Osun poll: PDP wants NJC to probe relocation of election tribunal

    Ikpeazu prayed the court to set aside the Paragraph 44 of the INEC’s Guideline on which basis the supplementary election was held, on the grounds that it conflicted with the Constitution.

    Bode Olanipekun (SAN), who argued the fourth appeal for Oyetola, urged the court to disregard Ikpeazu’s contention that the supplementary election was unnecessary.

    He argued that Paragraph 44 of INEC Guidelines was not in conflict with the constitution.

    Oyetola’s counsel noted that  Section 178(4) of the Constitution provides that the entire state is the constituency for a governorship election.

    He argued that “where elections have not held in the entire state, the appellant cannot contend that he won the election, as against the 2nd respondent (Oyetola), who won the election as conducted across the whole of the state”.

    He urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.

    Lawyers to INEC and the APC argued in a similar vein, with Ali (for INEC) arguing that Ikpeazu’s submission on reliefs 8 and 9 of his client (Adeleke’s) petition, overlooked the fact that election tribunals are special tribunals with limited jurisdiction to determine whether somebody was properly returned in an election.

    “The quarrel of the appellant is against concurrent findings of two lowers courts. There is no compelling reason to make this court interfere with the concurrent findings of the two lower courts,” Ali said.

    Olujinmi urged the court to be guided by its earlier decision in the case of Faleke v. INEC 2016 8 NWLR, prt 1543 pg 61, in which this court affirmed the limited scope of the jurisdiction of the election tribunal.

    He noted that even though Adeleke and his party, the PDP, are aware of this court’s decision in that case (Faleke case), but have failed to approach the court for departure on its position on that issue.

    Other members of the panel that heard the appeals are Justices Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, Kumai Aka’ahs, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Amiru Sanusi, Paul Galunmje and Uwani Abbah-Aji.

  • Oyo PDP vows to take over southwest states

    The Oyo State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to take over other five states in the South-West geopolitical zone in future elections.

    Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha, Chairman of the party in the state said this on Thursday while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan.

    He said efforts were on to ensure massive supports of the electorate in especially Oyo and Osun States before the next elections.

    ”Presently, we are targeting Osun and Ondo states and we are working tirelessly to capture these states,” he said.

    The chairman promised that the excellent performance of the PDP-led government in Oyo State would enhance its chances in future elections.

    Read also: PDP govs to NASS: defend independence of legislature

    On the inauguration of the 9th State Assembly where PDP had 26 out of 32 members, Mustapha urged the lawmakers especially PDP members to unite and stand firm with Gov. Seyi Makinde.

    He admonished them to resist any temptation of working against the interest of the ruling party in the state.

    He also called on the state legislature to make laws that would enhance actualisation of good policies and programmes of the state government.

    On the sharing formula arrangement of political appointments with other political parties, the chairman said there was no cause for alarm as the party would keep to its promise.

    He disclosed that all  stakeholders were meeting regularly on how best to handle the matter.

    The chairman disclosed that some contracts awarded by the immediate past administration would be reviewed.

    ”The governor has said that he has no interest in stepping on toes but if condition warrants it, he will do so in the overall interest of the state.” Mustapha said. (NAN)