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Tag: Peter Akpatason

  • Constituents kick as Akpatason seeks fifth term in NASS

    Constituents kick as Akpatason seeks fifth term in NASS

    Political leaders of Constituency 1 in Akoko-Edo local government area have kicked against plans by Hon Peter Akpatason to seek a fifth term in office as a member of the House of Representatives.

    Hon Akpatason was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 to represent Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.

    He would have served four consecutive terms by 2027.

    The political leaders under the auspices of Okpameri nation said Constituency 1 has been marginalised from both elective and appointive positions in Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.

    Read Also: Troops recover large cache of  ammunition in Maiduguri

    Speaking in an open letter to Governor Monday Okpebholo, and signed by Chairman and Secretary of the group, Chief Bamidele Zamijude and Mr Oriloye Martin respectively, the group demanded that the slot currently occupied by Akpatason be ceded to Constituency I.

    The group said the Okpameri Nation which formed bulk of Constituency 1 controls four major wards and accounts for over 50-60 percent of the total voting strength of the locality.

    According to the letter, “Your Excellency arrived at a critical hour in Edo’s political journey, when long-standing imbalances demanded correction, and when silent injustices yearned for a listening heart.

    “Through deliberate actions and thoughtful appointments, you have demonstrated that governance is not about conquest, but about healing, inclusion, and fairness.

    “For 16 uninterrupted years, the House of Representatives seat has remained exclusively in Akoko-Edo South (Constituency 2) under the continuous tenure of Hon. Peter Akpatason, while the same constituency repeatedly dominated the Local Government Chairmanship and a disproportionate share of state and federal appointments. This prolonged concentration of power created a painful sense of exclusion for Akoko-Edo North, whose patience, loyalty, and restraint were tested but never broken.

    “With humility and sincerity, we appeal that the House of Representatives ticket be zoned back to Akoko-Edo North (Constituency 1) and entrusted to any qualified son of Okpameri Nation. This appeal is not born out of rivalry, nor is it a contest of dominance. Rather, it is a plea for healing, balance, and historical closure, a request to finally correct a 16-year imbalance that has lingered far too long.”

  • Appeal court sacks Edo APC Rep candidate

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City has sacked Comrade Peter Akpatason as the All Progressives Congress candidate for Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.

    It declared the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Kabiru Adjoto as the candidate of the party for Akoko-Edo federal constituency.

    The appellate court also nullified the APC National Assembly Primaries election appeals committee headed by former governor of Edo State, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor.

    Delivering judgment on the appeal filed by Speaker Adjoto, Justice Moore Abraham-Adumein said that the trial court ought to have heard the case brought before it since it is its duty to do so.

    Justice Moore held the Prof. Osunbor led committee was not properly constituted because the committee contravenes Article 21 B of the APC guidelines party of which says “no member of the five member appeals committee shall be from the state of assignment”.

    Moore noted referring the case back to the trial court would have been statute bared but that haven considered the evidences before the lower court which it did not consider, Adjoto won the primary election as the returning officer during the election Hon Sufiyanu Igbafe declared that Adjoto scored 7,034 votes as against his opponent, Honourable Peter Akpatason who scored 5,606 votes.

    Read Also: Court frees Ozubulu massacre suspects

    According to him: “The trial court for reasons best known to it failed or neglected to make any pronouncement on the real issue before it

    “This appeal is hereby unanimously allowed and the prayers sought by the appellant in the trial court are hereby granted and the sum of N300, 000 is hereby awarded as cost against the 1st and 2nd respondents”.

    He said his two colleagues, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, who is the presiding Justice and Justice Tunde Efotoye agreed with the judgment.

    Lawyer to Akpatason, Omoh-Ige Adebayo said they would contest the judgment at the Supreme Court while an elated Adjoto said: “The judiciary is not only the last hope of the common man but also of the big man” and promised to give more representation to his people more than he has given in the state House of Assembly.

  • Obaseki, elected legislators brainstorm on spread of developmental projects

    …says Edo people will not accept borehole, VIP toilets as constituency projects

    Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, and the newly elected legislators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have agreed to deepen synergy between both arms of government to ensure projects are not duplicated across the state.

    The consensus was reached during a reception for members and supporters of the APC, after the thanksgiving service organised by the state government, to celebrate the success of the general elections in the state.

    Addressing members and supporters of the party at Government House, Obaseki stressed that his administration will no longer accept boreholes and toilets as constituency projects from members of the national and state assemblies.

    “I will not accept boreholes and VIP toilets as constituency projects any more. Edo people have spoken that they want real change and we must deliver the change to them.

    “For the elected members of the House of Assembly, every constituency you represent must have something meaningful in the budget on a yearly basis.

    “I will not accept N40 million constituency projects, if you are not able to appropriate between N500 million to N1 billion, then you are not working for your constituency,” the governor said.

    READ ALSO: Obaseki declares total war on cultists

    He added that duplication of projects would not be allowed, to ensure for the efficient use of the state’s resources.

    Obaseki further said that he would be holding interactive sessions with the party members in the national assembly on a monthly basis to review their projects, noting that the elected APC legislators have no reasons not to deliver good governance to Edo people who gave them the mandate to serve.

    Responding, Hon. Peter Akpatason, the House of Representatives member-elect for Akoko Edo Federal Constituency, thanked the governor for the massive support he gave all candidates of the APC during the elections, adding that Obaseki spurred them to victory.

    Akpatason promised to attract the support of the federal government to the state and said that a better synergy between the state house of assembly, national assembly, state and local governments on project execution will ensure the judicious use of the state’s resources.

    Speaking on behalf of the newly elected state House of Assembly members, Hon. Washington Osifo, said they would ensure the executive succeeds in its endeavour.

    “I want to assure you that you will enjoy our support and you will be happy at the end of the day that you have all the 24 seats in the state assembly.

    “We will ensure that as you are working for the good of Edo people, we will give you all our support,” he said.

  • Defectors do not fit into APC vision, says lawmaker

    The lawmaker representing Akoko-Edo federal constituency in the House of Representative, Hon Peter Akpatason, has said that those defecting from the All Progressive Congress do not fit into the vision of the party.

    Hon Akpatason said the defectors would lose next year’s general election because they left good people in the APC to join bad people.

    Akpatason who spoke to reporters in Benin City said the defectors won elections in 2015 because of the good people they met in the APC.

    He argued that the PDP was not a beautiful bride for defectors but a dumping ground for those he termed waste product.

    Read Also: Support swells for APC in Abia

    According to him, “For you to effect development, you need the good, the bad and the ugly but in the process of development, you begin to see the good from the bad and the ugly.

    “At some point, it becomes clear to some people that they do not fit into the system and that is what is happening now. They jump ship to where they actually belong to. Some people jumped ship some years ago because they wanted to contest election and they thought it was the APC platform and also the Buhari tsunami including the dynamics of their local politics.

    “PDP is a dumping ground for waste product and not a beautiful bride. Somebody who decamped four years ago and is defecting now is a waste product. They don’t have value to add to the system. People of value and command respect do not defect but only political merchants who see political parties as a platform.”

  • 2019: PDP aspirant vows to stop ‘skilful manipulation’

    An aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party for the House of Representatives, Mr. Bankole Balogun, has vowed to fight against what he termed ‘skillful manipulation’ in next year’s general election.

    Balogun who is gunning to represent Akoko-Edo said he was already coasting home to victory in 2015 when over 2000 votes were ‘skillfully manipulated’ into the results that led to his loss to Hon. Peter Akpatason.

    Speaking in a chat with newsmen in Benin City, Balogun said he would win next year’s election because of what he termed poor performance of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    Read Also: I won’t defect to PDP, Governor Bindow insists

    Balogun stated that the administration of Obaseki has not impacted on the people of Akoko-Edo in the past two years.

    According to him, “I am well-prepared. This is my third time I am contesting. I am not in the government of Obaseki, there is nothing in Akoko-Edo give Obaseki a pass mark. There is a lot of work to be done on Akoko-Edo.

    “Without a doubt, the PDP will win in 2019. Akoko-Edo is still one homogeneous local government as it were many years ago. There is lack of infrastructure and there are no roads connecting major towns.

    “Educational system is in shambles. There is not one quality health care facility. There is no industry. There is nothing to create a good quality of life for the people. The next election will be where the people of Akoko-Edo will make the décision for the PDP that has the answers.”

  • APC Lawmaker calls for peaceful congresses

    The lawmaker representing Akoko-Edo constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Peter Akpatason, has called on leaders of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State to conduct peaceful Ward congresses scheduled to hold today.

     

    Akpatason who spoke to our reporter said the Ward congresses is critical to every electoral activities in 2019.

     

    He noted that the Ward congresses should be done in an inclusive manner that would strengthen the party.

     

    His words”The ward congresses are critical to every electoral activity that is going to happen in 2019. It should be done in an inclusive manner that will strengthen the party. 

     

    “In my Ward, we are holding a meeting because we see ourselves as a family. We believe in consensus in our Ward. We are one family. We will not change it.”

     

    State Youth Leader of the APC, Hon Valentine Asuen, said the party is poised to conduct free and fair congresses.

     

    Hon Asuen stated that all youths of the APC have been mobilized to ensure peaceful congresses.

     

  • Reps reject powers to impeach governors, deputies

    Reps reject powers to impeach governors, deputies

    • Altered constitution ready in eight months, says Lasun

    An attempt to constitutionally empower the National Assembly  (NASS) to impeach State governors and their deputies when the need arises was vehemently rejected by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

    This is as the Chairman, Special ad hoc committee on the review of the constitution and Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, disclosed that a reviewed constitution would be ready in about eight months.

    At the plenary when a bill to alter the Constitution to allow governors to be impeached by the National Assembly was about to be debated, Lasun said the process has gone very far,  that in eight months, it should be concluded.

    Sponsors of the bill, Edward Pwajok  (PDP, Plateau) and Ali Isa (APC, Gombe) said the bill is seeking to delete the Proviso to Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution to enable the National Assembly remove a Governor or Deputy Governor of a State in appropriate circumstances.

    Pwajok in his lead debate said the intent of the bill is to ensure that the nation was not helpless when situations arise in some States in which normalcy ought to be restored even if it entails removing the governor.

    “It is not as if we just want to remove a governor or deputy for the sake of removing them, no, it is based on Section 11 (4): ‘At any time when a House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its function, the National Assembly shall do so on its behalf’.

    “In the 1979 Constitution, there was no proviso, but in that of the 1999 there’s a proviso. If Section 11 gives the National Assembly powers to legislate for State Assemblies in their absence, I think it should be allowed to remove the governor or deputy,” he said.

    Isa, in his contribution, said the constitution has already given the National Assembly powers to take over the responsibilities of a State Assembly, which should be all encompassing.

    The majority of the members did not agree with the argument saying that it was an attempt to turn the National Assembly into an institution with absolute powers.

    Most members even rejected the idea of debating such a bill with Ayo Omidiran (APC, Osun) saying, “Do you want to make us omnipotent?  We have powers to remove President and his Vice, you now want us to be removing governors and their deputies?

    “Anyone that has a problem with his governor should go and settle it. We should not even debate his any further because the more we talk about it the more it will attract embarrassment to us and the institution we represent”.

    Peter Akpatason (APC, Edo)  said the constitution did not empower the National Assembly to such an extent.

    “What happens is if it is impossible for the State Assembly to legislate, we then come in. I don’t think we should use that temporary power to remove a governor. If we allow it, one day we may seek powers to remove a local government chairman,” he warned.

    Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila said the bill was seeking to install a unitary government in the country through the back door.

    “Of course the constitution can be amended for any purpose but certainly not for such. The keywords in the are Federal Republic. Our constitution tells us that we run a federal system of government. Allowing this bill means a unitary system of government.

    “The bill dies on the ground of vagueness. For us to determine what is appropriate. Why are we wasting our legislative time on this bill? It’s dead on arrival. Why is this bill before this House? To allow us to impeach a governor?”

    While Mohammad Monguno (APC,  Borno) noted that the debate was an exercise in futility and  purely an academic exercise, Adams Jagaba (APC, Kaduna) warned of the consequence of passing the bill.

    “If passed, we are going to send a very terrible signals to the public. The section cited on taking over the legislative functions of a state assembly remains the way it is” he said.

    While Yakoob Balogun (APC, Lagos) said the bill should  die naturally, Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) regretted that on the surface, the bill seeks a removal of he country’s  federalism.

    Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara) however expressed caution saying that  the carfters of the constitution were very careful,  “The constitution only talks about a situation where there is crisis, which is temporary, moreover it provided a time line of three months which is renewable,” he noted.

    When he realized the direction the debate has taken,  Pwajok commended his colleagues for displaying nationalism on the issue while encouraging them to show such courage on subsequent national issues.

    He withdrew the bill before a vote was taken by the presiding officer Yussuff Lasun.

  • Edo 2016:Lawmaker warns APC against implosion

    Edo 2016:Lawmaker warns APC against implosion

    The lawmaker representing Akoko-Edo constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Peter Akpatason, has warned that the current tension within the All Progressive Congress (APC) over who gets the party’s governorship ticket might lead to implosion of the party in the state.

    Hon Akpatason urged the APC  leadership at all levels to guide against any implosion in the party after a candidate has been elected.

    Akpatason who described the tension generated over the governorship ticket as a “normal practice” in Nigerian politics urged the party leaders to begin reconciliation process immediately after the party primaries.

    Speaking with reporters in Benin City, Akpatason said consultation with the various interests groups in the APC would increase the party’s chances of winning the governorship election.

    According to him, “what is keen and important is for the leadership of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) to be able to manage the situation in such a way that it does not lead to implosion. I believe that the situation is not out of hand.

    “After the primaries, the onus is on the leaders to quickly call everybody together and start the process of reconciliation and appease those who may feel aggrieved at that point in time because they did not win the primary election or their Candidates did not win the primaries. So that at the end of the day, the party would come out stronger and more United,” he said.

  • Appeal court upholds Akpatason’s victory

    Appeal court upholds Akpatason’s victory

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City has thrown out the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Oladele Bankole-Balogun against the judgment of the tribunal.

    Bankole-Balogun is challenging the election of Hon Peter Akpatason of the All Progressive Congress who was declared winner of the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election.

    The lower tribunal led by Justice A.R.Ozoemena had struck out the petition against Akpatason for lack of merit.

    It held that the PDP did not sign the petition which according to the Tribunal, was a negation of the Electoral Act.

    The three-man appeal panel, led by Justice P.Ekpe, upheld the decision of the tribunal, pointing out that the issue bothers on section 4.1 Schedule of the Electoral Act.

    It held that the non-signing of the petition pressumed that the first petitioner signed the entire petition which is not in agreement with the Electoral Act”.

    Counsel to Akpatason, Ken Mozia (SAN) described the judgment as victory for the rule of law, nothing that “this judgment is going to be a reference point in all the Election Petition Tribunals. The issue of signing of petitions now are serious matters; it is no longer business as usual”.