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Tag: PPA

  • PPA hails Arthur Eze for remarks on Abia

    PPA hails Arthur Eze for remarks on Abia

    Despite the knocks the Abia State Government has given critics of the Theodore Orji administration, the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) at the weekend alleged that there is infrastructure decay in the state.

    Recently, frontline businessman Chief Arthur Eze expressed disappointment in the Orji administration.

    PPA blamed the Orji administration for refusing to implement the party’s master plan for the development of the state.

    It noted that this was responsible for infrastructural decay in the state.

    Orji became governor on the platform of the PPA in 2007 but defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he fell out with his political godfather, former Governor Orji Kalu, the major sponsor of PPA then.

    Alluding to Eze’s claims, PPA National Chairman Peter Ameh, in a statement at the weekend in Abuja, said: “PPA has been vindicated after a well-respected and reputable person within and outside the context of our country, billionaire Arthur Eze, on the 23rd anniversary of the state made a public statement as reported in some newspapers on the bad state of Abia occasioned by maladministration under the current governor, that Aba stinks. Aba is very dirty and the roads are so bad.

    “Eze further questioned the conspiracy of silence of Abia elders and the elected/appointed officers on the horrifying infrastructural decay of the state which, among other things, have dragged Abia as ‘Gods Own State’ to be treated as one of the most underdeveloped states.”

    Ameh added: “The statement further strengthened the party’s position that the governor’s poor performance was a worrisome dimension and needed to be checked…

  • PPA to parties: throw governorship contest open

    As the political heat of who succeeds Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji, the incumbent governor of Abia State, in 2015 from Ngwa extraction intensifies, the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA), Abia State chapter has urged political parties in throw open the contest to all aspiring candidates from the Ukwa/Ngwa area and other parts of the state.

    The party’s leadership stated that throwing open the governorship contest to all Abia sons and daughters, who wish to aspire for the position was going to ensure that credible candidates among the lots jostling for the office of the governor in 2015 would emerge.

    Prince Emeka Okafor, state chairman and Chief Uche Enyioko, state secretary in a communiqué they endorsed on behalf of the party after an emergency state executive meeting of the party held at Umuahia, said it was both unjust and unconstitutional to exclude a section of the state that everybody believed it was their turn to produce the governor of the state in 2015.

    PPA leadership, while admitting that the governorship position had eluded people from the Ukwa/Ngwa, stated that it would be undemocratic for political parties to cede or limit the contest for the governorship slot to a particular area.

    According to the release, it was a subtle way of disenfranchising tested politicians from the affected Local Government areas (Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma Ngwa) from contesting the governorship election, thereby denying the state of her best hands.

    Part of the communiqué reads; “This is the time for Ukwa/Ngwa to produce the governor of the state come 2015 and it should be about people and bloc and not about zone.

    “PPA without any reservation, supports the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc to produce the next governor of the state in 2015 for equity and fairness, but what we are against is an attempt by some political parties in the state to disenfranchise some people from Ukwa/Ngwa through the so called zoning which on its own was capable of creating division among the people of the area.

    The release further stated that PPA as a political party would not be party to such brazen flouting of the constitution by disenfranchising qualified people from contesting next year’s governorship election, adding that the party would as far as the election was concerned, throw her doors open to all qualified Abians and Ngwa sons and daughters.

  • PPA chieftain defects to APC

    PPA chieftain defects to APC

    Former Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) National Chairman Chief Sam Nkire has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that it will take the aggrieved party chieftains to the promised land.

    He told reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the interests of his supporters would be better protected in the new party.

    Nkire urged his supporters to participate in the on-going membership registration in the APC so that they can contest under the platform in the next general elections.

    He also appealed to past PPA governors, deputy governors, commissioners and legislators who had previously left the party to join the APC in their respective states.

     

  • 2015: ‘INEC should convince Nigerians of sincerity’

    2015: ‘INEC should convince Nigerians of sincerity’

    •Ohanaeze, PDP react

    The governorship candidate of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) in last year’s election in Anambra State, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should convince Nigerians of its sincerity to conduct a free and fair poll next year.

    He spoke yesterday in Awka, following the release of next year’s election timetable by INEC at the weekend.

    Ezeemo said people were yet to get over the inadequacies of Anambra poll, which was marred by logistic problems.

    “What happened on November 16 was terrible. INEC should prove its sincerity by being committed this time, by ensuring a free and fair poll and a level-playing field for candidates,” he added.

    The PPA chieftain said sensitive and non-sensitive materials, computers and other equipment needed for credible elections must be on ground, adding that politics of money and inducement should be discouraged.

    He said people should be made to see why leaders should be elected, based on performance, noting that INEC could set up a committee to cross-check preparations as an assurance of its sincerity.

    Ezeemo said the early release of the timetable was commendable.

    He said the commission should embark on an aggressive political education to enlighten the people.

    “It is not just enough to draw a timetable and release it to the people, it should be backed with actions.”

    Anambra State Chairman of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze, Dr. Chris Eluemunoh, hailed INEC’s early release of the timetable.

    He said it was a proof of its readiness to conduct a credible poll.

    Eluemunoh said INEC had a task of ensuring that the poll became the best, adding that politicians should complement its effort.

    He said the electoral body should be independent and ensure that the structures needed for a credible poll were in place.

    State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kenneth Emeakayi, said INEC had shown its commitment in enthroning democratic structures by its early release of the elections schedule.

  • ‘Kalu remains my brother, friend’

    ‘Kalu remains my brother, friend’

    THE former National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Chief Sam Nkire, has said there is no disagreement between him and the founder of the party, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, over his resignation from the party.

    Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Nkire said he and Kalu remain friends, “although we belong to different parties.”

    He said the rumour of disagreement between them was unfounded.

    The ex-PPA national chairman resigned as chairman, saying he and his associates were leaving for a party where they could actualise their dreams.

    His resignation was followed by the National Treasurer’s, Elder Emenike Nwachukwu.

    Political observers said the former PPA boss might join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He was part of the APC delegation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo last Saturday in Abeokuta and was seen at the wedding of the daughter of the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

  • PDP’s litany of double standards

    PDP’s litany of double standards

    SIR: Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state defected from ANPP to PDP as a sitting governor, the PDP accepted him, while the ANPP did not go to court. Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia defected from PPA to PDP as a sitting governor,

    PDP accepted him while PPA didn’t go to court. Former Governor of Imo state Ikedi Ohakim decamped from PPA to PDP in 2009 as a sitting governor, no issue was raised.

    Former Governor Saminu Turaki of Jigawa left ANPP to PDP as a sitting governor, nothing was said. It’s a similar story with ex-governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi of Zamfara state who left ANPP for the PDP as sitting governor.

    Many more Senators and members of federal and states house of assembly left the parties they were voted on to join the PDP, these parties didn’t make a case. Now the dying PDP is asking the court to declare the seats of Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara who recently decamped from the PDP to the opposition APC. Not only that, indications are on that the PDP with the assistance with the powers-that-be plans to use some state assembly members to impeach some of these governors; this may happen in Rivers in which plans are on to use five against 26 to carry out this special assignment.

    Why is the PDP so greedy? If they are against this practice of serving officials elected on their platform switching to other parties, they would

    have set a good precedence in the past by advising all the above mentioned governors who at one time or the other left their parties to join the PDP to resign from their positions before joining the party or better still, refuse to admit them into the party at the various time they sought to join.

    • Halilu Hassan.

    Kaduna.

  • Jonathan, product of Obasanjo School

    SIR: I am not holding brief for President Goodluck Jonathan, but the truth must be told. Even though most of the observations made by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his 18 page letter may be true, it doesn’t exonerate him for his own actions while he was in power. He is also guilty of most of the acts he accused the Goodluck administration of. History will not forget how he chased d founding fathers away from PDP and hijacked the party structures and machineries.

    In 2007 election, Obasanjo also supported the opposition candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) Ikedi Ohakim in the Imo gubernatorial election against Ifeanyi Araraume of his own PDP – the same thing he claimed Jonathan did. History will not forget his proposed constitutional amendment mission which he embarked upon solely to realise his third term agenda.

    History will not forget how 16 billion US dollars was spent cumulatively on power throughout his eight years rule with no result achieved. The EFCC was used as an attack dog to go after perceived enemies who refuse to dance to the tune of the government while other corrupt officials who were in good books were allowed to walk free.

    Court judgments were influenced by the powers that be. Human Rights were violated; worthy of note is the Odi and Zaki Biam saga. Corruption also existed.

    In summary, most of what he pointed out also existed in his government only that it is in an improved form in this present government. Besides Jonathan has always referred to Obasanjo as his mentor. This may have prompted him to act like his master.

    •Halilu Hassan,

    haliluhassan@yahoo.com

  • Implement court order on council polls, by CNPP

    Implement court order on council polls, by CNPP

    On November 6, 2013, Justice Michael Edem of the Calabar High Court voided the election of three local government chairmen in the September 21 council polls in Cross River State. The ruling was on a suit filed against the State Independent Electoral Commission over adjustment in the time table for the election. In this interview with NICHOLAS KALU, chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) Mr. Cletus Obun insists that the ruling must be implemented.

    That are your views about the September 21 local government elections in Cross River State?

    It is important for people to know what is happening and the efforts being made to frustrate the opposition parties from participating in local government elections. Members of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP); including the National Conscience Party and Progressive Peoples Alliance which, having fulfilled all conditions precedent to conducting the elections in 2011, had gone to court for two separate things.

    First, the National Conscience Party (NCP) and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) insist that, by the time table of CROSIEC, they are the only parties qualified to contest elections in three local government areas where they fielded their candidates and met all conditions.

    In the judgment of November 6, the judge granted all reliefs. This indicates that only the NCP and PPA qualified to run for elections in those three local government areas which included Obanliku, Yakurr and Obudu. It is on this basis that we demand that the judgment by Justice Michael Edem on November 6 be implemented.

    Any contrived delay in its implementation is anti-democratic. We demand that this anomaly should be corrected and urgently too because, justice delayed is justice denied.

    We expect that on December 14 2013, the tenures of the current administrations in the local government system will expire. So, the non-conduct of elections in these three local government areas in accordance with the existing court order which has not been challenged is going to deprive the NCP and the PPA from producing their candidates for the election and taking off along with others on December 14. Let us not create an unnecessary crisis because if the status quo ante remains, it would translate to either setting up a caretaker committee or handing the councils over to civil servants in those local government areas.

    If any of the two happens, it will be unconstitutional because Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), is very clear on that matter. It stipulates that a democratic local government system should be established in Nigeria and that there is no room for caretaker committees.

    Trying to create a situation that would bring that logjam would be resisted. So, CROSIEC should act like an independent body that the Constitution envisages it to be under section 7 and conduct elections in those three local government areas.

    The judgment of Justice Michael Edem is being delayed. Incidentally, on November 20, the matter instituted by the NCP and the PPA seeking clarification on the interpretation of the judgment in order to give an outright order for conduct of the election has already been cleared that we enjoy the benefit of that judgment.

    The matter was heard on November 20 and adjourned to December 2.

    We do not think that this kind of long adjournment on a serious matter like this ought to be. The Chief Judge of this state is creating judicial history.

    For the first time, the Cross River State judiciary is coming up to bring some revolutionary judgments and it should not be tainted by the continuous delay. The Chief Judge must live up to expectations and must live up to the tenets of the oaths of office that he took, which is to give justice to all manner of people irrespective of their status, political leanings and colourations, race or gender.

    It is their duty to do so. They remain the bastion and hope for the common man. It is expected that the weak be made strong, by the law, even as the strong must be made to obey the law irrespective of who is involved.

    This matter must be expeditiously pursued until justice is seen to have been done. This will be when we have elections in these three local government areas in which judgment was given. Justice should be done by having elections conducted in these three local government areas before the swearing-in of the chairmen who would be occupying their offices illegally.

    Our jurisprudence should go beyond the mundane tricks and tactics of delaying justice to make people wrongfully benefit from office they ought not to occupy. A situation where a chairman sits in office and begins to use state resources to deny justice to others should not be allowed by the judiciary.

    The judiciary must set the pace and the Cross River State judiciary has shown a glimmer of hope. The NCP and the PPA are passing the rough road of non-implementation of court judgment.

    What would be your next step if this judgment is not implemented and chairmen of these local government areas are sworn in?

    That would be a step towards anarchy and violence. Now violence is not just the act of picking up guns and matcheting people. Violence is the act of denying rights to individuals in such a way that their lives are affected.

    Swearing in a chairman who was not elected and who ought not to be in office is the worst form of violence you can inflict on the people. Therefore, people reacting by carrying stones and machetes and going to engage in guerrilla warfare is only a mild reaction to the bigger injustice of imposition.

    It is in the state’s interest not to create a situation where it becomes ungovernable. This is because nobody has the monopoly of violence as the saying goes. The insurgency in the north and in the creeks of the Niger Delta, the kidnappings and all that are fallouts of denying people their rights; especially the right to choose their leaders. Once you have a false leadership, you are going to have a sham followership and false society. This ultimately leads to faulty base for development.

    So, let government bear in mind that it will be impossible to guarantee peace when people are denied their rights or imposing leaders they did not elect on them. In the circumstances, their destiny is trusted in the hands of lawbreakers who we know are just puppets of some cabal that is bent on bringing under-development to our people.

    There is an argument that the court did not make any pronouncement about not swearing in the chairman…

    The order is very explicit. It stated that all actions CROSIEC has taken by giving forms to and recognising the lists of these people are illegal, null and void. I don’t know the kind of grammar they want to hear again. This is quite explicit even for a secondary school boy to understand. So, which order are they looking for?

    What do you think this judgment implies for the 15 remaining local government areas since the basis for the court’s nullification applies to all of them?

    The CNPP, in conjunction with the affected parties, are already on the drawing board about the implications which we are not ready to disclose for now. It is only left for the courts to interpret. This is so because we are going to approach the courts to seek what implications there are if you have three local governments that didn’t qualify. We would want to know if it does not follow that others that filed out for the election ought not to have done so in the first place, based on the judgment by a competent court.

  • Why aggrieved governors’ action is legal, by lawyers

    Why aggrieved governors’ action is legal, by lawyers

    Did the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) violate any law by joining the All Progressives Congress (APC)? No, say lawyers.

    The governors’ action is legal because that there is no constitutional provision that they cannot move from one party to another under any circumstance.

    Unlike legislators, governors do not have to prove that their party is factionalised in order to retain their seats, lawyers said.

    The governors, therefore, can retain their seats even though they were elected on a different political platform (PDP).

    Besides, lawyers said until the Constitution is amended to that effect, it is not an impeachable offence for a governor to cross to another party.

    According to them, Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution clearly states

    that a person shall only be qualified for election into the office of the governor of the state if he is a member of a political party and sponsored by a political party.

    The same constitution, lawyers noted, did not state that such a person cannot leave that party after achieving electoral victory.

    Lawyers referred to the decided case of Abubakar Atiku versus Attorney-General of the Federation, in which the Supreme Court held that a person sponsored by a political party to power could leave the same party to another without breaching any section of the constitution.

    According to them, there are also instances where even elected legislators changed parties without losing their seats.

    In the senate, Dr Wahab Dosunmu, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and Senator Musuliu Obanikoro, all elected on the platform of Alliance of Democracy (AD) defected to the PDP.

    Chief Arthur Nzeribe (Imo), Senator John Nwanunu (Abia) and Dr Usman Kadir (Kogi) defected from the All Nigeria People Party (ANPP) to the PDP.

    In Abia State, Senator Uche Chukwuemerije, elected on the PDP platform, defected to the Progressive People Alliance (PPA).

    Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) was of the view that the fact that there even exists a faction within the PDP makes the governors’ action legal.

    “The Constitution and the Electoral Act are very clear on that. Once there are factions, it gives room for an elected public office holder to move to another party,” Akintola said.

    Chief Rickey Tarfa (SAN) said such cross-carpeting is in consonance with the freedom of association guaranteed by the Constitution.

    “I think a governor defecting from one party to the other is legal depending on the circumstances, but first of all we have the freedom of association,” he said.

    For Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), there is nothing illegal about the governors’ joining APC considering the divisions within the PDP.

    “The point is that before today, there is no doubt that there had been serious political division within PDP.

    “What the Constitution contemplates is that if there is no division, then it is not legal to move to another party.

    “There is this case of Benson Arekpe against Bendel State House of Assembly, which dealt with the issue.

    “It was stated that except where there is a division, you cannot decamp to another political platform having been elected on another.

    “But in this particular case, it does appear that there is a political division with the formation of the New PDP and parallel executives and all that, although the new PDP was declared as null and void and unconstitutional.

    “But that does not take away the fact that there was indeed political division within the PDP. So, arising from that, one can say that the decampment may not be altogether legally wrong.

    “Having regard to the fact that there was indeed some measure of divisions within the PDP, then there seems to be a justification for the movement from the PDP to the New PDP and from the New PDP to APC,” Nwobike said.

    A constitutional lawyer Mr Ike Ofuokwu said a governor is not bound by law to remain in the party from which he was elected.

    His words: “It is the inalienable right of the aggrieved governors of the PDP and other members of the new PDP to change their membership of a political party at any time it pleases them so to do.

    “This right of association is fundamental and constitutional. Therefore their action is legal.

    “That they were elected on the platform of a different political party does not in any way invalidate their positions.

    “The framers of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that a governor must be a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.

    “However, once he is sworn in as governor, he becomes the governor of a state and not of his political party, because even people from outside his political party must have voted for him.”

    Ofuokwu said the Supreme Court may still have make a definite pronouncement on the issue of cross-carpeting.

    “On the other hand, going by the interpretation of the judgment of the supreme court in the Rotimi Amechi v Celestine Omehia’s case one can say that their seats belongs to the parties on whose platform the election was won.

    “I envisage a plethora of cases, both frivolous and otherwise, to test the legality of this decision which the PDP itself had tolerated and allowed to thrive amongst its own fold in the past thereby making it an acceptable convention, or so it seems,” Ofuokwu said.

    A University of Lagos (UNILAG) law lecturer, Wahab Shittu, believes that once a governor has been elected, he is no longer beholden to his party.

    He said: “Membership of political parties is a reflection of choice and is open to every Nigerian depending on their perespective of choice.

    “The G-7 governors are at liberty to change camps and the retention of their seats cannot be prejudiced because they are now the governors of their respective states and not governors of their parties.

    “The issue which is debatable is whether or they carry a moral burden. But no legal obstacle exists,” Shittu said.

    Activist-lawyer Bamidele Aturu said the governors acted in line with the Constitution.

    “Governors are under no legal disability for crossing from one party to another. Their constitutional mandate is statewide.

    “Only legislators need to show that there is factionalisation in the party they are exiting from to keep their seats if they cross to a new party. This disability does not attach to governors,” Aturu said.

  • Anambra 2013: It must be one man, one vote, says VP Sambo

    Anambra 2013: It must be one man, one vote, says VP Sambo

    •PDP holds rally for Nwoye

    •Receives APGA, Accord, LP, PPA members

    Vice President Namadi Sambo yesterday promised that the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State will be free and fair.

    He said the principle of one man, one vote will operate during and after the exercise.

    Sambo spoke at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka during the governorship rally of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for its candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye.

    The VP expressed hope that Nwoye will emerge victorious during the election.

    The high light of the rally was the defection of the Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Assembly, Hon Emeka Idu(Onitsha North) to the PDP.

    The former Accord Party(AP) member led members of the Progressives People Alliance (PPA), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party (LP) numbering over 3,000 to join PDP

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Former National Chairman, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, pronounced the end of the reign of APGA in the state.

    Ekweremadu said: “We shall recover all the things the locusts have taken in this state. We want to recover Anambra to end kidnapping and provide job opportunities to our youths.”

    Ihedioha said the only way to make former President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, happy for his post- humus 109 years will be for Anambrians to vote for PDP.

    Former National Chairman of the party, Dr Ahmadu Ali, who spoke in his Igala language to some of his Anambra North kinsmen, begged them to close ranks to make the dream a reality.

    At the rally were Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; Deputy Governor of Abia State, Sir Emeka Ananaba; National Organising Secretary of PDP, Victor Kwom; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Wali Jibrin.