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Tag: SWC

  • Ondo APC mourns Ex-ACN Chair

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Ondo State has mourned the exit of one of its leaders, Chief Noah Adesoji.

    The late political and community leader passed on last weekend at the age of 83. He was the Ondo State Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The State Chairman of the APC, Ade Adetimehin, described the death of the octogenarian as a deep blow to the State chapter, “especially at this time when he should be reaping from his years of political toiling”.

    Adetimehin, who led members of the State Working Committee (SWC) to commiserate with the bereaved family in Ile-Oluji, said the departed leader lived a rewarding life,saying he was like a father to many of them.

    He said: “Pa Adesoji was a reliable and trustworthy leader; he was a party man to the core, and a progressive till his last day on earth.

    Adetimehin prayed that God would console the bereaved family.

    He informed them that Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had assured that the State government would be deeply involved in the burial of the former progressives leader.

    Responding on behalf of the family, one of the deceased children, Kehinde Adesoji, thanked the State Government and the APC for standing by the family over the loss of their father.

    The young Adesoji said although his later father was above 80, but noted that “we never wished he should leave at this time because he remained a pillar of the family”.

  • PDP’s BoT meeting in Bayelsa sparks row

    PDP’s BoT meeting in Bayelsa sparks row

    It was meant to bring peace. But a meeting by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  in Bayelsa State to reconcile feuding groups ahead of the December 5 governorship election has provoked more controversies.

    The Acting Chairman of the party’s BoT, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, it was gathered, presided over the parley which was convened on Sunday at the courtyard of the former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.

    It was gathered that the meeting was at the behest of Jonathan, who was said to be making efforts to halt the exodus of his party men to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A core decision taken at the gathering, it was learnt, was the lifting of the suspension and expulsion of party leaders by the State Working Committee (SWC).

    The SWC, in a move supported by the Governor Seriake Dickson, expelled for anti-party activities during the last general elections.

    They were sanctioned a few months after the state chairman of the party was suspended for allegedly diverting N40million campaign funds donated by the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke – an allegation he denied.

    But the move backfired and led to a prolonged crisis that saw some disgruntled people pitching their tent with the APC.

    The Saturday meeting, which started at 11am, however, ended with anti-Dickson forces claiming that the governor and the chairman of the state Reconciliation Committee were barred from the gathering.

    One of the anti-Dickson party members said the meeting, insisted that Dickson and Alameiyesiegha should not be part of it.

    The source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The two were asked to leave and were accompanied out of the venue by Haliru before the meeting commenced. They accused Alamieseigha of taking sides and insisted that he should not be party of the gathering.

    But a loyalist of the governor who spoke in confidence said nobody was walked out of the meeting.

    He said: “This is part of a campaign of calumny against Dickson. I was present at the meeting and nobody was walked out. It is senseless to say that a sitting governor who also initiated the reconciliation and a former governor who is the chairman of the reconciliation committee were barred from attending a meeting. It is unbelievable. Nothing of such happened”.

    Also, the Secretary of the state Reconciliation Committee, Chief Thompson Okorotie, said there was no time the governor or any member of the party was walked out of the meeting.

    He said the Haliru-led committee met with groups separately as part of diplomacy in resolving the crisis.

    “Dickson had an engagement to inaugurate the Nembe City stadium. So after concluding his meeting with the committee, he was allowed to go for his engagement with his entourage. We also followed him to Nembe.

    “Alamieyeseigha followed us to Nembe. Even the former President left shortly because the committee wanted to be left alone with the people they invited to meet. So, it is not true that he was walked out of the meeting,” he said.

    Also, the state Secertary of PDP, Mr.  Godspower Keku, said the meeting ended peacefully, with a call on feuding members and stakeholders to close ranks, ahead of the forthcoming governorship poll.

    He said the meeting resolved to rescind the suspension and expulsion of some members, who had despite the internal squabbles, remained in the PDP, unlike those, who defected to the opposition.

    He said the decision was taken in the best interest of the party, especially with a crucial election around the corner.

    According to him, the decision was taken on Dickson’s request.

     He, however, pointed out that, the lifting of the suspensions was still subject to the ratification of the state’s working committee, which is expected to deliberate on it soon.

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  • 32 aspirants bid for Ekiti PDP ticket

    32 aspirants bid for Ekiti PDP ticket

    Thirty-two aspirants are jostling for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship ticket in Ekiti State.

    The party’s primary election is slated for early March.

    It was learnt that the aspirants were scheming to outdo one another.

    Sources said some were associating with the Presidency to garner support in the primary.

    Recently, some members accused the State PDP Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, of planning to raise “a fictitious Consensus Template Drafting Committee”, which they described as “a grand scheme to skew some aspirants into advantages”.

    The party’s Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, and Pastor Oluwawole, in a statement last Wednesday, said Ogundipe had been avoiding members of the State Working Committee (SWC) since he returned from Abuja, after a meeting of the aspirants with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Ogundipe denied the allegation, saying he was waiting for yesterday’s meeting before briefing them.

    Members of the SWC met at Ogundipe’s home yesterday to discuss the mobilisation of the people for the forthcoming voter registration.

    A former Acting Governor, Biodun Ayeni, has joined the governorship race.

    Speaking with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, Ayeni said politics is not a do-or-die affair.

    He said: “I have no reason to see the election as a war because I am not fighting for myself but the interest of the party.”

  • PDP criticises Rivers one week centenary holidays

    PDP criticises Rivers one week centenary holidays

    •Public holidays for celebration, says SSG

    The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the declaration of one week public holidays for the Port Harcourt Centenary Celebration by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    The party accused the governor of impunity and called for a revolution.

    Rivers PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, in company of other members of the State Working Committee (SWC), told reporters yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, that Amaechi wanted to subvert the course of justice.

    But the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), George Feyii, insisted that the public holidays were to enable the people participate in the centenary celebration.

    The Caretaker Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Chikordi Dike, at a media briefing on Monday in Port Harcourt, accused a judge of the Rivers State High Court, Justice I. A. Iyayi-Lamikanra, sitting in Port Harcourt of bias, in the suit filed by the suspended Chairman of the local government, Timothy Nsirim.

    Iyayi-Lamikanra was set, last Friday, to reinstate Nsirim; his deputy, Solomon Eke and 17 councillors.

    Dike said the judgment was leaked, with the suspended chairman and his supporters already celebrating ahead of the “favourable” judgment.

    The initial public holidays were on Friday and Monday, but were extended by the SSG till Friday.

    Five appeals and three motions for a stay of further proceedings on the Obio/Akpor suit pending before the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, would be taken on Thursday.

    The caretaker chairman also raised concern that “serious” travesty of justice would have occurred yesterday at Iyayi-Lamikanra’s court, if she had delivered the judgment in the Obio/Akpor suit.

    Dike wondered why Iyayi-Lamikanra was bent on delivering judgment yesterday in the suit when over 100 cases in her court had not been attended to while there was also a pending appeal on the suit before her.

    The Rivers PDP said: “Our attention has been drawn to a barrage of work-free days, first announced midnight on Thursday, November 14, 2013 by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, declaring Friday, November 15, 2013 and Monday, November 18, 2013 as public holidays.

    “On November 18, at 8pm, Governor Amaechi extended the work-free days to November 22, without justification, other than to obstruct the course of justice in Rivers State.

    “The State PDP has it on good authority that Governor Amaechi, in the past two months, has attempted to dictate to some magistrates and judges and, indeed, judicial officers in the state on how to handle political cases. This has revealed his insistence on having Justice Peter N. C. Agumagu as the Acting Chief Judge of the state, without regard to laid-down rules and against all wise counsel.”

     

     

    “Amaechi had used all tactics, including financial inducements and executive orders to his aides and some council chairmen/caretakers to cast aspersions on some magistrates and judges, who are seen to have insisted on doing the right thing. This fact is not lost on us as well.

    “The reason given about the ongoing work-free days is political and diversionary. Since 1967, when Rivers State was created, we have not seen such abuse of work-free days, as we have seen in the last one week.

    “We also have it on good authority that the work-free days shall continue even after this week. Governor Amaechi has …demonstrated the crass impunity that characterises his governance.”

    The Rivers PDP urged the elders of the state, activists, labour leaders, among other notable people from state, to call the governor to order.

    It described their silence as “indeed” deafening.

    On April 22, Amaechi suspended the Obio/Akpor local government chairman, his deputy and all the 17 councillors, on the basis of an interim report of the Rivers House of Assembly Committee on Local Government Affairs, following a petition by Obio/Akpor Concerned Stakeholders.

    The stakeholders alleged huge financial looting against the Nsirim-led team.

    Amaechi, in compliance with the resolution of the House of Assembly, appointed a caretaker committee, pending the outcome of the investigation by the lawmakers.

    The members of the Rivers Assembly approved the names of the caretaker committee members on April 23 and were inaugurated the same day at the Government House, Port Harcourt, by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, George Feyii.

    The Rivers PDP chairman asked the 32 lawmakers, who are all members of the ruling party, to reinstate the suspended chairman of Obio/Akpor LG, his deputy and the councillors, but they declined. This angered the Obuah-led executive.

    In order to wield the big stick, the Rivers PDP suspended the 27 legislators loyal to Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), while the Rivers governor was in May recommended to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for suspension for anti-party activities and he was subsequently suspended.

    Nsirim and other suspended officials of Obio/Akpor LG, however, immediately challenged the Rivers lawmakers’ decision at the high court in Port Harcourt.