Politics
Guber Election, A Sham – Amaechi
Last minute campaigns ahead of last weekend’s guber
and State House of Assembly polls dominated activities in Government House in the past week.
On Sunday, last week, Governor Chibuike Amaechi gave his last Easter message to the people of Rivers State, urging the citizenry to embrace peace, love and unity among themselves.
In the words of the governor, “our Christian leaders should use the Easter period to pray for peace, unity and love among Nigerians, we are one Nigeria. Christians, at this time have a duty to always reflect their belief according to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ through prayers for our nation. This is because, Jesus Christ died, was buried, and on the third day, arose that the world may be saved.”
After the Easter break, Governor Amaechi commenced electioneering tours on Monday when he paid a condolence visit on the families of late Chief Christopher Adube in Obirikom, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
The governor assured the bereaved family that government will fish out the killers and prosecute them accordingly.
“All those responsible for the bloody act will pay for it”, he said.
Between Thursday and Friday, series of meeting were held over the elections with Governor Amaechi presiding and a stakeholders forum was slated for Thursday at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre.
Speaking at the stakeholders meeting on Thursday, the Chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) informed the citizenry that the forum was summoned to take stock of the happenings during the Presidential elections.
Amaechi insisted that the citizenry must rise to resist the “mockery” that took place on March 28. Saying “we want to see our result sheet and vote count.” He added that the people should be allowed to decide who will govern them from May 29th this year.
Against this backdrop, he disclosed that security has been beefed-up, stating that, “the security agencies has assured me that our votes will count again. And I hope that the State Resident Electoral Commissioner will allow our votes to count”.
Also last week, the umbrella Ikwerre socio-cultural organisation, Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation congratulated President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari over his resounding victory at the just-concluded presidential elections.
The group commended Governor Chibuike Amaechi for his achievements in the state particularly on road construction, education, healthcare delivery, agriculture, infrastructure and welfare services.
On Saturday, Governor Chibuike Amaechi was set to exercise his civic duties, as he voted at his Ward 18, Unit 14 in Ubima Ikwerre Local Government Area. But before then, the governor, though his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, had raised alarm over the cloning of his telephone numbers. The cloned numbers were used to send fake text messages to people not to come out and vote.
Shortly after calling on the citizenry to disregard the fake text messages, the governor urged all security agencies to be at alert and arrest any hoodlum. He also warned all security personnel to desist from unwholesome and unprofessional conduct.
Speaking after casting his vote in company of his wife Dame Judith, Governor Amaechi described the elections as a sham. He said the elections witnessed thuggery and ballot box snatching in most part of the state coupled with widespread violence.
Politics
Alia Denies Calling For Ganduje’s Resignation
Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has denied calling for the resignation of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula.
The Tide source reports that the CPS was reacting to some media reports that the governor had called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
Kula said the governor at no time called for the resignation of the APC national chairman.
He said the governor enjoyed a good relationship with the Ganduje-led leadership of the APC.
“It is imperative to clarify that at no point did Governor Alia assembled, attended and sent a representative or participated in any meeting to discuss the removal or call for resignation of Alhaji. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“The Benue State governor remains firm in his support and allegiance to the leadership of the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganduje.
“Furthermore, at no point, whether publicly or privately, has the governor advocated or expressed any desire for the resignation of the national party chairman”, he said.
He said the governor was focused on positively changing the fortunes of the state.
“He is alive to his responsibilities as the leader of APC in Benue State and is doing everything legitimate to reposition the party for future victories,” Kula said.
Politics
LP Re-Elects Abure As National Chairman
The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure, has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates despite the protests by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.
Other serving officers of the party were also returned unopposed.
Recall that the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize an all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Mr Peter Okoye has boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.
Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye said: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal.
“There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
Politics
Suswam Blames External Forces For Problems In PDP
Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is being undermined by external forces which have rendered the party ineffective as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam stated this during a live television interview on Wednesday.
He lamented that the party had since after the 2023 general elections failed to live up to expectations of Nigerians as a viable opposition.
Senator Suswam, who blamed the current PDP leadership for the ineffective state of the largest opposition party in the country, said unless there is an overhaul of its leadership, the party would “go nowhere” because the current leadership has lost focus.
He said, “I think there are subterranean forces inferring in the party and they are determining what is going on in the party. And the leadership is acquiescing to it.
“Subterranean suggests that people are trying to control the party from the outside. They are controlling the party from the outside and they are keeping the party in a comatose state.”
The Benue senator accused the party of refusing to call a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to help resolve some of the issues arising in the party.
He regretted the inability of the party to resolve the fallout of the 2022 presidential primary election which saw a group of five governors work against the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the inability of the Iliya Damagum-led leadership to discipline erring party members worsened the situation.
Senator Suswam said it was wrong for the party not to have sanctioned the G-5 governors and their allies who openly declared that they would remain in the party and work against its interest.
“They were not sanctioned which made others become emboldened to act anyway they wanted. PDP has been weakened since then,” he said.
He said no serious organisation does that, stressing that, “A serious organisation would apply sanctions” based on the laid down rules as contained in its constitution.
He further accused the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, of occupying the position which belongs to the North-Central zone, following the removal of the substantive chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from the zone.
Amb. Damagum, who was the Deputy National Chairman (North), hails from the North-East zone but was, as permitted by the party’s constitution, made acting chairman after Ayu’s removal by a court order.
The party’s law provides that the deputy chairman from the same region as the chairman takes over in the event of the latter’s removal from office.
Senator Suswam further lamented that “PDP is comatose now, and nothing can happen now,” adding that it was regrettable that politicians are now preferring to hold talks with smaller parties and not the PDP.
Noting that the PDP was at the precipice, Senator Suswam said, “Until we provide that leadership, PDP will not be a viable platform. We need to overhaul the leadership of the party. There is no pretence about it, everybody in PDP knows it. Without discipline and reconciliation, the party goes nowhere.”
-
Politics4 days ago
Port Harcourt Ring Road Remains Our Signature Project – Fubara
-
Focus4 days ago
The Belligerent Rantings Of Tony Okocha
-
News2 days ago
SERAP Calls For Legal Framework For Human Rights
-
Politics2 days ago
Soludo’s Performance Assessment, APGA Tackles LP Chieftain
-
Politics2 hours ago
LP Re-Elects Abure As National Chairman
-
Oil & Energy4 days ago
Savannah To Take Over Stubb Creek Field in Nigeria
-
News4 days ago
IYC Debunks Report Of Planned Attack On Military Across N’Delta
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
RISA Boss Okays Fubara’s Human Capital Development Initiative