Politics
Anambra APC Wants EFCC To Probe State’s Funds
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Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Chief Basil Ejidike, on Monday in Awka, charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the finances of the State to unearth “monumental deception” that thrives in the state.
He said in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Chief Dan Okeke, that the government had been fraudulent in the use of its monthly security vote amounting to billions of Naira.
“Anambra as a state has not recorded significant growth and development since inception of Governor Willy Obiano’s leadership. To maintain existing developmental structures in the state remains unattainable,’’ he said.
Ejidike called on APGA government to give account of all monies in its control meant for the development of the state.
“Development has neither been visible nor felt by the people of Anambra”, he stated.
He advised APGA to face its business of governance and stop calling APC names.
“We urge APGA to focus on its campaign and leave APC alone.
“Harassing the State House of Assembly members who left APGA for APC is a distraction for the party; profferring solutions to APGA’s internal problems should be paramount to its leadership,’’ Ejidike said.
He also reminded APGA that in a democracy, there is freedom of association.
He urged more members of the House of Assembly to leave APGA and join the ruling national party to take the South -East to mainstream national politics.
“Tread on the path of your colleagues to join APC so as to return the lost glory of Anambra,’’ Ejidike appealed.
He also alleged that APGA was losing focus and that there were infrastructural deficits in roads, potable water, power, healthcare delivery, quality education, women and youth empowerment and security.
He also called on the electorate to shun APGA at the governorship election holding on November 6.
Ejidike assured the electorate that APC’s candidate, Senator Andy Uba, would change the fortunes of the state, if elected.
Responding to the charges, State Chairman of APGA, Chief Norbeth Obi, said that the party did not have to waste energy on APC’s accusation and charged it to meet APGA at the November polls.
Obi said APGA was concentrating and consolidating its plans to ensure grand victory come November 6 and had no time to banter words with the APC.
Also responding, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C-Don Adinuba, diffused the APC’s submissions about the APGA-led government in the state.
Adinuba said that for record purposes, APGA government invited the EFCC to look into its accounts in March 2018 and it gave it a clean bill of health after the exercise.
“APGA government is the only one that has ever invited EFCC to look into its accounts.
He added that the State had the lowest unemployment rate in Nigeria with 13.1 per cent rate against 27.1 per cent nationally.
“Economists all over the world regard employment rate as most important indicator of the performance of any government,’’ Adinuba said.
He added that the National Bureau of Statistics also declared Anambra’s economy as the best managed in Nigeria.
He said that the government led by Governor Obiano was the only one in Nigeria that built an international airport within 15 months and also built an international convention centre, the best in Africa with a sitting capacity of 12,000 persons.
He said that in the next one month, Anambra would deliver the newest international stadium all built without borrowing money from any bank.
Adinuba stressed that the APGA government under Governor Obiano had no fear of any checks on its financial records.
He advised APC to arm itself with verifiable facts at all times before going to press.
Adinuba also urged APC to clean up the image of its flagbearer at the governorship election, Sen. Andy Uba, and compare it with that of APGA’s “world class’’ candidate in the person of Prof. Charles Soludo.
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
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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.”
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