PPA Seeks Involvement In Centenary Celebration

The National Chairman of Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), Mr Sam Nkire, has urged the Federal Government not to exclude other political parties in the arrangements for Nigeria’s centenary celebrations.

Nkire said in a statement on yesterday in Abuja that government should relate with other political parties to be part of the occasion, not a few, to show that the government belonged to all Nigerians.

According to the PPA chairman, the government should not limit the planning and celebration of Nigeria’s 100 years of existence to PDP members alone

“This is Nigeria. Nigeria should be for all Nigerians, irrespective of their political differences, and should welcome contributions from other political parties.

According to him, some group of people are making it impossible for President Goodluck Jonathan to reach out to non PDP members and Nigerians.

“Government is neither a winner takes all nor a sole administrator,” he said.

He, therefore, advised those in government to always pursue inclusive policies, for greater achievements.

In another development, the Lagos State Election Petitions Appeal Tribunal, on Thursday upturned the judgment of the state election tribunal which declared Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Babajide Obanikoro, winner of the Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) election.

The five-man appeal tribunal returned victory to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Adewale Adeniji, declaring him as the chairman of Obalende LCDA.

Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson, who read the judgment, said the substantive appeal filed by ACN and its candidate, Adeniji succeeded.

The judge said the judgment of the election tribunal, which gave victory to Obanikoro, was incurably bad.

He ordered the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, (LASIEC) to issue a certificate of return to Adeniji as the duly elected chairman of the council.

The judgment was upheld by other members of the appeal tribunal, which was headed by Justice Opeyemi Oke.

The lower tribunal had on October  4, 2012, unseated Adeniji and declared Obanikoro winner of the election.

Adeniji, who had earlier been declared by LASIEC as the winner of the election of October 22, 2011, and his party, however, challenged the verdict.