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INEC’s Declaration Sparks Fresh Feud In PDP
The declaration last Thursday by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which recognised the Peoples Democratic Party faction led by Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has sparked a fresh crisis between the party and the splinter group, the New PDP.
The INEC declaration is contained in its reply to the New PDP, which had requested that the electoral body recognised the Abubakar Baraje-led faction.
But INEC said it only recognised the Tukur-led PDP.
In its reply to the Baraje faction, the commission stated, “You will recall that the commission monitored the national convention and special national convention of the PDP held on March 24, 2012 and August 31, 2013 respectively, at the Eagle Square, Abuja, after notices to the commission.
“An NWC was elected at the two conventions with Tukur as the national chairman. The commission will not withdraw recognition from the leadership of the PDP elected at elections duly monitored by the commission. Please be guided.”
Our investigation in Abuja last Friday revealed that the development had paved the way for renewed hostilities between the factions.
Reacting to the INEC declaration and the Lagos High Court ruling, which threw out the splinter party suit, the Tukur-led PDP likened the failure of the Baraje-led New PDP to get INEC’s recognition and the court’s judgment to “a failed coup d’état”.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Abubakar Jalo, conveyed his faction’s position during an exclusive interview with newsmen, in Abuja, last Friday.
He stated that what the Baraje-led faction sought to do through “the back door” was in bad taste.
He accused them of claiming to be seeking peace by sitting down with the Bamanga Tukur-led authentic PDP in the day time, but going to the INEC and the court by night to undermine the process.
He stated that as far as his party was concerned, President Goodluck Jonathan was still the President and Dr. Bamanga Tukur remained the duly elected national chairman.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, said it would be a misconception for people to think that the court process had ended.
He said,”We are going to file the matter in Abuja. The ruling did not discredit our case; it did not say our case did not have merit. As advised by His Lordship, we shall re-file the suit in Abuja, because we are convinced about the merit of our case,” he said.
On the calls by the Tukur-led PDP for members of the Baraje-led faction to return to the fold, Eze said it was Tukur and those following his leadership that needed to return.
Another member of the New PDP, Senator Danladi Sankara, told our correspondent that the issues at stake were very simple.
He said, “We have made our stand on most of these issues public, we have not met to change our position and I doubt it if we will back down because we are seeking to improve the fortunes of our party.”
Meanwhile, the chain of setbacks suffered by New PDP lengthened on Saturday as the Federal Capital Territory Administration sealed off the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital City for abuse of the Abuja master plan.
The lodge was sealed off after its conversion to a secretariat for the new PDP. The secretariat earlier used by the splinter group was shut down by the police last month.
Justifying the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Sule Mohammed, noted that the building was for residential purposes and not for political party secretariat. He argued that the Adamawa State Government contravened the Abuja master plan by turning the lodge to a party secretariat.
“All the governor’s lodges in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are enshrined in the Abuja master plan to be for residential purposes but not for political party secretariat as Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge is currently being used.
“The Governor’s Lodge, as it is today, is being used as a political party office, thereby negating the spirit of urban planning and causing nuisance and disturbance on the residents dwelling in that area of the city as well as inflicting undue pressure on the infrastructure and services therein, contrary to the principles of the Abuja master plan,” the statement stated.
But in its reaction, the New PDP said the sealing off of the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja was a sign that democracy was dead in the country.
It argued that if the lodge of a serving state governor could be sealed off without any court order, then there was nothing those in government would not do to satisfy those that put them in office.
The National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, who stated this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, appealed to President Gooodluck Jonathan to caution the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed.
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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