News
Deepening Crisis Stalls Rivers APC Exco’s Inauguration …As VON DG Tells Okorocha To Leave Party
The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has dashed the hopes of some of the party’s gladiators in Rivers State, when it ordered that the purportedly elected new executive officers should not be inaugurated until pending issues were resolved.
The Tide recalls that a High Court in Port Harcourt, last week, nullified the ward, local government and state congresses of the APC in Rivers State, describing the process for the conduct of the congresses as fraudulent, thereby heightening already deep-seated crisis in the party in the state.
The party’s decision came at the inauguration of the newly-elected chairmen of the various state chapters of the APC by the outgoing National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja, last Monday.
At the event, party chairmen from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were sworn in and given the mandate to begin the process of reconciling aggrieved members of the party in their domains.
Speaking at the ceremony, Odigie-Oyegun advised chairmen in Rivers, Lagos, Oyo, Taraba, and Delta, among others, not to go ahead with the inauguration of other members of the state executives to allow for harmonisation and reconciliation.
Explaining further, Odigie-Oyegun said, “There is a serious need for quick reconciliation especially in Rivers, Taraba, Oyo, Delta, Lagos and others.
“Let the chairmen here wait and should not inaugurate their executives like the others until the issues with the congresses in such states are resolved.
“I’m going to set up a committee headed by the deputy national chairman, (North) to study the situations in such states for possible actions. There will be concessions and harmonisation after the exercise within this week.”
On Lagos’ case, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said, “The case of Lagos is clearly a constitutional matter. We set up a committee to consider the report of the congresses held there. Of course, we overruled those who conducted their congress in 57 local government areas, because the constitution only recognises 20 local governments.”
He, however, explained that the party leadership was not opposed to seeking for political solutions to some of the issues not only in Lagos but in other states where the “so-called” parallel congresses were conducted.
It was learnt that notable party chieftains who did not secure the party’s support for their case include: the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; a former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; and Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna.
Their supporters stayed away from the congresses conducted in Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna states.
Others who lost out include the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and an aspirant for the position of the APC National Chairman, Chief Clement Ebri, who conducted a parallel congress in Cross River State.
Odigie-Oyegun while addressing the newly inaugurated state chairmen, urged them to work for the success of the APC in the forthcoming election.
He said, “You have the onerous task of nurturing the APC. You have to work hard to return the lost glory of the party. Also make sure you work hard for the re-election of our President.
“We are aware of conflicts, disaffections and bad blood in the party. Put all this aside and work for the victory of our party at the 2019 general elections.
Some of the state chairmen inaugurated on Monday are Chief Derin Adebisi (Ogun); Ojukaye Flag-Amachree (Rivers); Godwin Etim John (Cross River); Dr. Ben Nwoye (Enugu); and Alhaji Tunde Balogun (Lagos).
Others are Jothan L. Amos (Bayelsa); Dr. Hillary Eke (Imo); Abdullahi Abass (Kano); Nitte K. Amangal (Gombe); Abdullahi Bello (Kogi); and Ade Adetimehin (Ondo).
Meanwhile, ahead of the June 23, national convention of the APC, it has been revealed that each aspirant to the chairmanship position will pay N500, 000 for the nomination form.
However, the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu, has said the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, was free to have the All Progressives Congress.
Okechukwu said this while responding to questions from newsmen at the National Secretariat of the APC, in Abuja.
However, one of the conveners of the APC Restoration Coalition in Imo State, Dr. Toe Ekechi, said the VON DG was merely expressing a personal opinion.
Ekechi noted that Okorocha, for now, remained the governor of Imo State and that his support and contribution would be welcome should he decide to continue to support the APC.
Earlier, Okechukwu had said the APC was now better positioned to make a greater impact on the South-East with or without the governor.
He expressed confidence that the APC would consolidate on its power come 2019 by winning seats at the executive and legislative levels in state and at the federal levels.
Okechukwu said, “At least, there are more than 60 political parties now, Okorocha is free to join any of his choice. Though we are not forcing him to leave, what we are saying is we have taken the leadership out of his hands because he was playing God.
“He was personalising power, so the majority of the leadership and membership of the APC in the South-East said, ‘thank you, so far so good enough is enough.’
“So, what I am just saying is that he was at liberty to leave the APC but let nobody anywhere think that the APC will lose because we have retrieved the party from him. No, the APC is the winner as a political party.
“In my place, there is a saying that when a bird is dancing on the main road it means there is a drummer in the bush, and I am pointing at the drummer of all that is happening in the South-East. But luckily, the majority, over 90 per cent of the leadership and membership of the APC in the South-East has said enough is enough to our former leader, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.”
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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