Politics

2023 Presidency And Rumbles In APC

Published

4 years ago

March 19, 2021

Yahaya Bello, the Governor of Kogi State is perhaps, the highest ranking stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North that has so far indicated a presidential ambition come 2023. While some members of the party have expressed their desire for the presidential ticket of the party to be conceded to the Southern part of the country, the two term Kogi State Chief executive insists that he would not be breaching any rule of the party if he contests for the ticket, even though he comes from the same Northern region of the country as the present occupant of the number one office of the land, Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC is yet to make any official statement with regard to the zoning of the presidential seat in view of the forthcoming 2023 presidential election. However, equally high-ranking and powerful figures in the party as Governor Bello and from the same regional extraction as himself have also been openly canversing their preference for a presidential candidate from the South to fly the flag of the party.

One of such notable figures is Ali Ndume, the chairman, senate committee on Army.

Speaking with newsmen last Saturday in Abuja, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District categorically spoke against any chance of zoning the presidency to the North ahead of the 2023 election by the party.

The federal lawmaker said any move in the direction of the North retaining the office of the president would offend the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, insisting that any part of the South should produce the next presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, it would amount to remaining in office for a third term if another candidate from the North emerges after President Buhari completes his second term.

“I am against APC producing its presidential candidate from the North. The APC presidential candidate should come from the South. I have said it before and will still say it again that if we have a Northerner as APC presidential candidate, to me, it is tantamount to third term, and it is not constitutional.

“The (APC) constitution says the president shall serve two terms, and we said then that the North should serve two terms. If you say the North should produce the presidential candidate again, it means you are going for third term which is not fair and I believe in fairness, justice and equality. Let candidate from the South, and that means South-South, South-East and South-West clinch the ticket”, he said.

On this part, governor of Kano State, North-West Nigeria, appearing on a television network last month described zoning as a strategy for winning election in the country and advised his party to strongly consider the unwritten code in its planning towards the 2023 election.

He said though contestants from all parts of the country jostled for the prized ticket with Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he believes the current president clinched the ticket because of the understanding that the position had been conceded to the North. He added that the situation became clearer in 2019, coupled with the fact that the party, was already in power and Buhari in office.

“The zoning system, even though it is not in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but it is a strategy for winning election. I think APC as a party should do a lot of research and planning to see what is the best option to win election. But from my understanding, zoning is a strategy for winning election and zoning has been adopted in the party”, he affirmed.

Governor Ganduje said, “when Buhari contested in 2015, he did not contest alone, he contested with people from the North, he contested with people from the South-East. So, if zoning was adopted, one hundred per cent, then only Northerners would have been allowed to contest. But there was still the understanding of zoning even though the party did not prevent others from contesting as it happened in 2015”.

He expressed the hope that though the party may not restrict or sanction anyone for indicating interest and taking part in the contest for the ticket, it would reach a consensus as regards the part of the country it would prefer its presidential candidate to come from.

“In this 2023, I believe there will be a consensus, even if people are allowed to contest from all parts of the country, but I know there will be a consensus on who should be allowed to contest. I think the zoning should be respected as strategy for winning election”, he said, adding that he would personally prefer that the ticket is zoned to “the southern part of the country but that should be a consensus of the members”.

Recently, the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) paid Governor Bello a courtesy visit at Government House in Lokoja with the singular purpose of asking him to consider presenting himself for election as president in 2023 under the platform of the APC.

Led by Comrade Gambo Gunjungu , president of the AYF, the youth body, said “after thorough research and evidence of the numerous antecedents” of Bello, they decided to call on him to run for president, adding that they were tired of “recycled leaders” and that they needed a youth to take over the country’s leadership “like many other young Nigerians wanting to change the narrative of political bandwagon and recycled politicians, we are looking up to him as the hope of the Nigerian youth. We are discussing with our patrons and we already have the network it would take to propagate their message all over the nation”, Gunjungu was quoted to have said.

In his response, Governor Bello is reported to have only told his guests that the discussions and events ahead of 2023 presidential election were in the hands of God to decide.

In spite of initial denials by his Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, last year when his campaign poster first surfaced in some Northern states, the 45-year-old governor’s political associates had gone ahead to further canvass the presidential agenda.

Shortly after the governor presented his 2021 budget proposal to the Kogi State House of Assembly, the lawmakers passed a resolution, urging him to run for president and early this year, they took the message to their counter parts in Plateau State for support. They have since also visited Kawara State lawmakers and also interfaced with Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman on the need to support Bello to become Nigeria’s president come 2023.

Although the Kwara State governor did not give an outright endorsement, he is said to have nevertheless offered a clue that Bello can always count on him. As the rumbles continue and conflicting signals emanate from the ranks of the APC, the leadership of the party has maintained a studied silence on the issue of the zoning of the 2023 presidential election. The feeling in certain quarters is that the APC is waiting for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make its move in this regard in order for it to take its own bearing.

However, there is another school of thought that strongly believes that the ruling party is simply confused and does not have the ideological strength to boldly make decisions based on its own convictions.

They say the party is so afraid and uncertain about its probable disastrous outcome of the forthcoming 2023 presidential election, especially without a rallying figure like Muhammadu Buhari that achieving the consensus talked about by governor Ganduja will be an order too tall for it to attain.

By: Opaka Dokubo

Politics

Why My Seat Should Not Be Declared Vacant By PDP – Ibori-Suenu

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2024

The Tide

The lawmaker representing Ethiope East/West Federal Constituency of Delta State, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has said that her defection to All Progressives Congress (APC) complied with the relevant sections of the constitution, hence there was no need for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to declare her seat vacant.
This is just as she filed an affidavit to support her originating summon, listing her reasons for dumping the PDP for the APC.
Deposing the affidavit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja recently, the lawmaker listed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House and PDP as defendants.
She said her purpose for leaving the 3rd defendant was as a result of protracted crises in the party.
Ibori-Suenu said: “For over a year, the 3rd defendant has been enmeshed in a series of unresolved leadership crises at the national, which crisis has driven the party into two implacable camps.
“The 3rd defendant (PDP) started grappling with the internal strife before the 2023 presidential election, particularly after the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries conducted for the election of the party’s presidential candidate.
“Upon the selection of the party’s vice presidential candidate for the presidential election in 2023, the internal disputes in the political party deepened resulting in division amongst the National Working Committee and creation of the (G-5). That is, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu (then governors of Rivers, Benue, Enugu State, Oyo and Abia states, respectively).
“Following the decision of a High Court which restrained lyorchia Ayu from acting as the party’s national chairman, an Acting National Chairman was appointed for the party.
“But his appointment generated massive discontent, which further divided the party at the national level.
“However, the division in the national leadership lingered due to the continued stay of the Acting National Chairman of the Party and the inability of the party to convene a meeting of its National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting for consideration of a replacement for the substantive National Chairman of the Party in compliance with Article 45(2) and 47(6) of the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).
“Attached and marked Exhibit IB 2 is the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).10. On October I1, 2024, the 3rd Defendant’s National Working Committee was embroiled in series of suspension and counter-suspensions amongst the members of the National Working Committee of the party.
“PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced on behalf of a faction of the National Working Committee that the Acting National Chairman, Iliya Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, were suspended with the National chairman being replaced by Alhaji

Politics

After S’Court Victory, It’s Time To Work, Soludo Urges APGA

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2024

The Tide

The National Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, has urged members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party to end the Supreme Court victory celebrations and focus on work in their respective states and localities.
The National Leader made this statement over the weekend in Abuja during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to mark the end of the fiscal year 2024.
Gov. Soludo also extended a hand of fellowship to Nigerians, inviting them to join APGA, which he described as “the most progressive party in Nigeria at the moment.”
Gov. Soludo said, “We want to unite all aggrieved members of the party for progress and the new Nigeria we all desire. I want to tell you that the Supreme Court victory is over and remains a call for unity.”
He expressed joy over the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as a cabinet member in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Under this administration, a member of our party is appointed a minister, and the President moves outside APC. We shall grow from strength to strength because APGA is built to last,” he stated.
Reflecting on his administration in Anambra State, Gov. Soludo highlighted efforts to leave behind a lasting legacy, including a free education policy and significant infrastructural development, which he described as “promises kept to walk the talk.”
The National Chairman of the party, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, while welcoming delegates from across the country, expressed optimism about the party’s future following years of struggle for survival and a protracted court case that recently ended at the Supreme Court.
While chronicling APGA’s journey, its founding dreams, and its role as a political voice for the South-East, Ezeokenwa noted that despite recent internal challenges orchestrated by “political merchants,” the party had grown from a regional movement to a national entity.
He acknowledged Gov. Soludo’s pivotal role during the party’s legal battles, describing the governor as an invaluable asset throughout APGA’s struggles.

Politics

Alleged Ugochinyere’s Expulsion, Null, Void, No Effect – PDPNWC

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2024

The Tide

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has overruled the expulsion of Ikenga Ugochinyere by the Imo State chapter of the party.
On Saturday, Imo PDP announced the expulsion of Ugochinyere, the lawmaker representing the Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, from the party.
The state’s party chapter said the legislator was expelled over alleged misconduct and anti-party activities.
However, a few hours later, the party’s NWC described Ugochinyere’s expulsion as “null and void and of no effect”.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said the move by its chapter in Imo was not “consistent with the express provision of Sections 57 (7) and 59 (3) of the constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down rules of our great party”.
“Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP is clear in providing that “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no executive committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, deputy governors, or members of the National Assembly,” the statement read.
“Also, Section 59 (3) of the Constitution of the PDP is unambiguous in providing that “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level except the National Executive Committee shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors, Special Advisers, or member of any of the Legislative Houses.
“It is therefore clear that no ward, local government, or even state chapter of the party has the power to suspend, expel, or discipline a member of the National Assembly in any form whatsoever without due recourse to the National Working Committee as provided by the Constitution of the PDP”, it added.
The PDP NWC added that Hon Ugochinyere remains a party member with all rights, privileges, recognition, and obligations.