Politics
Taraba Gov Advises FG On State Police
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has advised the Federal Government to try state police in addressing the security challenges in the country.
Ishaku gave the advice in his remarks at a world news conference organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the party national secretariat in Abuja, on Monday.
The conference also had in attendance the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinaya Abaribe, and former president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
According to Gov. Darius, the primary responsibility of any democratic government was to secure the people and their property.
He said the state governors were going through challenges and were helpless in managing the insecurity as they had no power over security.
“No matter how bad the state police, let us experiment it. After all, we have the State Electoral Commission. After all the state governments are running the elections of the states.
“In my state, oppositions win elections; we allow them to go, nothing is wrong we are going peacefully.
“ So, who is telling me that the State Police will fail? Let us try and let it fail, then we will reverse, but not trying at all does not give us anything different. We will still continue where we are.
“ In any case, in a country of over 200 million people, how can you expect the management of police to be at the center?
“Our constitution was copied from USA, and in America you have the local police, you have the state police, and you have the national Police.
“What is greater than the local police, take it to the state police. What is bigger than the state police goes to the national police,” Ishaku said.
The governor stressed on the need to ensure that police handle issue of internal security, while the military protect the territorial sovereignty of the country, as a last resort for war.
He also advised the Federal Government to adequately train Nigeria security personnel and equip them with necessary technology and equipment.
“If my ADC cannot protect himself, how can he protect other people? You must first protect yourself as a policeman and as a military officer before you can protect other people.
“I will appeal that we should give adequate attention to equipping military forces,” he said.
Ishaku urged the ruling party to look into advice from the PDP, saying PDP is ready to give a helping hand to the APC-led government in developing the country.
Similarly, Abaribe described PDP as responsible party interested in peace and development of the country.
He said that contrary to some views that the PDP was a weak opposition, “PDP is actually a responsible opposition.”
The Senate Minority Leader explained that what people were doing was comparing PDP to the APC when they were not in power, expecting PDP to act the same way APC did.
“We are not. We had been in power before and we know the responsibilities of having power and we do not want to speak just like anybody on the street”, Abaribe said.
“So, we weigh our words, we look at the situation and we do not want to be an opposition that want to destroy rather, an opposition that wants to build,” he said.
Abaribe added that those, who wanted to destroy Nigeria, were those that refuse to manage the diversity of the country, and those actually pushing the country to precipice.
Also speaking, the former president of the Senate said the opposition party would continue to play its role in letting the government be aware of its lapses.
The Chairman of PDP Reconciliation Committee added that the PDP would continue to put pressure through constitutional means in telling government what they need to do.
“We will not get tired because when we see changes in the world, it has come through constitutional means.
“It might look like a long journey, but eventually, the true will prevail and the right thing will be done,” Saraki said.
Saraki also expressed the hope that in a short period Nigeria would start a new journey for greatness.
He advised government to listen to the people in various communities of the country, especially on the issue of insecurity.
“When we talk about security, it’s not about political party, it affects all Nigerians.
“People who are losing their lives, I am sure some of them do not belong to any political party.
“So, that responsibility of government is to all of us as Nigerians, and we are speaking on behalf of all Nigerians that the right thing needs to be done.
“We will continue to do that through conscious constitutionally agreed procedures,” the former president of the senate said.
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
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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