Politics
Osun: APC Fixes February 19 For Guber Primaries
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed February 19 for its governorship primary election in Osun State.
The National Secretary, APC Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
“In accordance with the provisions of the amended Electoral Act 2010 and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
“The APC has released a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2022 Governorship Primary Election in Osun,” he said.
Akpanudoedehe said the last day for submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination forms and accompanying documents at the party’s national secretariat would be on Wednesday, February 9.
He added that screening of aspirants would hold on Thursday, February 10, while publication of claims and objections would take place on Saturday, February 12 and screening Appeal would take place on Thursday, February 15.
He further added that Election Appeal would hold on Tuesday 22, February 22.
The APC began the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to aspirants on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
The forms were sold at N22.5million, with the nomination form sold at N20 million, while the expression of interest form was sold at N2.5million.
Female and physically challenged aspirants were however, to pay 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has boasted about the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in upcoming elections in the state.
Oyetola made this claim on Friday in Abuja after submitting his form at the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the Governor, the work and infrastructure done by his administration meant the APC “remains the party to beat anytime, any day.”
“Well I can talk about my party the APC, it remains the party to beat anytime, any day. I don’t see them having any extraordinary chance of doing what we are doing.
“The work and infrastructure that we have done are there for everyone to see. We have also received so many ratings from the people who are to decide in terms of what we have been able to do.”
The governor further acknowledged the enormity of governance while detailing how his antecedents helped him in spite of paucity of funds.
He added: “First of all, let’s give credit to the almighty God. Given my background in the private sector, I was well prepared for this job. Running a government is like running an enterprise, the only difference is that one is for profit-making while the other is for service.
“If you get your variables right it will look so easy. That is why I can’t be lamenting about the paucity of funds. I only have to look for creative ways of delivering on the mandate given to me by the people”.
Politics
LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.
