Politics

2023: Only Elective Primaries Can Ensure Victory For PDP – Aspirant

Published

4 years ago

March 30, 2022

Otunba Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, one of PDP’s founding fathers in Lagos State, says only direct primaries can ensure victory for the party in the 2023 general elections.
Jim-Kamal, at his formal declaration on Tuesday for the governorship ticket of the PDP for the 2023 gubernatorial election in Lagos State, said subversion of people’s will in primary election had been affecting the chances of the party in previous elections in the state.
He told newsmen that he would not subscribe to any consensus arrangement where an aspirant would be made to step down for others or imposition of candidates.
“We have not been winning because Lagos PDP has always promoted imposition but our last elective state congress has brought in the light that we can get it right now.
“The best way to go in stemming all these problems is for the party to go for elective primaries in Lagos state like we did in the congress. I opted out in 2015 when I discovered somebody was to be imposed on us.
“Now that PDP has come to stay and the chances are brighter, we should not spoil it. Our primaries should be one man one vote. It should be a free and fair direct primaries,” Jim-Jamal said.
According to him, the PDP leadership must provide a level playing ground while party members are allowed to choose whoever they want to fly the party’s ticket.
Highlighting his agenda, Jim-Kamal, who noted that he was out to do the right things, said this included discussing issues capable of bringing in the change that would actualise the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
He said that his “governance of dynamism” would replace the outdated “progressivism” that had not brought real dividends of democracy to the masses.
“We are out to tell Lagos residents in particular and Nigerians in general the truth and nothing but the truth and then to discuss issues, debate issues and deliver issues through dividends of democracy.
“We are out to change the tide of events in Lagos state, to reduce the suffering of the teeming masses,” Jim- Kamal said.
The aspirant said he would pursue infrastructural and human capital development to curb most of the ongoing social ills in the society that are threatening security of lives and property.
“Infrastructure without giving the teaming youth free and compulsory education, free health, mass employment for youth, women emancipation, availability of subsidised food to our market women, modern day security network devoid of force and mass killing of innocent souls is a waste,” Jim-Kamal added.
He pledged to ensure automated free and compulsory e- education at all levels, automated free e-healthcare facilities, social security, mechanised food production, sports development, modern transportation system and restructuring.
Jim-Kamal said that teachers and school children’s welfare would be a priority, saying that ICT gadgets would be provided in schools for each teacher and students with free feeding.
According to him, intervention in healthcare would ensure provision of well-equipped health centre in each ward and general hospital in each local government.
He promised to create a ministry of internal security with three commissioners and three deputy commissioners managing each of the senatorial districts.
He said that 75 per cent of his cabinet would be for the youth and women comprising 35 per cent for women and 40 per cent for youths.
The aspirant said that he had mapped out designs for more bridges and 200-300 seaters high capacity buses to address gridlock in the state.
Jim-Kamal, who noted that his chances of winning the party’s ticket was bright, called on every stakeholder and member of PDP to be peaceful and remain united.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the PDP chieftain had made several attempts to contest different elective positions from 1988 when he joined politics.
Jim-Kamal, is a technocrat, former school teacher and the Chief Executive Officer of Arco Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Petroman and Petrochemicals and Nigerturk Construction International Company Ltd,, (A consortium of ten Nigerian and Foreign Companies)

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

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.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”