Politics
INEC Yet To Acknowledge Abia PDP Ad-hoc Delegates Election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the Abia State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to conduct its ad hoc delegate election. This is contrary to claims by a section of the party in the state that it held its ward congress on May 6.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was reported to have been seen in a video, addressing some party members at Obingwa Ward 7 claiming that delegates had been elected.
However, contrary to the governor’s position, the state secretary of the party, David Iro told journalists in Umuahia that the election of the three-man delegates was yet to take place in Abia.
“There has never been any delegates conference in the PDP anywhere in Abia. I can state it categorically that it has not been done,” he said.
This is even as PDP in the state is insisting that the three-man delegate election held in the state.
Barely 72 hours after making the statement, the State Working Committee (SWC) of PDP suspended Iro for one month, saying it took the action because the secretary made unguarded utterances that brought embarrassment to the party.
INEC’s position which has vindicated the state secretary of the party was contained in a letter written to the Wadata House, the headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party, Abuja informing them that no three-man ad hoc delegates Congress held in Abia State.
This puts to rest speculations on whether or not the three-man delegates elections held in Abia.
INEC’s letter which was said to be in response to an inquiry made by a legal practitioner, and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony made it clear that Abia PDP had not conducted its three-man ad hoc delegates congress.
The letter said: “Please refer to your letter dated 11th May 2022 requesting confirmation if the commission is in receipt of a letter from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman and National Secretary that rescheduled the party’s Abia State Ward Congresses that failed to hold on the 4th of May, 2022.
“This is to confirm that the last notice received from the PDP National Headquarters was the one that scheduled the Abia State Ward Congresses for 4th May 2022.”
It will be recalled that the three-man ad hoc delegates elections were meant to hold in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state in preparation for the main primaries.
It however did not hold as INEC stated that the rescheduled date failed on a public holiday and was expecting a new date from PDP.
The election which was shifted to a later date did not hold as some aggrieved members of the party were alleged to have gotten a court injunction to stop the election from holding.
In the light of the above a PDP stakeholder in the state, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya has called on the national leadership of the PDP to listen to the complaint of the PDP governorship aspirants from Abia and do away with the list submitted to it from Abia State as no such election took place in the state.
Ogbonnaya, who was the past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said submission of any document by Abia PDP as a three-man delegate list, was the height of impunity which should be resisted.
He urged the national leadership of the party not to accept such a list if they do not want Abia to go the way of Zamfara.
“If national leadership of the party will go ahead and accept such list all that governorship aspirants from Abia, except one is kicking against it, it means they don’t want PDP to have members of the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senators and governor come 2023″.
He said since they do not want Abia to go the way of Zamfara, that’s why they are pleading with the national leadership of our great party to do something to save the doomsday.
However, in a statement, Abia PDP insisted it conducted the three-man delegate election in the state.
In a release signed by Ama Abraham, State Vice-Chairman/Ag. State Publicity Secretary, the party insisted the delegates’ election held on May 6.
Politics
2024 Budget: Funds Were Shared Among Senators -Abaribe
The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has explained how the Zonal Intervention Project funds were shared among senators.
Recall that the senator representing Cross River North, Agom Jarigbe on Tuesday revealed that ranking senators got N500 million each while he got nothing.
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate while speaking on allegations of budget padding raised by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Senator Abdul Ningi.
The lawmakers who have spent at least four years in the Senate are regarded as ranking senators.
Speaking on the development on a live television interview on Wednesday, Senator Abaribe denied receiving N500 million as alleged by Senator Jarigbe.
Senator Abaribe said he got N266 million from the money allocated to lawmakers in the six geo-political zones.
According to him, lawmakers from some zones, like the Northwest, which has seven states, would expect to get less than what he got, as his Southeast zone has only five states.
He said, “I have been saying that all fingers are not equal and by privilege of office, certain people will get but not every Senator gets an equal amount.
“These are six zones in the country, and every zone gets its own N10 billion in intervention. Now, if you are from the Northwest zone, because you have seven states, the senator will get less than me who comes from the five-state zone.
“My state, Abia, gets N2 billion and if we break it down for both the Senate and the representatives, the Senate is getting 40% and the House gets 60%.
“I got about N266 million as zonal intervention. The person in the Northwest who has seven states, will necessarily get less, about a hundred million and something.
“So it’s not correct when we say every constituency must get an equal amount.”
Politics
Dump PDP, Enhance Your Value, APC Woos Gov Mutfwang
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has been advised to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) so that his good works and value can appreciate more.
The call was made on Wednesday by the North Central APC Forum in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the forum’s first quarter of the year meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, the APC Forum Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said they were meeting to review the state of the party in the region as well as the region’s economic and security situation, adding that the position of the Plateau State Governor was vital in the overall development of the region.
Zazzaga, who was also a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the last election, commended Governor Mutfwang for carrying the citizenry along in his developmental efforts, noting that his approach to boost peace and security of the state as well as his calm personality was impressive.
However, he said for the governor to attain a robust and exhaustive achievement of his agenda, policies and the development of Plateau State, he should defect to the APC.
He said the governor’s defection would not amount to relegating his former party to the background, but would rather strengthen him more to develop Plateau State.
According to the Chairman, the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, is a good example of someone who seeks development for his people and the nation at large, using any vital and handy platform or party to advance his cause.
“Governor Caleb Mutfwang has so far shown that he is a progressive governor through his works, words and deeds since assuming office. But for him to advance more, he should consider joining the APC.
“This is because joining the APC will put him on the same page with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu who has the interest of Plateau in his heart and has been doing his best to advance it.
“Besides, Governor Mutfwang will be on the same page with his other counterparts in the North Central who are of the APC, and together they will have a common ground and work for the interest and development of the region in general and their specific states in particular.
“Also, most of the legislators from the state are in APC, and they can work hand-in-hand to move the state forward, because the relationship between the executive and the legislature cannot be overemphasized in the pursuance of progress and development.
Politics
Step Aside Over Alleged Budget Padding, PDP Urges Akpabio
The Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) on Wednesday demanded that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately steps aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
In a statement released by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the main opposition party also demanded that Akpabio immediately report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending case relating to N108 billion belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State, allegedly looted under his watch as the governor.
The party similarly told the Senate President to speak out on the reported N86 billion contract scam that allegedly occurred in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The PDP condemned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate “without a detailed inquest into the issue of budget padding which he raised.”
Recall that Ningi blew the whistle on the alleged unexplained N3.7 trillion inserted into the budget, leading to his suspension from the chamber for allegedly disparaging the legislature.
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