Politics

APGA Reps Ticket: Nwobashi Petitions INEC, Security Agencies

Published

4 years ago

July 20, 2022

A former majority leader in Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Joseph Nwobashi said he has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the national leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on the grand plot by certain individuals to deny him the party’s House of Representatives ticket for Ezza North/Ishielu Federal constituency which he duly won during primaries.
Nwobashi who briefed Journalists in Abakaliki on Monday alleged that the members representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal constituency, Hon Anayo Edwin Nwonu were hellbent on snatching the ticket from him.
He alleged that Hon. Nwonu was scheming to take away his ticket from him, so he would recontest for House of Representatives on the platform of APGA, having failed his governorship bid in the PDP.
He vowed to challenge the matter in court if his name is substituted with any other person’s name, ahead of the election.
Nwobashi said: “The primary election for House of Representatives in APGA was conducted on 27th May 2022 in Ebonyi State and I won the ticket to represent Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency.
“Our names were sent to the national secretariat of our party after the primaries and certificates of returns have been issued to all of us that won in Ebonyi State.
“Recently, I have been receiving a lot of pressure from someone who wants me to step down for him. I have also been receiving some pressure from his supporters. But I want to make it public that I have not stepped down for anyone and have no intention to step down for anyone.
“I want to assure my supporters to remain calm and law-abiding, that my ticket is intact and I’m fully in the race. So, I have notified the INEC and other relevant agencies to take note, that should there be any notice to them that I have withdrawn, they should disregard it.”
Reacting in a telephone interview, the Member representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal constituency, Hon Edwin Nwonu, debunked the allegations and cautioned Mr Nwobashi to stop maligning his name.
Nwonu popularly known as Anatex urged Mr Nwobashi to desist from linking him with whatever problem he has with his party.
He said the allegation by Mr Nwobashi that he was plotting to snatch his ticket was baseless as neither the constitution nor the Electoral Act gave him such powers.
Asked about his membership status in APGA, Nwonu simply said alot of parties had been lobbying him to join them due to his goodwill but was yet to make his mind on any.
Nwonu said: “The point here is that I don’t know why someone will derive joy in maligning my name. If Nwobashi has a problem with his party, he should go and sort it out himself and stop mentioning my name.
“Other political parties not only APGA are approaching me to join them. But it’s for me to decide what I want to do? Not people talking about what they do not know. Like I said before, no person can take a ticket to a political party on his own.
“The ticket of a political party is a decision of the party. Like this one, Mr Nwobashi is saying that Anatex wants to collect his ticket, but I don’t have the power to do so.
The Constitution and the Electoral Act do not allow me to do that, but he is just making noise, talking about what he does not know. He is talking like an illiterate. Electoral Act doesn’t allow me to do that. Every party process depends on the political party, not me. I don’t know why he should he mentioning my name. And like what he said that I have been threatening him, I have not seen Nwobashi for the past two years.
“I have not called him on phone. Let him show you, people, the evidence that I called him on phone. I have not discussed anything with Nwobashi about any ticket or no ticket. So, he should leave me alone.
“Finally, I know their problem, their problem is my popularity. Their problem is why must Anatex be rising this way. But it’s not my fault, it’s my goodwill and God. They are afraid of Anatex coming on board, not only he is doing that. The summary is that I’m a good market that every political party wants to buy.”

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

8 hours 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

8 hours 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

8 hours 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.”