Politics
2023: Steer Clear Of National Crisis, Mohammed Warns Bauchi PDP Stakeholders
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has convened a stakeholders’ meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, warning candidates to steer clear of the current controversy in the PDP at the national level.
The party is currently facing serious challenges as the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is having a face-off with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who lost to the former Vice President in the party’s primary.
But the Bauchi State Governor while addressing the meeting, which started at about 12:00 mid-day on Saturday, held at Government House Annex, Bauchi, said all candidates in the state must steer clear of the raging controversy.
Speaking before the meeting went into close door meeting, the governor advised candidates in the state to respect the Presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP.
“I don’t want anyone of us to get involved in the controversy at the national level. It is above us.
“Leave it to me to handle it as your leader the way l am handling it as your leader. Certainly we cannot afford it because it will have disparaging consequences on us,” he advised.
The stakeholders meeting was attended by the party bigwigs and candidates contesting on the platform of the party in the forthcoming general election.
The meeting had in attendance the State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Hamza Akuyam, the Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Bala Hadiz and newly appointed Campaign Director General of the party for the 2023 election, Honourable Farouk Mustapha.
Other bigwigs who attended the meeting include the Deputy Governorship candidate, Auwal Jatau, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honorable Suleiman Abubakar; the Deputy Speaker Danlami Kawule, and candidates contesting in the State and National Assembly elections.
He urged candidates to focus on the challenges in the state, saying so far the administration had been able to address grievances that arose in the aftermath of the party primaries amicably.
He advised candidates to accept the fact that the party is supreme, hence any complaint must be addressed within the ambit of the party guidelines.
“Whatever we become we must remember the party is supreme,” he said.
“We have problems but it’s about swallowing our problem for the greater benefits of the bigger picture”
The governor said he convened the meeting in order to confront the challenges ahead and ensure that the PDP does not lose the state in 2023.
“We have done quite well but l believe we will do better,” he said.
“I called for this meeting to for us to sit down, reminisce, discuss and address new challenges, especially looking at the electoral act, our party guidelines, and of course our personal challenges to regroup and refocus.
“We are confronted with a long period of electioneering and campaign. It’s going to take much time so we have to strategize. We have so many projects and programmes we have not completed.
“We have fulfilled 80 percent of our promises but the party is not going to win at the Government House but at the villages where we come from.
“The candidates are the most important variables now because the party has finished its own, meaning we must manage scare resources.
“The people appreciate what we have done but we cannot afford to be complacent”
He observed that the party leadership at the local government was not doing as expected as the general election approaches.
“The elected local government chairmen are not supporting our candidates as much as we want . That gap should be closed down.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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