The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Politics

  • Anambra Debate: Governorship candidates reluctant to condemn IPOB

    Anambra Debate: Governorship candidates reluctant to condemn IPOB

    The activities of the pro-Biafra group, IPOB, appeared to have been a difficult issue for the governorship candidates in Anambra State to deal with during the just concluded political debate.

    Andy Uba of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the only three candidates who participated in the Arise News-organised debate, out of the 18 that have been cleared for the November 6 election.

    IPOB agitation in Anambra and other South-east states has led to several killings and destruction, with the attendant militarisation of the region.

    All the three candidates showed reluctance at the debate to condemn the activities of IPOB which has been proscribed by the Nigerian government. The three said it was necessary for the government to dialogue with IPOB.

    “In life, I have seen good men do wrong things, and I have seen wrong men do good things. So, it’s always good to get to the activities of any group or any person, and support what is good and condemn what’s bad,” said the PDP candidate, Mr Ozigbo.

    “There are certain things IPOB does, through agitation and on things that happened, that I support. But when they get to some extreme, then I condemn,” he added.

    Mr Ozigbo said insecurity in Anambra was caused by the way the APC-led government at the centre and the APGA-led government in Anambra were doing things.

    He said those who “created” the insecurity cannot be the ones to mediate in any dialogue with IPOB.

    “That’s why you need a Valentine (Ozigbo), a useful person to deal with the issue of IPOB,” he said.

    The APGA candidate, Mr Soludo, who described himself as a “pan-Nigerian”, said he does not support the agitation for an independent republic.

    Just like the other two candidates, Mr Soludo said IPOB “deserves to be heard”.

    “The agitation cannot be shut down with a gun. We need to have a dialogue, bring everyone to the table and discuss specific issues that are their agitations,” he said.

    The candidates’ reluctance to condemn IPOB at the debate is perhaps to avoid a backlash at the poll which is just a few days away. It also underscores the complexities of the security challenges in the state and the South-east region.

    Apart from insecurity, the candidates talked about economy, education, environment and the healthcare in Anambra.

    (Premium Times)

  • PDP will return to power in 2023

    The National Vice Chairman South South of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, has assured the party is poised to return to power come 2023 given the successful completion of it’s national convention last Saturday.

    He spoke on Sunday while congratulating the new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) who emerged on Sunday morning.

    The PDP confirmed the emergence of Dr Iyorchia Ayu and 20 others as new national officers.

    Commending the rancour-free convention, Orbih said that the emergence of the Iyorchia Ayu leadership specifically marked a new dawn in the history of PDP and a rekindled hope in Nigeria.

    Speaking to Journalists at the sideline of the convention, Orbih said: “PDP has today shown, by the quality and outcome of its convention, that it has the capacity to offer Nigerians exceptional leadership in the management of its human and material resources.

    “This convention was not only rancour-free, it provides great insight into the organizational capabilities of the PDP in sharp contrast to what the current administration has bequeathed the country in the last six years.

    “With this great outing, PDP is set to return as the ruling party in 2023.

    “I congratulate all of the new national officers, particularly our representatives from the South-South zone, the National Financial Secretary and National Women’s Leader, whose contributions to the growth of PDP are already well celebrated.”

    Orbih also called on Nigerians to prepare to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, stating “APC has, in the last six years, inflicted so much insecurity, pain and agony on Nigerians that no wise person would want them returned to power.”

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • 2023: Anyim declares for Presidency

    2023: Anyim declares for Presidency

    Former Senate President, Chief Pius Anyim, has said that he will contest for the Presidency in 2023 whether the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoned it to the South-East zone or not.

    Anyim made the declaration on Saturday in Abuja on the sideline of the ongoing PDP national convention.

    The Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) stated that the conclusion of the party’s national convention would signal the commencement of political activities in the party, noting time has come for him to indicate interest.

    He noted that he denied interest for the position in 2020 because he felt that it was not time to do so.

    He commended Nigerians from all parts of the country for calling on him to come and rescue the nation in 2023.

    He said, “Posters of my presidential bid and agitations by groups for me to contest flooded the social media in 2020 and I disassociated myself from such calls.

    “I felt that it was too early for such declarations to enable the present administration concentrate on governance.

    “Such calls resurfaced in the early part of 2021 and I choose to be quiet over the issue.

    “We presently have less that 18 months to the next elections and I feel the time was ripe to indicate my interest.”

    He noted that the zoning committe constituted by the party, was only saddled with zoning party positions and not elective positions ahead of 2023.

    “Zoning of such positions was deferred but nothing stops any one from the south east zone from contesting the presidency even if it was not zoned to it.

    “The most important thing is that the party’s national convention is a sort of rebirth for a group of people who have recovered from a set back.

    “The party members are presently focussed and determined to reclaim power with one spirit,” he added.

  • 2023: Convention beginning of our rescue mission – PDP 

    2023: Convention beginning of our rescue mission – PDP 

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that its 2021 convention is the beginning of its quest to rescue the country.

    The chairman of the PDPNational Convention Organizing Committee, Ahmadu Fintiri, started this,on Saturday, while declaring open the PDP 2021 National Convention, holding at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Fintiri, who is also the governor of Adamawa State, said Nigerians still relish the 16 years, the PDP controlled the reins of power in the country.

    The governor noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government is “hell bent on railroading the country into multi-faceted recession in all fronts; from the economy to governance; national security to diplomacy…”

    He added that there is no doubt that the country is “far better with PDP in power”, and that the citizens are already yearning for the return of the opposition party to power in 2023.

    (sunnewsonline.com)

  • Convention: PDP working towards consensus, says Tambuwal

    Convention: PDP working towards consensus, says Tambuwal

    Convention: PDP working towards consensus, says Tambuwal

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwual, has said he and his colleagues were working towards ensuring that all members of the new National Working Committee emerge via consensus.

    He said this after a meeting of the PDP-GF in Abuja, late on Thursday.

    Tambuwual said, “We have held the meeting of the PDP governors forum. As you can see again 13/13, all of us attended and the chairman of the convention committee brought us up to the speed on how prepared they are for us to hold our convention starting from Friday through to Saturday.

    “We are also happy to say that part of what we discussed was the process of getting consensus during the convention.

    “So far, we can say with certainty that we have achieved not less than 80 per cent of that process and it is still ongoing.

    “We are hoping that at the end of the day, we are going to have a hitch-free convention and possibly have all the candidates emerge via consensus.

    “Consensus is part of democratic process and we are imbibing that in the interest of our party so that we can continue to have stability that will reposition the party, as we have always said, for the future.”

    (punchng.com)

  • Dele Momodu joins PDP, gives reasons –

    Dele Momodu joins PDP, gives reasons –

    Dele Momodu joins PDP, gives reasons –

    DELE MOMODUDele Momodu

    A former presidential candidate, publisher, and journalist, Dele Momodu, has joined Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Momodu announced this in a statement on Friday.

    He explained that his decision was to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

    The former presidential candidate complained that the achievements recorded under the PDP administration “have been diluted, wasted, or diminished by the present APC government.”

    He said, “I have consulted widely. And it is clear to me that given the dangerous and disastrous drift that our nation has experienced in the past six years, the only party from which amends can be made to rectify our situation is the Peoples Democratic Party.

    “This accords with my vehement opposition to the policies and practices of the All Progressive Congress and its leadership, which has denuded our country of everything we hold dear – national unity, cohesion, security, economic prosperity, educational advancement, social infrastructure, and above all, our cherished moral values.

    “For these reasons, I am happy to declare that I am now a full-fledged participating member of the great and patriotic Peoples Democratic Party.

    “It is deeply saddening and regrettable that some of the biggest and landmark achievements recorded under the PDP administration have been diluted, wasted, or diminished by the present APC government.”

    (punchng.com)

  • PDP won’t zone Presidency to the South in 2023 – Saraki

     

    Former Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said despite the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its national chairmanship to the North Central, it did not prevent any qualified aspirant from any zone from contesting the presidency in 2023.

     

    Speaking on a national television programme monitored in Lagos, yesterday, the former Kwara State governor debunked speculations that the party would zone its presidency to the south since it zoned its national chairmanship to the north.

     

    He said the leadership of the party had at different fora reiterated its commitment to throwing open the contest for the 2023 presidential ticket to all zones as long as it gets the best candidate from the process.

     

    “On the issue of zoning, the party has made it very clear in all our meetings that even though we have zoned the position of party offices, it does not preclude anybody that has any presidential ambition. Most of our leaders have said that, and we have said that at our NEC, and all the possible meetings, that even though we have taken the chairmanship of the party to the North Central, it does not preclude anyone from contesting. What we are looking for is the best candidate that would win the election.”

     

    Saraki said the party was undaunted by the defection of three of its governors (Ebonyi, Zamfara and Cross River), federal and state legislators, saying that such actions were expected. He, however, said the PDP will receive a former governor into its fold this week, and that Nigerians should not be surprise if bigwigs from the All Progressives Congress (APC) defect to the PDP when the 2023 elections draws closer.

     

    “It is not true that we are haemorrhaging members because I had said it a couple of times that there were certain governors that we knew were going to leave. In fact, they had left, but we were just waiting for their final exit, so we were not surprised. We have got some big wigs that will be coming to our party this week, there is a former governor that would join us and you should know that when leaders in the ruling party want to defect, they don’t defect early. I think Nigerians should not be surprised when they begin to see some defections from the ruling party.

    “In 2015, the number of states that APC has now is almost the same as what we had in the PDP, and the concern that people are defecting should not matter. More importantly, the country is in a different place now and Nigerians have seen what the ruling party has to offer. We all have differences in our party and we are resolving because this is the only alternative party for Nigerians that would provide leadership, that is why we in the PDP believe that the interest of Nigerians should supersede our individual interests. We have been able to resolve our differences across the states so that we can convince Nigerians that we are able to take over the leadership of the country,” he said.

     

    When asked if he will contest for the presidency in 2023, he said it was too early for anyone to declare such ambition even as he debunked speculations that if he contested and lost, he would leave the PDP.

     

    “Because some people defected from the PDP to APC does not mean that I would defect. You have to look at my antecedents in 2019 and you will see that the fact that I didn’t win elections didn’t make me defect, so I can’t see why that would come up. Where we are now is not about anyone’s personal ambition, it is about how we can work to make this country better. What is important for us is to build a strong party and that was why I took up the responsibility of leading the reconciliation committee because there was concern that the party was losing a lot of steam. We can’t talk about our ambition without a strong party and in due time I will answer the question of whether I will contest or not.”

     

    On the court case brought against the PDP by its former national chairman, Uche Secondus, he said: “We have a court case involving him because he is still our chairman, but we are looking beyond that and looking at our congress. Do we look like a party that is resolving its issues and trying to move forward to its convention to elect new leaders? Today, we are not meeting to resolve state congresses because we have been able to move forward. We cannot afford to get it wrong in 2023 and PDP is in a better position to give credible leadership.”

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • PDP insists on October 30 convention date, despite action to stop it.

     

    THE Peoples Democratic Party National Convention Organising Committee has said the convention slated for October 30-31 will go ahead as scheduled in spite of an action instituted at the Kaduna High Court to stop it.

     

    Chairman of the Committee and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said this in a statement titled, “Statement by the PDP National Convention Organising Committee Regarding the Case Instituted at the High Court in Kaduna to Prevent the PDP from Holding its National Convention on October 30 and 31, 2021,” which he signed on Sunday.

     

    He said the committee was alerting “members of our party and members of the public that we are aware of the actions of a few misguided PDP members who have approached the High Court in Kaduna in an attempt to prevent our great party, the PDP from holding its National Convention on October 30 and 31, 2021.

     

    “Notwithstanding their right to approach a court of competent jurisdiction to air their grievances, we maintain that the National Executive Committee of the PDP has acted in good faith in fixing our convention for October 30 and 31. It is not meant to witch-hunt anyone or to truncate anyone’s mandate.”

     

    The statement further read, “Therefore, we call on all members and supporters of the PDP to ignore this distraction as we prepare to host a convention that will send a clear signal to Nigerians that the PDP is the only party that has the will and the might to rescue Nigeria from the catastrophe that we have been enduring for the past six years.

    “We are aware that a clearly united PDP is a threat to the forces that seek to divide us. Therefore, we urge our teeming supporters nationwide to keep the faith as we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that we will not be distracted from our goal.”

     

    The committee, he said, was determined to strengthen the party structure and put in the work needed to unify and restore Nigeria back on the path to economic prosperity and greatness.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Anambra Poll: INEC yet to distribute PVCs

     

    The Igbos for Progressive Nigeria has decried the Independent National Electoral Commission’s failure to give PVCs to would-be voters in the November 6 Anambra governorship election.

     

    The group expressed worry over the non-release of the permanent voter cards to those that participated in the last registration exercise, a few weeks to the poll, and described it as a dangerous signal.

     

    Michael Chibuzo, the national secretary of IPAN, said INEC should urgently distribute the PVCs to prospective voters.

     

    “I call on us all to be committed to a peaceful electoral participation by all – the elderly, young, and special persons, the future is ours to make,” said Mr Chibuzo.

     

    He also called on eligible voters for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra to be vigilant to perform their civic responsibility by voting right.

     

    IPAN advised the Anambra electorate to assess the governorship candidates based on their pedigree, either in private or public life, to determine who can manage the tiny resources of the state better.

     

    Lawrence Onuzulike, IPAN national president, made the charge at a press conference on Sunday in Awka.

     

    “Anambra cannot afford to make the mistake of voting in one who has no serious agenda for the people, who just wants to be called governor but does not have a purposeful vision,” said Mr Onuzulike.

     

    He added that the November 6 election is an opportunity to right the wrongs of the past, regretting that Anambra leaders in the past paid little attention to the issues that matter most.

     

    According to Mr Onuzulike, the incoming governor needs a political base  with a general spread.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Election technology: INEC commends NASS

     

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lauded the National Assembly for empowering the agency to determine and deploy appropriate technology in future elections.

     

    The commission also appealed to the National Assembly to make broad provisions of laws to empower it to continue innovating without restriction to a specific technology.

     

    INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this at a meeting with the Senate and House of Representatives Conference Committee on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 in Abuja, yesterday.

     

    “Understandably, the issue of technology in elections has dominated recent public discussions in Nigeria. The commission appreciates the decision of the National Assembly to empower INEC to determine and deploy appropriate technology in future elections. For us in INEC, this is one of the progressive decisions by our National Assembly. As you finalise on the Electoral Amendment Bill, I urge you to continue to endow the commission with power to determine what technology to deploy in our elections at the appropriate time.

     

     

    “One way of doing so is to make broad provisions of the law that will empower the commission to continue to innovate without restricting us to a specific technology, such as the Smart Card Reader, which could in due course become obsolete, inapplicable or irrelevant as is already the case, following the recent introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the commission. The commission looks forward to the conclusion of the process without which we cannot make the regulations and guidelines to give effect to the provisions of the law. Without the regulations and guidelines, we cannot finalise on the manuals for the training of officials that will conduct elections. There are extensive provisions in the current Bill that require clear guidance by the commission. With only 484 days to the 2023 general election, time is of the essence.”

     

    Yakubu said in addition to the Anambra State governorship election holding on November 6, the commission had already scheduled three major elections to be conducted next year.

     

    “First is the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on February 12, 2022, followed by Ekiti governorship election on June 18, 2022 and Osun governorship election a month later on July 16, 2022. The Commission also has five pending bye-elections made up of three federal constituencies and two state constituencies to contend with.

     

    “The Electoral Act is one of the most important laws in any democracy. Election is a process anchored on a legal framework. First is the constitution, followed by the Electoral Act. In all jurisdictions, the Electoral Act provides more detailed provisions to govern the conduct of elections and the electoral process. One of the unique aspects of the current amendment of the Electoral Act is that it started well ahead of the forthcoming general election, unlike previous exercises which came too close to elections. The importance of starting early is that it allows for a thorough debate by citizens on aspects of the Bill long after the conventional public hearing as witnessed recently. Clearly, the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 is one of the most extensively debated Bills in Nigeria,” he said.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 2023: Lack of Internal Democracy may cause PDP, APC to implode – Jega

     

    Former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has alleged that moneybags’ and godfathers have hijacked the dominant political parties in Nigeria and that the lack of internal democracy within the parties may cause them to implode. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are Nigeria’s dominant parties.

     

    Jega, who spoke on a television programme monitored in Lagos, yesterday, said it was impossible for APC and PDP to change and do the right thing as evident in the disorderly primaries they conducted recently.

     

    He lamented that after 22 years of democracy, Nigeria is yet to rid itself from the overbearing influence of people who see political parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections for their personal gains. He also said it was not yet time to require political parties to conduct direct primaries.

     

    “People have captured and controlled political parties for self-serving objectives, so no energy is devoted to organising primaries. Governors deploy state resources to control political parties in their states to decide which candidate will emerge. It is all driven by self-serving objectives and it is political rascality.

     

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    “After 22 years of democracy, we have still not freed ourselves from this overbearing control of people who just use parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections by hook or by crook. That is why many of us are beginning to think that these so called dominant parties are really a huge disappointment, a drag to the democratisation process of our counter, and if we are hoping for change within these political parties, I regret to say it will be very long in coming. This is why many of us are pushing for a new purpose vehicle for democratic elections and to ensure that we move in the right direction.”

     

    Jega said it would be hard work for the new party they are forming to upstage APC and PDP, but that it was not impossible given the commitment of the people involved.

     

    “We have to address the problems that are crippling us. It is impossible for APC and PDP to change and say they want to do the right thing and you can see the evidence in the so called primaries they conducted recently and how disorganised it was. Many of these parties may explode or implode because of some of the crises associated with their primaries. I am sure that many patriotic Nigerians are not happy to see these kinds of perpetual political wrangling take place in political parties and the arena of governance.”

     

    Jega described the conduct of primaries as a purely party affair and noted that INEC’s responsibility was restricted to to that of a monitor. He criticised political parties for not paying attention to their primary objective of moblising citizens on the basis of a clearly defined programme or manifesto and getting people to register as members.

     

    “The parties have been dominated by so called godfathers and moneybags who are not interested in membership because they think that they can use money to field the candidates they want and to get the candidates they want elected. So the issue of having registered members is not their concern, so if they are required. My personal opinion is that it is not yet time to require political parties to conduct direct primaries,” he said.

     

    Commenting on electronic voting, he said though Nigeria was not ready for it, it was however time INEC began looking around for the electronic voting technology adaptable to the country and how to harness it.

     

    “We are not as prepared with electronic voting as we are with electronic transmission of results. For electronic voting, since the prohibition has just been lifted, it is now time for INEC to begin to look around for what electronic voting technology is adaptable to Nigeria and begin to source it and pilot it before beginning to think of how to deploy it. Once we are ready, we may start doing it in phases by starting with large urban centres with higher literacy rates. It is what INEC can begin to look into.”

     

    Commenting on the preparedness of INEC to carry out electronic transmission of results he said: “I believe that it is possible in 2023 for INEC to do what I can call an ‘A grade’ electronic transmission of results. The objective would be to do it 100 percent but if we can get 70 or 80, it is still an ‘A’ and we should be happy with it and keep improving.

     

    Our fear of failure should not prevent us from trying something new that is being done all over the world because of how important it is to the conduct of free and fair election and the elimination of fraud. I am happy with the decision of the National Assembly and the harmonisation committee.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • APC congress widens cracks in state chapters

    APC congress widens cracks in state chapters  

    The much-postponed state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held last weekend has further polarised the ruling party as confusion, parallel leadership and multiple chairmen emerged in many states.

    Two days after the exercise, bickering and rancour have persisted in Akwa Ibom, Kano, Bauchi, Kwara, Rivers, Niger, Osun, Delta and in almost all the South-East states as they have either two or more factional chairmen to contend with.

    In Ogun State, faction loyal to Governor Dapo Abiodun has threatened to expel former governor, Senator Ibikunle Amonsun.

    Sources from states rocked by crisis said while the situation during the congresses degenerated to shooting of guns, others though peaceful produced multiple leaderships.

    In Abia, Enyi Harbor and Acho Obioma, emerged chairmen in parallel congresses. Harbor was returned as consensus chairman in the Chief Ikechi Emenike-led faction, while Chidi Abuaja emerged as state party secretary.

    Obinna Atuonwu was announced as organising secretary and Okey Ezeala publicity secretary among others, who emerged from a consensus  exercise held at Chidiebere Park Ugwunchara Umuahia opposite Holy Rosary Girls Secondary school.

    In the other faction led by chairman, APC caretaker committee, Chief Donatus Nwamkpa, held at Umuahia Township stadium, Obioma polled 298 votes to defeat Sylvanus Nwaji who got one vote, Dike Nwankwo, four, Chidi Nwosu, 92 and Ikechukwu Ukaegbu 134 while there were 24 voided votes.

    In Bauchi, opposing factions loyal to former speaker, Yakubu Dogara and minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, are at loggerheads following allegations of imposition of party officials.

    A faction of the party has asked Mai Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State and National Chairman of the party to perish the idea of imposing candidates by  “powerful Abuja” politicians.

    Chairman of the stakeholders committee from Bauchi South Senatorial district, Adamu S. Noma, who addressed the media at the NUJ Secretariat, yesterday, appealed to the national leadership of the party to recognise Sanusi Aliyu Kunde, who it claimed was unanimously endorsed by stakeholders from the state.

    Noma said Kunde was the choice of the APC and that the seven member committee headed by Jibriln Sam never conducted any congress nor elected Babayo Aliyu Misau as chairman.  He alleged that the so-called congress that returned Misau done in Abuja was abnormal.

    They alleged that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had infiltrated APC and assured that the new leadership led by Kunde would bring sanity to the party.

    In Enugu, former commissioner for works, Chief Ugo Agballah and former vice chairman of the party, Adolphus Ude, emerged in parallel congresses. But the issue was, however,  compounded as former military administrator of Gombe State and chieftain of the party, Group Capt. Joe Orji (retd) said he was the ‘consensus chairman designate’ of the APC in the state.

    The faction of former senate president, Ken Nnamani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and ex-governor Sullivan Chime, produced Agballlah, while that loyal to outgone state chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu and consisting of the foundation members of APC in the state elected Ude.

    Ude, in his acceptance speech, said as progressives, promoting equity, natural justice and prosperity was their watchword. He wondered how some persons wanted to foist Agballah, who he claimed had not been publicly admitted into the party as its state chairman.

    He also alleged that the same leaders who recruited Agballah had earlier recruited Rev. Okey Ogbodo to factionalise the party, resulting in APC’s woeful performance in 2019 general elections in Enugu State.

    But Agballah said his victory marked a new beginning for the party in the state and the party’s journey to Government House and promised to unite all members of the party in the state by providing committed and selfless leadership.

    Orji described news relating to the emergence of any other candidate as fake.

    “I was actually the consensus candidate of Enugu APC stakeholders at a meeting convened by former Senate President and representative of the South East in the National Caretaker Committee of the party. In that meeting representing the three senatorial districts, they settled for me. So, I am the consensus chairman designate. Anything to the contrary won’t happen.”

    In Ogun State, Senator Amosun, risks another suspension from the party following the conduct of a parallel congress, a source said.

    Amosun had in 2019 been suspended by the national headquarters of the party for working for the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Abdulkabir Akinlade against the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun.

    Loyalists of the former governor had converged at the Alake’s Palace to elect their state officials for Ogun State.

    The congress produced Derin Adebiyi, Jide Ojuko and Toyin Adesiyan as chairman, deputy chairman and secretary, respectively.

    Pandemonium, however, erupted at the congress venue as hoodlums temporarily disrupted proceedings before the situation was brought under control by the police and other security agencies on ground.

    A source claimed the national leadership of the party in Abuja had issued a query to the former governor on the chaos which emanated as a result of the parallel congress by his loyalists. But this could not be confirmed at at press time.

    In Benue State, congress of the APC ended in the early hours of Sunday with the emergence of Austin Agada as chairman.

    Agada polled 1, 385 votes out of the votes from 1,500 delegates, while his co-contestant, Omale Omale who boycotted the election was said to have polled 27 votes.

    However, some leaders from Benue South Senatorial District popularly known as Zone ‘C’ has rejected what they described as unfair and unjust accreditation of delegates by the state congress committee.

    The leaders include former senate president, Ameh Ebute and former minister of agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.

    The aggrieved leaders in a petition to the Abubakar Mohammed Luggawero-led Committee, insisted that list of delegates  generated in Benue South and given to the committee was not genuine, hence unacceptable.

    In Osun State, the committee for the state congress, however, said there was no parallel congress in Osogbo, except funeral or marriage ceremony.

    Chairman of the National Committee for Osun Congress, Gbenga Elegbeleye, said any other congress apart from the one held at the Osogbo City Stadium was a “mere funeral ceremony.”

    Elegbeleye,  at a news conference, yesterday, at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo, said the committee was not aware of any parallel congress in the state as being speculated. A faction within the party,The Osun Progressives (TOP), loyal to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, held a parallel congress on Saturday, while the Ileri Oluwa group, loyal to Governor Gboyega Oyatola, held its congress at the Osogbo City Stadium, where the immediate caretaker chairman of the party, Mr Gboyega Famodun, was re-elected as chairman.

    TOP, at a parallel congress, elected the immediate secretary of the party, Alhaji Rasak Salinsile, as its chairman.

    Elegbeleye, who described the insinuations of parallel congress in the state as a fallacy, said on no account could any congress be held outside the knowledge of the committee, as prescribed by the party’s principles and guidelines.

    In Adamawa, no fewer than 12 local government areas had voted as the congress election continued for the second day, yesterday.

    Prof. Umar Katsayal, chairman of the election committee, attributed the delay of the election to intensive and thorough screening of delegates.

    “The conduct of the election is moving smoothly according to the party’s rules and regulations,” Adamu said.

    Reacting to the crisis, National Secretary APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, John Akpanudoedehe, reiterated the resolve of the party leadership to come hard on any person or group behind the emergence of any parallel leadership in any state.

    “We successfully concluded the first and second congresses in the wards and local governments by observing all the laid down rules and regulations, including satisfying the requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We, therefore want to sound a note of warning again that any congress outside what we have endorsed is an effort in futility. All we want to appeal to them is to respect the constituted authority by exploring the Appeal Committee option when we set it up. Again, we have a listening chairman who can attend to any kind of complaint from anybody. They don’t need to bring the party down because of their selfish interests. It is not done that way. In any case, we don’t want to overrate ourselves, otherwise I will say that we achieved 99 per cent successes in the three congresses we have conducted so far.”

    (sunnewsonline.com)