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Tag: Party

  • Oyegun: Court adjourns tenure extension suit by party members

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed April 16 to hear a suit challenging the tenure elongation of the National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressive Congress (APC), headed by John Oyegun.

    The plaintiff, Ademorin Kioye led some other members of the party to file the suit after the party extended the tenure of NWC by one year.

    The defendants are the INEC, APC and its National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso.

    The plaintiffs on March 15 obtained an ex parte order directing the defendants to show cause why members of the NWC of the APC should not be barred from parading themselves as national officials of the party.

    When the matter was called, counsel to the plaintiffs, Jibrin Okutepa, told the court that all the defendants had been duly served with the court order of March 15.

    The counsel to INEC, Idris Yakubu said that the commission had filed a preliminary objection to the suit on Wednesday.

    APC’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, said the party was served with the clear court order and it was clear that the court did not cut short the time within which the respondents were to file their processes.

    According to Mr Daudu, the suit raises serious constitutional issues and it will be only fair to allow them file their processes as allowed by the rules since they are within time.

    “For the interest of fair hearing, we are still within time to file our processes and we have a preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of this court”, he said.

    Akin Olujimi, counsel to Mr Oyegun, aligned himself with the submissions of Mr Daudu and added that the order of the court said nothing on the abridgement of time.

    He argued that the process filed was not ripe for hearing since they had 30 days to respond.

    On his part, James Onoja, counsel to Mr Izunaso, also objected to the immediate hearing of the matter on the grounds that the matter was not yet ripe for hearing.

    Mr Okutepa, in his reply, disagreed with the defendants’ counsel that the rule of the court allowed them 30 days to respond.

    According to him, Order 13 rule 35 of the court provides 14 days for them to respond to the originating summons that was served on them on March, 14, adding that Wednesday was the 15th day so it was ripe for hearing.

    He further argued that they were served with the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction on the same day and they ought to have replied within seven days.

    Mr Okutepa said that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday at a meeting at the Presidential Villa, conceded that the NWC tenure elongation was unconstitutional, so the defendants should allow the matter to be heard.

    In his ruling, the trial judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, held that the court would follow a road map that would guaranty fair hearing of the matter expeditiously.

    He adjourned the matter until April 16 and ordered the parties to file all their processes before then.

  • 2019: PDP descending into a party of shame – Orubebe

    2019: PDP descending into a party of shame – Orubebe

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsday Orubebe, has written an open letter to the national leadership of the party to either amend its ways or risk eventual collapse in the 2019 general elections.

    He lamented that the PDP “is still lost in depression and suffering from a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), adding that the platform had crossed the bridge from pride to shame.”

    Orubebe noted that imposition, impunity, arrogance and greed were responsible for the party’s electoral defeat in 2015, stressing that the crisis rocking the platform was compounded by the mishandling of its last national convention.

    The party stalwart, who caused a stir during the collation of the 2015 presidential election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, said the PDP would need vigour, courage and sustainable ideas to bounce back to reckoning.

    In an open letter to the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, published in this edition, the former minister said the party must accept that it made mistakes while in power for 16 years.

    Chiding the party for not living up to expectation as a leading opposition platform, he said: “We have gone from a party of pride to a party of shame and gradually receding into the abyss of political reality. For the simple reason that the nation is witnessing calls for the rise of a “third force,” we are fast becoming a shadow of ourselves.”

    In Orubebe’s reckoning, the PDP had regressed to the same imposition, impunity, arrogance and greed that heralded its electoral misfortune, adding that its leaders are not building a culture of democratic representation.

    Referring to the domineering role of the PDP governors, he said “the party is gradually coming under the control of certain individuals, who are exhibiting dangerous levels of undemocratic behaviours.”

    The former minister said unless the grandstanding and imposition gave way to a healthy competition, the party could avert a looming doom.

    He said the party should be liberated from the jaw of its exclusive funders, who have held it hostage.

    Orubebe said: One of the biggest challenges that the PDP faces is balancing its needs for funding with established egalitarian values and internal systems. If the party continues to be held hostage by few major donors, it will continue to find it difficult to instil the values that will endear us Nigerians.

    “We must take our appeal to Nigerians and through our reforms, let the party truly become a people-funded party. Small donations from millions of Nigerians will go a long way in the party’s finan cial requirements and will create the necessary atmosphere for true ownership among members of the party.”

    Urging the party leadership to embrace reforms, Orubebe said the leadership should re-organise to break down the silos of loyalty and allegiance within the party.

    He added: “It is my expectation that the necessary reforms will be put in place before it is too late to salvage what we have left.”

     

  • 2019: Wike hosts Lamido, says ‘APC is a party of daylight deceit’

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Wednesday described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party of daylight deceit.

    The governor said any known criminal who defects to the APC automatically becomes a saint while those at the other side of the divide as seen as sinners.

    Wike said this when he received the immediate past governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Recall that Lamido had earlier declared his intention to contest the 2019 presidential elections under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Lamido during the visit officially informed Wike of his intention to seek the PDP’s ticket.

    Speaking during the visit, Governor Wike said: “If you decamp to the APC, you are no longer corrupt. APC is a party of daylight deceit.

    “I am happy that one of those who left to bring a messiah, have realised that the so-called messiah they brought is no longer the messiah Nigerians expect. PDP is the only hope for Nigeria”, Governor Wike said.

    The governor noted that though the PDP made mistakes in the past, the Party is the only platform with the commitment and patriotism to take the country out of the current situation.

    He said the present political and economic situation in the country require politicians with courage to rescue the country.

    He said those who benefited from the PDP since inception till 2013 before defecting are the same people sponsoring negative propaganda against the Party.

    The governor described Lamido as a committed and consistent PDP member who is courageous and has the capacity to confront the APC.

    He, however, urged all Presidential Aspirants to accept the verdict of the Party at the end of the primary.

    Also speaking, Former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido said he is presenting himself to take over in 2019 because the nation deserves to move forward.

    He said that if given the opportunity to lead Nigeria, he has the capacity to unite Nigeria and set it on the path of growth.

    He said: “I want to run because I feel I can do it. I have the pedigree. We stand to fight for democracy and the restoration of Nigeria”.

    He said that his will work with other PDP leaders to transform Nigeria for the good of the people.

    The Former Jigawa State Governor said that the APC is a party of hate and deceit, hence it should be sacked in 2019.

  • PDP “Concerned Candidates, stakeholders” open parallel secretariat

    Fresh crisis has emerged in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as aggrieved party members under the aegis of Concerned Candidates and Stakeholders, opened a parallel national secretariat, in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the group with brand name Fresh PDP (FPDP) has its parallel Secretariat at No. 10, ‎Tito Street, Asokoro, with flag of the party mounted outside the premises.

    Director General of the FPDP, Prince Emmanuel Obi-Nwosu briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja said that the group rejected the outcome of the Dec. 9 convention which produced Prince Uche Secondus as PDP National Chairman.

    He said that convention was supposed to be an elective one where a new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would emerge.

    “”Most tragically, there was no election on that day; but a selection of predetermined persons who were eventually announced as new NWC members’’.

    He said that the group was hurt by the brazen acts of unparalleled impunity and gross manipulation of the entire process leading up to the convention.

    He alleged that the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee, deliberately refused to release the delegates’ list until barely 24 hours to the convention.

    He also claimed that ‎some persons on the “unity list” collected nomination forms after the official closing date for the process.

    Obi-Nwosu, who contested the National Youth Leader position and lost, claimed that ‎the process of selecting the current NWC was concluded days before the convention.

    He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all other relevant authorities ‎to disregard the purported election of the NWC.

    ‎“”As committed and dedicated candidates and party stakeholders, we have decided to ensure that internal democracy is sustained in the party.

    “”We have decided that the dreams of our founding fathers who laboured and sacrificed so much to build the party are not destroyed.

    “”To this effect, we have officially opened a national secretariat of the party here in Asokoro, Abuja, from where the authentic NWC of the party will be operating.”

    Obi-Nwosu said that the group would also inaugurate its authentic
    national working committee by January 2018.

    “”We shall commence mass mobilisation of new members and computerisation of party activities and financial transactions ‎immediately after the holidays.”

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbodinyan, reacting to the development in a statement, described action of the group as a “comical act and childish attempt to distract the move to reposition PDP”.

    Ologbondiyan, said PDP was not unperturbed by the action of the group.

    ““The fact is that we are happy with the efforts of the Gov Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee as well as the responses from all the respectable and responsible leaders of our party in that regard.

    ““We will not respond to any person or groups of individuals who decide to allow themselves to be used by forces from another political party in a laughable and childish attempt to distract us.

    ““The PDP under the Prince Uche Secondus-led national leadership will continue to focus on repositioning our great party to be the formidable opposition,” Kola said.

  • South Africa’s ANC to nationalise Central Bank, expropriate land

    South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has adopted a resolution calling for the nationalisation of the central bank and land expropriation without compensation, a senior party official said on Wednesday.

    Following a meeting of party delegates, the head of the ANC’s economic transformation committee Enoch Godongwana told reporters the ownership of the South African Reserve Bank would not affect the regulator’s independence.

    He said the party had also agreed to initiate amendments to the constitution to achieve land expropriation without compensation, but gave no timeline.

    He said there would be no illegal occupation of land.

  • INEC registers 21 new political parties

    INEC registers 21 new political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of 21 new political parties, bringing the number of registered parties in the country to 67.

    The approval, according to a statement signed by Mrs May Agbmuche-Mbu, INEC National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee, was given at the commission’s weekly meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

    The statement said that the associations were registered as political parties, because they had fulfilled the constitutional requirements for registration.

    The new political parties are All Blending Party (ABP), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Coalition for Change (C4C) and Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

    Also registered are Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP), Legacy Party of Nigeria (LPN), Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Modern Democratic Party (MDP), National Interest Party (NIP), National Rescue Mission (NRM) and New Progressive Mission (NPM).

    New Progressive Movement (NPM), Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP), People’s Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL), People’s Trust (PT) and Providence People’s Congress (PPC) were also registered.

    Also on the list are Re-Build Nigeria Party (RBNP), Restoration Party of Nigeria (RP) and Sustainable National Party (SNP).

    The commission also approved immediate and compulsory retirement of a member of staff and the dismissal of two others in Kogi office over act of gross misconduct.

    It said that the action was taken against the three members of staff over their involvement in alleged double registration of Gov. Yahaya Bello in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    “Following reports of the alleged double registration by the Governor of Kogi State in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), the Commission set up a panel of investigation into the involvement of staff in the matter.

    “The initial report submitted by the panel was referred to the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, which made recommendations to the Commission.

    It added that the decision was taken in respect of its staff while the governor currently enjoys immunity from prosecution.

    On the Anambra Central Senatorial re-run election, INEC said it had applied for Certified True Copy of the Federal High Abuja judgment on the election to enable it take a decision.

    “It will be recalled that following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the Commission announced that the outstanding election to fill the vacant seat for the Anambra Central Senatorial District would take place on Jan. 13, 2018.

    “However, the attention of the Commission has been drawn to the judgment of the Federal High Abuja on the issue, delivered on Dec. 13, 2017.

    “The Commission has applied for Certified True Copy of the judgment to enable us take a decision.”

  • I have capacity to lead PDP – Dokpesi

    I have capacity to lead PDP – Dokpesi

    Founder of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, on Monday said he had capacity to lead the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its next national chairman.

    Dokpesi stated this when he visited Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River in Government House, Calabar, during his campaign tour to the state.

    He said that he believed he had experience, capability and connection to reposition the party to its position before the 2015 general elections.

    “There are eight of us in the chairmanship race, six from the South- West and two of us from the South-South.

    “We need to re-brand the PDP. In re-branding the party, I stand tall because I have what it takes to rebuild the party.

    “I have the media, the connection that can assist in remodeling, build bridge across the country and rebuild the party,” he said.

    Dokpesi, who claimed that he was not among those who led the PDP to failure in 2015, said he was ready to correct the ills that led to the failure.

    He said that though he counted himself as the most qualified candidate for the national chairmanship of PDP, the power to elect the new leadership rested on the delegates.

    He added that his wish was that at the end of the convention, PDP would be the winner.

    “I want to plead with you, don’t make mistake. Don’t be persuaded by the amount of Naira or the forces you did not know. Vote for the interest of the party.”

    Receiving the aspirant, Ayade expressed hope that the Saturday convention would be successful

    “We will like to see that the party remains strong, united and committed to the ideals of PDP’s founding fathers so that in the fullness of time, the party will grow stronger and stronger,” he said

    The governor described Dokpesi as a man of character, dignity and honour, who has done so much for the party and the country.

    Deputy Chairman, PDP, Cross River, Mr Patrick Ebam, commended Dokpesi for interacting with the party members and delegates.

  • 2019: Another APC chieftain dumps party for PDP, says ‘Buhari’s anti-graft war is a ruse’

    A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has announced his resignation from the party.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Baba-Ahmed, a senior party member in Kaduna State, was a member of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007.

    He was also elected a Senator on the platform of the Congress For Progressive Change, CPC, in 2011 when he defeated two-time Kaduna governor, Ahmed Makarfi.

    Baba-Ahmed on Thursday, in a hand-written letter, informed the chairman of Tudun Wada ward in Zaria Local Government of his decision to resign his membership of the APC.

    The former Senator did not give reasons for his decision to leave the party.

    Speaking in a telephone interview with Premium Times on Friday, the politician said he did not give reasons in the letter because “for a party like APC, the shorter the better”.

    Baba-Ahmed said his decision to leave the party hinges on the fact that “Buhari’s government is incompetent and corrupt”.

    Asked about the government’s effort to check corruption in Nigeria, Baba-Ahmed said “the government is lying”.

    “The government of Buhari was established by looted funds and over 80 per cent are from the PDP; his so called fight against corruption is a ruse,” he said.

    The former lawmaker also said the APC administration lacks principle and vision and came to power without any concrete plan for Nigeria.

    He said he has moved back to the PDP “where 80 per cent of current APC members are from”.

    He said the 80 per cent “are the same people who destroyed Nigeria in the last 18 years and they are now in APC”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar also last week resigned his membership of the ruling party.

  • 2019: Re-alignment of opposition parties against us will fail – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo State chapter, says the on-going re-alignment of forces by the opposition political players in the state ahead of the 2019 gubernatorial election would fail.

    This was contained in a statement by Mr Olawale Sadare, the party’s Public Relations Officer in Ibadan on Saturday.

    The leaderships of opposition political parties in the state, including the Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party have initiated a move to regroup against the ruling APC.

    The re-alignment is aimed at dislodging the ruling APC in the state in the 2019 elections.

    Prominent among the state political leaders in the move were former Gov. Rasheed Ladoja, former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala, Mr Seyi Makinde and Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli.

    “We are a governing party that has distinguished itself as the only vehicle of good governance, peace and wholesome development desired by the majority of the people of Nigeria, including the good citizens of the state.

    “What they are planning is a civilian coup against the electorate but it would not see the light of day for many reasons.

    “Most characters involved in the gang-up have had opportunities in the past to impact positively on the lives of the people but they failed as a result of incurable traits of incompetence, selfishness and cluelessness,’’ it said.

    The party stated that many of the arrow heads of the alignment are ignorant of how government works from the way they criticize government policies and condemn its projects.

    The party stated that Nigerians would not support any alignment, re-alignment or gang-up from the same set of people that plunged the nation into economic mess.

    It counselled the sponsors of alignment and those who intend to benefit from it to realize that the effort would end up in futility.

     

  • No other party will rule Bayelsa aside PDP, Dickson boasts

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa on Saturday said the People’s Democratic Party is the only party that will rule the state.

    Dickson made the statement in Yenagoa during the inauguration of a 10-member committee saddled with the responsibilities of reconciling aggrieved members of the party in the state.

    Speaking at the occasion, the governor urged the committee to ensure that all members that defected to other political parties, returned.

    “We will receive our returnees with open arms.

    “PDP is the only political party that will ever rule in this state, as far as politics is concerned,” he said.

    He said the committee should strive to bring peace and unity in the party in Bayelsa.

    Dickson lauded the State Chairman of the party, Mr Wilson Cleopas, for his role in finding a lasting solution to the challenges of the party.

    The governor urged Bayelsa people to shun acts of violence during and after elections.

    In his remarks, the chairman, Cleopas, urged the committee, headed by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Mr Fineman Wilson, not to betray the confidence reposed in it.

     

    NAN