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Tag: PDP

  • 2019: South East PDP endorses zoning of presidency to North

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East has endorsed the party’s decision to zone the presidential ticket to the North and the position of national chairman to the Southern part of the country.

    Rising from a meeting of the Zonal Executive Committee of the party held in Enugu, the South East PDP reiterated its commitment to national unity and reaffirmed the party’s earlier agreement on the zoning of positions for the forthcoming National Convention.

    Presenting a communiqué at the end of the meeting which was attended by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; his Abia counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu and other members of the National Assembly from the zone; the Secretary of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Ben Obi; Speakers of the State House of Assemblies and other principal officers of the party.

    The PDP Vice Chairman, South East, Chief Austin Umahi, said the zonal leadership of the party would support its candidate in the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka Obaze and his running mate, Mrs. Chidi Onyemelukwe.

  • Stop insulting Buhari, Umari tells PDP leaders, members

    Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has advised politicians in the opposition not to insult those in government but to criticise them constructively to enhance development.

    Umahi spoke at a gala-night to celebrate 21 years of the creation of Ebonyi and the 57th Independence anniversary of Nigeria in Abakaliki on Sunday.

    He advised members of his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to refrain from insulting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government.

    The governor also urged members of APC in Ebonyi to refrain from insulting him and his PDP-led state government.

    “I always tell my people (PDP) that opposition at the centre is not about insults; I also advise the opposition in our state to tow the same line.

    “Opposition is about constructive criticism, putting the leader in check and reminding him that he has not fulfilled the promises he made.

    “It should not involve lying to the people, deceiving them and practising politics with bitterness and anger.

    “I will ask our grandfathers who are tackling us to do so with wisdom and love because it is a shame that a grandfather would tackle his children,” he said.

    Umahi said that the opposition would not succeed in the state because the state was neat and did not need to be ‘swept.

    “We have been holding the umbrella for an old man who was under the umbrella for eight years and we will take him to the boundaries of Ebonyi to sweep.

    “We are standing on God’s mandate and not shaking because over 10,000 people are praying for us day and night to succeed and take the state to another level, “ he said.

    Umahi commended the president for agreeing that the country needed to be restructured and noted that such stance had established a platform for Nigerians to discuss their agitations.

    “We will now talk, disagree, agree and arrive at decisions that will take the nation to greater heights and achieve the desired unity and development,” he said.

    Mr Augustine Nwankwagu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, said the party was to celebrate God’s mercies since the state’s creation and the successes of the governor.

    The governor has been heavily criticised for his actions by the opposition, with his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi, who decamped from PDP to APC, leading the critics.

    Elechi during a recent interview told newsmen that he did not support Umahi’s emergence as governor and would not support his re-election for a second term in office.

  • Presidential ambition: ‘Fayose is cantankerous, bent on destroying PDP’– Kashamu

    The Senator representing Ogun East, Senator Buruji Kashamu, Thursday rubbished the 2019 presidential ambition of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose describing the governor as a confusionist.

    Kashamu also labelled Fayose as the number one destroyer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The lawmaker, who reacted to Fayose’s presidential campaign launch in Abuja, noted that the governor was only showing Nigerians how unreliable he is.

    He described as a huge joke Fayose’s presidential ambition insisting that “I tell you Fayose is not bidding for any presidential position come 2019.”

    Kashamu said: “He is a confusionist and number one destroyer of the party because how on earth would somebody who agreed with other party chieftains that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 should be zoned to the North, now turn around to start campaigning for the same ticket as a Southerner and particularly as a South westerner to the detriment of the National Chairmanship ticket of the party already zoned to the area.

    “Lovers of our great party and politically minded Nigerians generally, should by this action of Fayose see him as the number one destroyer of the party and the most cantankerous politician in the polity who can at any time abuse anybody and go against agreed plans at any time.

    “I believe that am not the only one disturbed by Fayose’s agbero brand of politics but all political stakeholders in the land including those who followed him from Ekiti to grace his campaign launch because everybody knows that he is going nowhere come 2019 but just exercising his right in a funny way as a joker.”

    Kashamu slammed the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi for allegedly issuing him query unreasonably.

    The lawmaker wondered why he was accused of instigating crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the party when he was in Abuja as a Senator representing the good people of Ogun East Senatorial District.

    He claimed that the query served him by the party which has been responded to has no substance but a pure mischief and a product of malice.

    He claimed that Makarfi who heads the party as National Chairman, Caretaker Committee, wanted to corner the 2019 presidential ticket of the party.

    He also accused Makarfi of working surreptitiously to ease out those he felt could challenge him.

    He said, “In fact, the December convention of the party may not hold due to Makarfi’s ambition. He is a chameleon pretending to have the interest of the party at heart but secretly executing his own personal agenda.”

     

  • Why I lost to Buhari in 2015 – Jonathan

    Why I lost to Buhari in 2015 – Jonathan

    …Advises party to Increase statutory delegates’ number in elections

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said he will reveal at the appropriate time, the reason he and his party (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) lost the 2015 Presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    The former Nigerian leader revealed this on Thursday when he received a delegation of the former Speakers of State Houses of Assembly elected on PDP platform.

    In his words: “PDP is still the strongest party. We know the reason why we lost in the elections.

    “People may be writing left and right, but at the appropriate time, some of these things will be properly addressed because of history.

    “There are certain things you don’t write now because it will be misunderstood as if you are playing politics.

    “After some years, five, six or eight years, when the beneficiaries have left, you can state it in writing and people will not fight with you.”

    Jonathan also advised the party leadership to increase statutory delegates’ number for the party’s elections, especially state and local government primaries, in its Constitution’s review.

    He said that one of the major challenges facing the PDP was how it elected candidates and national officers of the party.

    He said that there would always be crisis over the outcome of the party’s primary elections or conventions unless the number of statutory delegates to those elections was reviewed upward to about 70 percent.

    Jonathan said that the party must work out modality in which no one person could influence the choice or number of delegates to elections.

    He suggested that those who had served at certain levels, including governorship, ministerial, parliamentarian positions at all levels, should be statutory delegates.

    “That is the area we have not been able to manage properly that is still creating problem for us.

    “I believe the next constitution amendment should advocate for that area to be properly examined.

    “From my own experience, if that area is strengthened, the party will be okay and nobody will complain at the end of primaries.

    “If you lose, you lose gallantly and you support the person that wins.”

    On war against corruption, the former president advised PDP members not to be intimidated.

    “There are stories of corruption. I say this will always be there because if you read the statement of the organisers of the first military coup, their statement was attributed to corruption.

    “After that, all other coup plots were always targeted at corruption. It will continue to be but one day we will get out of it. Most nations passed through this stage of life.

    “The only thing I plead of you is not to politicise certain basic things. Issues of corruption, yes, it is worrisome, and nobody will encourage it.

    “The society must come up with reform to reduce it, if you cannot eliminate it totally. No Society is 100 per cent free of some of these vices but the approach you adopt about it is key.

    “You may approach it in a way that it will become detrimental to the society. It should be done in a way that will enhance the development of the nation.

    “So we encourage people to do well,” he said.

    He encouraged the former speakers to continue with the party unlike those playing “politics of the stomach”, defecting to other parties.

    He said that PDP did well during the 16 years it was in power, by the number of reforms it introduced and implemented.

    The former president commended the forum members for coming together to form such association, saying that they were important in the strategy of PDP reclaiming power in 2019.

    Earlier, Chairman of the forum, Mr Inuwa Garba, had said that their visit was to introduce the forum to Jonathan.

    Garba also said that it was also to congratulate him and leaders of the party on the success at the Supreme Court over the party’s leadership crisis.

     

  • Full text of Gov Fayose 2019 Presidential declaration speech

    Governor Ayodele Fayose on Thurssday, publicly declared his presidential ambition, saying he is ready to contest the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP).

    For the records, here is the full text of the Fayose speech delivered:

    Title: WE CAN DO IT, WE WILL DO IT

    Full text of the address delivered by His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State, on the occasion of his official declaration to contest the 2019 Presidential Election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    I welcome you all to this historic event, which is landmark in the political landscape of our country, Nigeria.

    My inviting you today, distinguished leaders of our party, is to inform you formally that I will be seeking the ticket of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to contest the 2019 presidential election. This is without prejudice to our party’s position.

    However, I am a supporter of competence and capacity, especially now that this country needs young and able leaders that can take our country out of this present state of hopelessness.

    Most importantly, despite that the party has zoned the presidency to the North, it may interest you that no one has come out in this manner to show interest and our party should not wait or beg anyone to fly its flag. Do we now say that if no one comes out from the North, the party won’t have a candidate?

    Going down memory lane, in 1999 and 2003, despite that our party zoned the presidency to the South, the likes of Alhaji Abubakar Rimi of blessed memory and Chief Banabas Gemade contested the ticket.

    Also in 2007, some party members from the South did not only declare their intention to contest, they also showed interest and obtained nomination Forms. Those from the South were; Chief Victor Attah, Dr. Peter Odili, Dr. Sam Egwu, Dr. Donald Duke, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, Owelle Rochas Okorocha among others.

    This, in itself, assisted in deepening democracy.

    Our party must not lose sight that Nigerians at this period are desirous of a President with demonstrated capacity to change their fortunes. Furthermore, we must be mindful of the fact that our party needs a candidate like me, with a penchant for defeating incumbents.

    Twice, I defeated incumbents to become the Governor of Ekiti State and I am confident that with your support as my party leaders and supporters, I will defeat the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, in a free and fair election.

    Let me state that in Ekiti, God has used me twice for our party to regain power from the opposition (more…)

  • ‘Some people came to PDP with nothing but left with billions’ – Mantu

    A former Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu on Wednesday said some politicians who ruled on the platform of the former ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, embezzled billions of naira even when such politicians contributed nothing to the development of the party and the nation at large.

    Mantu, who reiterated that he was now ‘born again’ reiterated the need for the party to elect officials that would build it back to power in 2019.

    “I am now born again. Whatever I say now is the truth. Some people came to the PDP with nothing and left with billions (of naira). We need to bring the party to the people now.”

    He spoke in Abuja yesterday when former Minister of Education Prof. Tunde Adeniran announced his plan to run for PDP national chairman.

    Mantu has enjoined stakeholders and members of the party to support Adeniran’s aspiration

    According to him, Adeniran is “God’s choice” for the office. He said he consulted God by praying and fasting over Adeniran’s aspiration and that God gave him the revelation.

    Mantu said: “I fasted for 30 days and 30 nights, asking God to show me who would lead the party. God showed me Adeniran. Let’s now look forward and make sure that we elect a credible chairman. We should make sure that nobody short-changes us at the national convention.”

    Mantu added that it had become necessary for the PDP to be sober and apologise to Nigerians for the wrongs of the past.

    Adeniran said the party’s convention, tentatively slated for December 9, would be an opportunity for the PDP to bounce back to power.

    He called for reconciliation among the various groups and stakeholders for the party to be united and make progress.

    The aspirant solicited support from party faithful and stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones and pledged to work tirelessly to entrench principles in the PDP if elected.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that other politicians in the race include a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George; a former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel; and former Sports Minister Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.

     

  • 2018/2019 polls: PDP’s Freudian slip By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon

     

    The 2019 general elections are about 17 months away, and yet, politicians are unconsciously foretelling what they and their political parties will do or hope they can do to win the votes.

    In this regard, the alleged political manoeuvrings that defined the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State were literally resurrected the other day by the spokesperson for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

    Surely, without meaning to re-litigate the absurdity that came to be known as “Ekitigate” in Nigeria’s lengthening political lexicon, Adeyeye confirmed the hotly contested accusation that the PDP, as the ruling party then, stole the election with the backing of the “federal might” in Abjua.

    The former Minister of State for Works was addressing his political supporters in Ado-Ekiti about Governor Ayodele Fayose’s unilateral adoption of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the candidate, without primaries, to fly the PDP flag in the 2018 governorship poll.

    While he criticised the governor’s action as a flagrant breach of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, “which would not stand,” Adeyeye’s main concern is that without the backing of a federal government, failure awaits the PDP in Ekiti in 2018.

    His lamentation: “The PDP in Ekiti is in a delicate position. We have no federal might behind us. We are not in control of the army, police and others. Again, we are no longer enjoying the popularity with which we came into office in 2014. If you conduct an opinion poll today, that does not favour us because of the actions and inactions of this (Fayose) government.”

    Prince Adeyeye was a major participant in that election, having aspired to be governor but, according to him, “I would have won 70 per cent of the primary if not for the abracadabra (magic) they did,” a reference to Mr. Fayose and the PDP hierarchy.

    The import of his moaning is that were the PDP still in power in the country, the 2018 Ekiti gubernatorial poll – and by extension the 2019 general elections – would have been a foregone conclusion for the party, by employing the instruments of “federal might… control of the army, police and others.”

    Here, “others” is anything imaginable, ranging from security agencies, manipulation of the electoral process, and money, which the last time was allegedly in billions, allocated by the federal authorities, and airlifted and trucked to Ekiti to help elect Mr. Fayose as governor.

    Recall the use of governmental powers then. The flights of opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State were grounded in Benin City and Akure, respectively; and the Army, which was reportedly used to manipulate the electoral process in Ekiti, prevented Amaechi and other party leaders from entering Ado-Ekiti, to campaign for the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    And in Rivers State, besides locking down, for weeks, access to the Government House against Governor Amaechi, the power mongers organised thugs to stone five visiting Northern governors at the Port Harcourt airport.

    Thus, nothing could be more revealing about the evil influence of official powers to undermine elections than the Adeyeye bombshell, which appears not his intention to make, but a slip of the tongue: When people unconsciously say something they wouldn’t have said, or would have said it differently.

    This is known as a Freudian slip, popularised by Sigmund Freud in his 1901 book, ‘The Psychopathology of Everyday Life,’ in which “he described and analyzed a large number of seemingly trivial, bizarre, or nonsensical errors and slips, most notably the parapraxis (slips of the tongue and of the pen).”

    Wikipedia defines a Freudian slip as “error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of an unconscious subdued wish or internal train of thought.”

    In other words, a slip of the tongue “is motivated by and reveals some unconscious aspect of the mind,” such as the one that Prince Adeyeye harboured only to be spilled at a moment of expression of regret.

    A slip of tongue is a window into the heart of man, which the Bible describes as “deceitful and wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9 and Mark 7:21). And anything that issues out of such mouth reflects the state of the mind.

    Truly, Jesus Christ, in Matthew 15:18-20 (also Luke 6:44-45), in response to the Pharisees, who questioned why the common people did not wash their hands before eating, said that evil thoughts are cooked in the heart before they come out of the mouth.

    As Jesus told the disciples: “Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart… For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…”

    So, out of Prince Adeyeye’s mouth came those things, which his heart had conceived: That elections are only won by the use of governmental instruments to advance the political fortunes of the ruling party.

    This is a dangerous message that he’s sending out to the public. It’s a well-laid alibi for victory or failure in the 2018 Ekiti governorship election in particular, and the 2019 contests across the country: A sort of “we told you so.”

    The ruling APC and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari should quickly and forcefully quash this seed being sowed before it takes root in the minds of voting Nigerians.

    It’s imperative for the government to rebut the Adeyeye message, and assure that just as the Ekiti political “abracadabra” of 2014 did not occur in the three gubernatorial elections so far conducted under the current administration in Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo States, such electoral heist would not happen in Ekiti in 2018 and in the general elections in 2019.

    Indeed, for the government to earn the trust of the people in the electoral process, the assurances must commence, and be demonstrated in the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State.

     

    Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

  • PDP suspends Capital Oil boss, Ifeanyi Ubah

    PDP suspends Capital Oil boss, Ifeanyi Ubah

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday announced that it has suspended Ifeanyi Ubah, chairman of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd.

    A statement issued by the national caretaker committee of the party said Ubah was suspended for making disparaging allegations against the party over the Anambra governorship primary election which he lost to Oseloka Obaze.

    The party also said it had issued a query to Buruji Kashamu, a senator from Ogun state, for his involvement in “issues” at the state chapter of the party.

    “The national caretaker committee today announced the suspension of Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, over his disparaging and unfounded allegations against some party members and elders,” it said.

    “Dr Ubah while expressing his dissatisfaction with the decisions of the national caretaker committee on the report of the Anambra guber appeal panel which affirmed the election of Hon Oseloka Obaze, made several allegations against the party over which he was queried. The matter has been referred to the national disciplinary committee for further action.

    “In the same vein, the party also queried Senator Buruji Kashamu over his involvement in some issues in Ogun state chapter of the PDP.”

  • IPOB: Your government responsible for agitations, not opposition – PDP blasts Lai Mohammed, APC

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Minister of Information and Culture not to drag it into the current agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and other separatist groups in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that minister on Sunday opposition parties of sponsoring agitations to discredit the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government.

    However, in a swift reaction, the opposition leader said the ruling party should accept responsibility for its failure in offering Nigerians the desired inclusive national government.

    The party said this in a press statement by Prince Dayo Adeyeye, its national publicity secretary.

    “We had advised not a few times that the APC should look inward and seek solutions to its self-induced challenges in government caused by its unpreparedness for governance. But since the party seem set for self-destruction, we shall not relent to expose its ineptitude to the Nigerian populace.

    “We noticed that the minister who is well known for his unbridled capacity for constant polarisation of the polity other than address matters…tried once again on Sunday to shift blames of the poor handling of the agitation by IPOB by the current government to an opposition that exists only in his imagination.

    “It is disheartening that rather than accept blame for its ineptitude, the APC government has continued to blame ‘enemies’ real or imaginary for their woes. How on earth will a serious-minded government blame opposition parties which they have conveniently labelled ‘looters’ for the activities of IPOB, but we take solace in the fact that the APC might actually know the looters as the party has clearly demonstrated its penchant for giving covers to people considered as corrupt?

    “The recent release of 48 confiscated houses as proceeds of crime back to a member of the APC who was standing trial for allegations of corruption readily comes to mind. Much as we will continue to harp on the one-sided corruption fight of this government, we urge the APC to look inwards in locating the looters with their ill-gotten wealth to sponsor separatist agitating against the government of the day.”

    The PDP said the ruling party was being traumatised by an intense power struggle within its ranks.

    “It is instructive to know that we are aware of the internal crisis rocking the amalgam of interest the APC and the struggle for power within the government as the noise of discontent keep rising on a daily basis from the party. Based on this its no news that APC has a problem unto itself which has affected its citizenry who daily gnash their teeth in regret for voting the APC into power in 2015.

    “We wish to put on record that agitation for the actualisation of the state of Biafra was a total silent voice while the PDP was in power because of the government of inclusiveness we provided for Nigeria’s who were made to experience what a genuine national government meant. The APC should, therefore, mould itself into a real national party, provide good leadership for the people and let the generality of Nigeria freestyle.”

    The PDP said ”it has condemned and will always condemn” separatist movements tailored towards balkanising the nation. It further said that the APC government’s policy is a catalyst for the IPOB problem and the party should do some ”soul-searching to correct the anomaly.”

    The party said the APC ”was its worst enemy.”

    The APC won the 2015 presidential election defeating the PDP which had held on to power since the recent Nigerian democratic sojourn began in 1999.

  • PDP to boycott APC’s hearing on restructuring

    PDP to boycott APC’s hearing on restructuring

    The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would not participate in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) public hearing on restructuring.

    The PDP argued that the decision was diversionary and a delay tactics.
    Speaking with newsmen yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, shortly after a delegation from China visited the leadership of the party, PDP spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the party will not participate “because the APC has no genuine interest in restructuring”.

    “It is a delay tactic to kill restructuring and we are not interested, we are not going to participate because the APC has no genuine interest in restructuring. They betrayed their real intentions. When this issue first reached the front burner, the APC leaders were campaigning against it, kicking against it. They said it was not in their manifesto.

    “Their national chairman and one of their governors came on television and said that the APC had no plans for restructuring, that it was not in their manifesto. So why have they now changed their mind?

    “And if you changed your mind, people are agitating for something and you say you are holding conferences, you are holding hearing. Have you become the National Assembly to be holding hearings? It is the responsibility of the National Assembly to hold public hearing; it is not the responsibility of any political party.

    “So, the APC is just deploying delay tactics to kill restructuring and it’s a shame on them. It is a sabotage of the whole process. The PDP organised a national conference in 2014, we came out with a concrete proposal unanimously agreed upon by the participants from all the six geo-political zones of the country.

    “We were planning that if we won election, that would be the first item on the agenda of the second term of the president but we didn’t have that opportunity. But it was an item that was presented to the present government during the handing over.

    “And now they’re telling us they want to have hearings. They think they are fooling Nigerians. The APC believes that they can take Nigerians for a ride; they can fool Nigerians all the time. They can tell lies, they can deceive the people but one day, nemeses will catch up with them because there is no need for you to say you are holding hearing.

    “There is a report on ground. Subject that report to another critical evaluation or throw it to the National Assembly to enact it into law and then we will know that we have started something,” Adeyeye said.