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Tag: Primary Election

  • PDP suspends primaries indefinitely in Imo

    PDP suspends primaries indefinitely in Imo

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo says it has suspended its primaries for the House of Assembly and House of Representatives indefinitely, over unreconciled delegates list.

    A statement by the Legal Advisor of the party in the state, Mr Kessinger Ikeokwu on Sunday, attributed the non-conduct of the primaries to confusion caused by the National Assembly.

    Ikeoku explained that Imo would not vote along with other states who were now voting with their three man and one man national delegates.

    He said: “Please note that the reason for the suspension of the PDP house of assembly and house of representatives primaries in Imo was a result of the confusion that arose from the error of the national assembly in the country.

    “This is hinged on Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act which inadvertently led to the exclusion of over 80 per cent of delegates ordinarily meant to vote at the primaries.

    “The Imo PDP case became compounded because it hadn’t tidied up its three man ad hoc delegates, who ought to vote at the primaries due to pending litigations.

    “Every preparation was made for us to use our statutory delegates to vote, before the national assembly saw the error in Section 84 of the Amended Electoral Act, 2022, which excluded the statutory delegates.

    “What it means is that it created a situation of chaos for Imo because we have not concluded our elected delegates,” he explained.

    He urged party faithful to ignore fifth columnists writing about crisis within the party.

    According to him, there is no crisis, as the leadership of the party at all levels are working together to make sure our ad hoc delegates are cleared to vote at our primaries on a later date to be announced.

    He assured them that as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act, 2022, the state delegate list would be properly constituted to vote at the primaries.

  • Uncertainty trails PDP Assembly, Reps primaries in Lagos

    Uncertainty trails PDP Assembly, Reps primaries in Lagos

    All may not be well with the Lagos PDP House of Assembly and House of Representatives Primary Elections slated for Sunday as nothing seemed to be happening in all the venues for both primaries.

    Some party leaders and governorship aspirants of the party are currently assembling at Ikeja for an emergency meeting over allegations of some people trying to hijack the process.

    There seems to be tension and apprehension over the non-availability of the electoral committee from the PDP headquarters to conduct the primaries.

    Speaking on the uncertainty, the Lagos PDP Chairman, Mr Philip Aivoji said that the electoral committees sent to conduct both primaries were nowhere to be found.

    “As a party man and politician who knows the rule inside out. I went to the state secretariat as early as 7:00 a.m., hoping to receive the Electoral Committee members sent from the headquarters to conduct the primaries and to arrange accommodation for them.

    “To my surprise, they did not show up. We guess they already have their contacts and I know the number of vehicles that took them to another place entirely.

    “While I waited for many hours, I reached out to some members and I found out that they were in another hotel.

    “I went there and accosted them that they should have contacted me as the state chairman to receive them at the state secretariat, ” he said.

    He said that he was able to move them to the hotel which was prepared for them.

    Aivoji, however, said that the electoral committee members expected to conduct the House of Representatives’ primary were not complete, saying only the chairman of the committee and a member were available.

    According to him, no member of the entire electoral committee who are to conduct the House of Assembly primary is available.

    “Presently, we cannot understand what is going on, especially why the committee that is to handle the house of assembly cannot be reached.

    “Up till now, they switched off their phones, we cannot reach them and the time is running out fast,” he said.

    According to him, the state has some local government areas that will take four or six hours to get to like Badagry, Epe and Ibeju Lekki.

    “There are so many things shrouded in secrecy and this is not supposed to be. We cannot guarantee the transparency and honesty of these people.

    “I promised my people that I will be fair to everyone and that there will be equity and justice, now I cannot guarantee it.”

    Aivoji said that he had told the team leader for the electoral committee for the house of representatives to call others to address the issues.

    He, however, called on the party faithful to remain calm, saying the party would address a news conference by 1:00 pm on the way forward and directives.

    Also speaking, the Lagos PDP Secretary, Nr Soji Orioye said that the electoral committee had absconded for over four to five hours.

    “Party loyalists are already apprehensive and we don’t want a situation that will degenerate into crises.

    “We don’t seem to have confidence again in the electoral committees sent from Abuja to conduct this election,” Orioye said.

    Alhaji Adio Salami, PDP State Organising Secretary expressed disappointment in the committee, saying the party would not get things right if things were not done properly.

    Some of the party leaders and governorship aspirants sited at the venue include, Messrs Deji Doherty, Olajide Adediran, Otunba Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, and party executives among others.

    There is a heavy presence of security personnel at the venue in Ikeja.

    140 aspirants are contesting for the PDP tickets for the 40 seats in the Lagos state house of assembly and 85 for the 24 House of representatives seats.

    NAN

  • 2023: Mass defection hits APC, as members run to PDP, SDP

    2023: Mass defection hits APC, as members run to PDP, SDP

    Many politicians within the ranks of All Progressives Congress (APC) in at least 12 states have started defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party ahead of the primaries which begin next month.

    With party primaries set for May 2022, APC factions who have lost out have started defecting in their numbers to rivals PDP and SDP.

    The crisis began last year as fallout of the party congresses in the states which led to the emergence of factions.

    Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Achida, and the Deputy Chief Whip, Alhaji Murtala Maigona, who have been engaged in a feud with a former Governor of Sokoto, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, have both defected to the PDP following Adamu’s decision to recognise Wamakko’s faction.

    Recall that Adamu had ordered the APC legal team to withdraw all cases from the Court of Appeal and obey all subsisting High Court judgments instead.

    This decision was not well received in some states including in Akwa Ibom where the faction loyal to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was inaugurated to the chagrin of erstwhile Caretaker Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, who is now accusing Adamu of disregarding an order of the Court of Appeal that the status quo be maintained.

    Meanwhile the faction in Kwara State loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, defected to the SDP.

    In Zamfara State, a former Governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari; an ex-lawmaker, Senator Kabiru Mafara; and other top APC members have almost finalised plans to join the PDP.

    Briefing journalists in Gusau on Sunday, the PDP chairman, Colonel Bala Mande (retd.), said the party had received Yari, Marafa and other top APC members who have joined the party together with their supporters.

    In his words “Gentlemen of the press, we have called you to brief you on the joining of our great party the PDP by former Governor Yari, Senator Kabiru Mafara and their supporters. They have joined us, we have reached an agreement and we are going to implement the agreement.

    “We have agreed to be together in one party, the PDP and work together for the success of the party. We have also agreed to work extra hard in order to reclaim Zamfara State in 2023 and save its people from the present their predicament. I have given the stakeholders a complete update of where we are as a result of this development.”

    The chairman maintained that, Yari, Marafa and other top APC members would be officially received in Gusau in a colourful ceremony.

     

  • Election: ‘We don’t want bloodshed in Edo primaries’

    Election: ‘We don’t want bloodshed in Edo primaries’

    The Chief Imam of Benin Central Mosque, Alhaji Abdufatah Enabulele has said the people of Edo State do not want bloodshed during the parties primary elections in the State.

    Enabulele, who made the call in an interview on Monday in Benin, said the plea includes the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election coming up in June.

    Recall the APC governorship primaries for Edo had been scheduled to hold on June 22, while that of Ondo State is to hold on July 20.

    “The Edo and Ondo elections are almost coming up at the same time, hence there is political tension in both States now due to their political differences.

    “We are appealing that they should understand it is God that gives power, which as Muslims, we put them in prayers during the Ramadan.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari also has big role to play in this regard. He is the commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and he is the most senior leader of the (APC).

    “The president must not be silent, he should use his power and authority to ensure that there is equity and fair play during the primaries of these two states.

    “Buhari should be able to call all the parties involved to order so that there will be peace and tranquility in Edo and Ondo states.

    “For us in Edo, we have been enjoying peace and we want to continue in this regard,” Enebulele told NAN.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had fixed the governorship election in Edo for Sept. 19, while that of Ondo state was fixed for Oct. 10.