GRPolitics
APC Chairmanship Race: Oshiomhole, Ebri to square up with Oyegun
Opponents of tenure elongation have carried the day in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, last night bowed to pressure from governors and party leaders to forego tenure extension.
He has summoned an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) for 8am today to draw the timetable for state congresses and National Convention.
The meeting will hold before the National Executive Committee (NEC) session begins at 11am.
A member of the NWC said: “We were all shocked to get a text message inviting us for NWC meeting by 8am on Monday when all we were preparing for was the NEC session.
“Some of us inquired and we were told that the NWC meeting will draw the timetable for state congresses and the National Convention for consideration by NEC. This was what we told him to do last Thursday.
“We suspect that the latest development must have accounted for Oyegun’s U-turn. From the horse-trading so far, all the APC governors have backed out of tenure extension for Oyegun and the NWC.
“We learnt the last governor to ditch him yesterday was Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State.”
Another NWC member said: “I think summoning NWC meeting very early in the morning before NEC amounted to panic on the part of the national chairman.
“Some of us were really amazed when we got the text message. This was the same Oyegun who did not allow us access to the report of the Governor Simon Lalong Committee which was set up by the NWC.
“We had the whole weekend, he did not call for any meeting. Now, he wants to hold a pre-emptive meeting.
“We will go there and listen to what he has in stock for us.”
There were talks last night that Oyegun might seek to recontest based on some governors’ advice. But, it was not clear if he would heed the advice.
If he does, he would have to jostle for the seat again with former Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Clement Ebri (Cross River).
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that pro-Buhari governors reached out to NEC members to accept his proposal for elective congresses and National Convention.
As at Friday, no fewer than 21 governors and their state chairmen had conceded that the party should conduct fresh election into party offices in order to avoid running into legal technicality on the nomination of APC candidates for the 2019 polls.
A governor said he and his colleagues chose to rally round President Muhammadu Buhari because his proposal is the first major advice he would give to the party.
The governor said: “To me, I believe the President is facing a major vote of confidence at the NEC meeting. The issue is not about Oyegun or NWC members but it borders on the extent to which we have respect for the President’s views.”
He went on: “Unlike other past Presidents who will force their views on party members, Buhari was democratic enough to render advice and ask party leaders to consider the pros and cons.
“If Buhari’s advisory is accepted, it will be a sign that his voice counts. But where NEC rejects his proposal, he would have lost the confidence of a key organ of the party.
“You can see why we have regarded the NEC meeting as make or break. An endorsement of Buhari’s idea will also foretell his chances in the party if he chooses to seek a second term ticket in 2019.
“So, some of us do not see it as one person hijacking the party structure or not but as a major test of a vote of confidence in Buhari.
“This is why we have prevailed on him to stay behind and be part of the NEC meeting. We do not want any upset for him as designed by some forces. The President has taken his political fortunes for granted because of his new found democratic disposition but we have asked him to take his destiny in his hands.”
Another source said: “The NEC meeting will chart a new course for APC by confirming our ability to look inward to address our challenges without rancour.
“If we get it right at the NEC meeting, it will strengthen the party to prepare for the 2019 polls. Otherwise, we may end up being divided.
“For a party that has barely existed for four years, we cannot afford the luxury of derailing. This is why we are saying that wise counsel must prevail.”
Our correspondent learnt last night that pro-Oyegun governors and party leaders may be seeking “soft-landing” by coming up with the concept of a “guided national convention” which will lead to the return of some NWC members.
Another source said: “A few governors are calling for a guided national convention by which the return of some NWC members will be negotiated and delegates will be advised to vote for them at the convention.
“They do not want to throw away the baby with the bathwater. They believe some NWC members have done fairly well and if their zones still want them, delegates should be asked to endorse them.
“So, instead of a complete overhaul of NWC, the bad elements should go.”
But a NEC member said: “We won’t accept guided convention in view of the manipulation we have gone through in the past few weeks.
“At least, we have secured two-thirds in support of Buhari’s proposal; we will go full blast for state congresses and national convention.
“Any NWC member interested in seeking re-election should canvass for votes. We have also decided that all suits against tenure elongation will be withdrawn if Oyegun and the NWC members concede to elective national convention.”
Another governor, who responded to The Nation’s enquiry said: “We are no longer bothered about the tenure extension debate, we are comparing notes among ourselves on the appointment of the National Convention Committee.
“To some extent, the governors and some leaders of the party have reached a consensus on the list of the convention committee which will be presented to NEC.”
As at press time, it was learnt that some governors were still making a case for Oyegun’s return to office.
A source in Oyegun’s camp said: “Some governors have approached Oyegun to re-contest but he has not made up his mind. I think the outcome of NEC session will determine his next step.”
But there were indications that Oyegun’s return has been rejected by Edo APC which is insisting that he must quit.
“The APC leaders in Edo actually do not want Oyegun. In fact the state branch has filed a suit to oppose tenure elongation.
“If Oyegun decides to re-contest, he might fight for the slot with ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole and ex-Governor Clement Ebri.
“I think Oshiomhole has an edge at present,” said a Northwest governor.
Meanwhile, six APC governors have been urged to support the President’s bid to reposition the party.
The Northcentral Media Support Group for Buhari made the plea in a statement by its National coordinator, Ahmad Tukur.
Tukur said the governors should support the President at the NEC meeting.
He said: “We are confident that the Northcentral will give the President every support that is why we are urging our governors to go to NEC meeting with one voice to ensure that the decision of Mr. President is supreme as the leader of the party.”
“Supporting the President from Northcentral is a support from the country because the zone constitutes a mini Nigeria.”
The group said the President was doing his best to “ensure that the right thing is done in accordance with the provision of the law to see that APC leadership is legally put in place.
“Buhari as the leader of the party deserves every commendation for his effort to place the country among the comity of nations that respects rule of law and the constitution.”
•The Nation.
GRPolitics
PDP Crisis: Saraki, Dickson, Dankwambo Storm Enugu, Meet with Gov Mbah
… South East is important to PDP, says Saraki – REPORTER: SANDRA ANI
In a clear bid to stem the tide of crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the PDP Special Reconciliation Committee chaired by former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Friday, met with the governor of Enugu State and leader of the party in the South East region, Dr. Peter Mbah.
Other members of the Committee present at the meeting, which held behind closed doors at the Government House, Enugu, were former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, and former governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo.
It is recalled that the leaders of PDP in the zone had in a communique issued after the South East PDP Zonal Executive Council, ZEC, meeting a fortnight ago announced the re-nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, to serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary, threatening possible exodus should their decision not be respected.
“In the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique stated.
But addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting with Mbah, Saraki said, “We are members of the PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee that was set up recently by the PDP Governors’ Forum to work towards ensuring that our upcoming National Executive Council meeting and also likely convention is rancor-free and and works smoothly.
“In line with that, we are here in Enugu State to consult with one of our leaders, Governor Peter Mbah, who is the leader of South East PDP.
“This is the first state we are coming to because we appreciate the importance of the South East in our PDP family. As you all know, the South East has played a key role as the bedrock of the popularity and the strength of our party.
“In recognition of that, we are here to consult with him and first to commend him on the leadership role he has been playing in the party. More importantly also, to commend what he is doing in Enugu State, which is a reflection for Nigerians to see what happens when you have a PDP government.
“In doing that, we discussed how we will ensure that we carry out the assignment given to us and go ahead to have our NEC and our convention. We will have one that is rancor-free and smooth, peaceful and lays the foundation for the PDP that we all are wishing for.
“We have had a very good discussion. Frankly, we have had a very, very useful discussion. We are going away with some of the suggestions that we have here and hopefully work on that.
“With this, we can say here in Enugu we laid the foundation for a greater new PDP that is coming.
“What we have also seen today is that there is nothing insurmountable in the challenge ahead and the spirit, the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders, is very very inspiring,” he stated.
… It’s time to stand together – Mbah
… We’ve been trampled upon – Wabara
… We don’t want to be taken for granted – Achike Udenwa
The crisis currently rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has worsened as the South East caucus of the party has threatened mass exit from the troubled party if its choice of Hon. Udeh-Okoye as the National Secretary is not respected for the umpteenth time.
This was even as the governor of Enugu State and leader of the PDP in the zone, Dr. Peter Mbah, said it was time for the zone to speak with one voice, while the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, expressed fury over what they described as the party’s disrespecting and trampling of the region.
The zone vented its displeasure in a communique read by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the South East Zonal Executive, ZEC, at the Government House, Enugu on Wednesday.
It said the meeting was convened to nominate a candidate to complete the remaining term of the position of National Secretary in line with the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.
Rendering the communique, Odefa said, “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
The South East PDP, however regretted that it had to go through the process of nominating Udeh-Okoye severally since October 2023, and urged the NWC to not only immediately ratify his nomination, but also ensure that Arch. Setonji Koshoedo effectively occupies the Office of the National Secretary in acting capacity pending Udeh-Okoye’s ratification by the NEC.
The South East PDP, however, threatened to review its continued membership of the party should its position suffer further delay despite its agelong loyalty to the PDP.
“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.
“Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the Party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.
“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.
“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.
Wabara, on his part, said it was in order to review the region’s relationship with the party should what he described as trampling of the zone by the party persist.
“We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.
Udenwa, on his part, Udenwa said, “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”
GRPolitics
2nd anniversary: Nsukka leaders score Gov Mbah’s administration high
…as Nsukka retired army generals, DSS, police throw weight behind Mbah’s security reforms
Leaders of Enugu North Senatorial District, also known as Nsukka Zone, have scored the administration of the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, very high and satisfactory, stating that the governor’s second anniversary in office deserved commendations.
This was as retired senior security chiefs, comprising army generals, directors of the Department of State Services (DSS), commissioners of police, among others, declared support for the governor’s security reforms and tech-driven policing system.
The Nsukka leaders who converged on Adada House, Nsukka, weekend, under the aegis of Enugu State Coalition for Progress, Enugu North Senatorial Zone Chapter, comprised a cross section of socio-cultural groups, senior academics, retired security officers, captains of industry, traditional rulers, association of farmers, politicians, among others, drawn from the 6 council areas, said the governor had done well in the governance of the state.
The gathering which featured a dialogue series themed, H.E Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Administration – The Journey So Far (Education, Politics & Security), had the former Minister of National Planning and Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Osita Ogbu, delivering the keynote address.
Referring to the former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew’s sacrifices that led to the transformation of Singapore from a third world country to a developed nation, Prof Ogbu said the country was in need of leaders that were committed to the welfare and growth of their people.
He commended the governor for substituting partisan politics for all-inclusive, people-driven governance in the state.
Noting that the governor was fulfilling his campaign promises, Prof Ogbu pointed at the revitalization and completion of abandoned projects, funding of quality education, financial independence through fiscal discipline, private sector mentality and efficiency in public governance.
Speaking on the concept of “Tomorrow Is Here,” the renowned economist said the governance philosophy had zero tolerance for lazy and unintelligent acts, zero tolerance for corruption, strive for new opportunities, adherence to strict democratic accountability, clean and green environment, and the pursuit for healthy and happy citizens with rights and responsibilities.
“We did analyses of the budgets of all the states and we did a comparison. Enugu State, in absolute terms, in relative terms, spends more on education than even Lagos State. It’s the highest spender on education across the federation,” he added.
Speaking on security, a discussant, Maj. General Victor Ezeugwu (rtd), said the retired veterans from the zone met with the governor on some of the challenges facing the zone with proposals, adding that the governor had already done almost 60% of them.
“We visited the Command and Control Centre in Enugu today, and from that centre we watched Uzo Uwani and the forests around Uzo Uwani, and other areas, and all of us were very amazed that he has brought technology to bear on security. We’ve proposed to the governor that all the senatorial zones have a replica of that spectacular innovation which he has promised,” Ezeugwu said.
The veteran, who called for a joint taskforce where all the security apparatuses would work in sync to tackle the menace of killer herders and the ESN, said Governor Mbah had provided welfare and also informed them of the planned increment of salaries for local vigilante and neighbourhood watch operatives.
Acknowledging that veterans from the zone were already working in synergy with the governor through a 5-man committee approved by him, Gen Ezeugwu called on the people of the district to support the state government to do more.
Also speaking were the Member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Dennis Agbo, the Deputy Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ezenta Ezeani, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Innovation, Dr. Chinyere Onyeisi, Coordinator of the group, Hon Chinedu Onuh, and the secretary, Prof Simon Ortuanya, who lauded the governor for championing landmark projects in the zone.
Justifying the significance of the gathering, Hon Agbo said the governor had done well particularly for the people of the zone which was the motive behind the discussion. He called on the people to continue their support for the administration.
Lending his voice, the Deputy Speaker said it was time to tell the world the remarkable projects the governor was championing in the senatorial zone, and to also convey a message of appreciation to him.
“From what we have gathered from our people, the governor is getting more popular on a daily basis. It’s because of the litany of development projects and it has never happened, so we’ve come out en masse to appreciate his good works. We’re a very grateful people, and we are grateful to the governor. What we’re discussing here is governance beyond politics,” he added.
On her part, Dr Onyeisi stressed that the world-class 260 smart schools in the state were an initiative of the Mbah administration to address inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and equip both teachers and students with the essential soft skills for the 21st century tech revolution.
Declaring support for the governor on behalf of other security chiefs, Maj. Gen. Godwin Ugwuoke (rtd) said security comes first in any clime at all levels, saying the governor had accepted to set in motion all that was required to execute the terms and proposals made by them.
According to him, “Everything that he’s putting in place, it’s only security that will make us enjoy it – the economy, education, health, and all that the government is doing. The most important thing we from the Enugu North Zone can do is to encourage him to continue to do more, and let us not distract him unnecessarily. From afar, you’d think that the governor is unapproachable, but if you approach him with a good idea, you’ll discover that this is a leader.”
Other dignitaries at the dialogue moderated by the Chairman of Udenu LGA, Mr Aka Eze Aka, were the former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Dr Dan Shere, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, State Secretary of PDP, Chief Chukwudi Nnadozie, foremost entrepreneur, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, and the chairmen of the 6 local government areas of the zone led by the Deputy Chairman of the State Chapter of ALGON, Barr Ferdinand Ugwueze, among others.
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