GRPolitics
Lagos APC: Ifako-Ijaiye, Agege congresses end in disagreements
The All Progressives Congress congress in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State on Saturday ended abruptly as delegates rowdily disagreed on the election of some candidates.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the congress, which started around 1pm, had been peaceful until commotion erupted over the choice of candidates.
Trouble started when the electoral officers announced some names as elected executive members after a voice vote by the delegates.
Some party members opposed to the announced names protested noisily, resulting in a bedlam.
Appeals to party members to maintain the peace by the chairman of the council, Mr. Oloruntoba Oke, were not heeded as supporters of the opposing candidates engaged in a shouting match.
The situation almost degenerated into violence, but for the intervention of security personnel around who prevented members from fighting one another.
The electoral officer, thereafter, was whisked away by security officials after attempts to attack him.
Speaking to NAN after the incident, the council chairman said the congress had been orderly all along.
He said the congress was almost concluded when some members noisily disagreed over some candidates.
Oke, however, expressed the optimism that the issue would be resolved amicably by the leadership of the party in the state.
“Disagreements are normal in politics. We will be trusting the leadership of the party to resolve the issue. I have no doubt that everything will be resolved,” he said.
In Agege LG, Mr. Jubreel Abdulkareem, a chieftain in the area, faulted the exercise in the council, saying, “no congress was held.”
Abdulkareem, the former Executive Chairman of the council, told newsmen that some delegates were denied access to the venue.
Abdulkareem said that following the crisis that greeted the ward congress on May 5, an apex leader of the party, Prof. Tunde Samuel, called a peace meeting before the congress where the posts were shared between the two camps.
He said that only delegates from one camp were called to vote, hence there were agitations from the other camp.
He claimed that one person was shot in the imbroglio that followed.
An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, said that the reading of list of delegates, which favoured one faction, triggered the crisis.
He said there was shooting from inside the venue and a bullet hit a man at the gate of Central Primary School, Oniwaya, Agege, where it held.
Efforts to confirm the shooting and arrests by the police were, however, unsuccessful, as the Lagos Police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, promised to get back but had yet to do so at the time of filing this report.
However, it was a different situation at Ayobo/Ipaja Local Council Development Area as the congress ended peacefully.
The congress, which started at 10 am at St. Andrews Primary School, ended with delegates electing party executive members by consensus.
There was jubilation by party members, who danced around the venue after a successful congress.
Mr Bisi Yusuf, a member of the state House of Assembly (Alimosho) who was present at the congress, commended members for peaceful conduct.
He said he was proud that the exercise ended without rancour or violence.
Yusuf said politics should be about understanding and not violence or desperation.
“I am happy at the conduct. I thank all party members for the success.
“Ipaja /Ayobo has done it again. Everyone is happy with the results.
“You see, politics should not be about desperation or rancour. It should about understanding.
“We have demonstrated that today and everybody is satisfied “,he said.
He commended the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for laying the foundation for peaceful conduct of the congress.
He said Tinubu’s constant appeals to members to always be peaceful had yielded the desired results in Ayobo/Ipaja.
Yusuf urged members to continue to maintain peace in the area to ensure success of future elections.
In Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, the exercise started by 11 :30 am, with heavy presence of policemen and oficers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Mr Olukayode Aina-Gold, one of the APC State external observers, expressed satisfaction with
the peaceful and orderly conduct of the Congres.
“Honestly, I am overwhelmed because initially I was sceptical.
“I didn’t want to come, I thought there might be some rancour and alot of disorganisation but on getting here, I am happy with the conduct and orderliness,” he said.
The 27 Local Government Executive Officers were uncontested and the nominated executives were ratified by the voters from the seven wards of the LCDA.
The Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Chairman, Mr Augustine Arogun, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the congress.
Arogun said: “Our congress is very peaceful because we carried everybody along including the leaders and the stakeholders in Agbado Oke Odo.
“We always involve them and that is why we have no opposing camps because we are all involved.
“All we did was just ratification because there was no serious opposition as all the leaders had input on the list we put forward for those to be elected into the executive.”
He however, advised party members who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the congresses in the state so far to dialogue with the leaders in order to resolve the matter in a family way.
In Mushin LG, NAN reports that security personnel, such as the Police and Civil Defence were stationed around the venue to avoid social miscreants from disrupting the exercise.
The election which started at 10am ended at 11:30am.
The Executive Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Mr Olarenwaju Bamigboye, commended the peaceful election.
Bamigboye spoke with NAN during the congress held at the party secretariat in Mushin.
“The election is very free and well conducted. Our party members are more compassionate in this exercise.
“They have really composed themselves very well to ensure that there is a free and fair election today,” he said.
The chairman said the newly elected chairman for the party in the area won unopposed.
Bamigboye said the future of APC was very bright in the sense that the party would always organise themselves very well.
“We have to move forward and we have to advance ourselves and gone are those days that we are desperate to win,” he said.
In Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), delegates adopted consensus candidates at the congress.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that party delegates, who were screened before being allowed into the venue under the watch of the security agencies.
Mr Odeniyi Odeyemi, a delegate from Ward C said: “We are very happy that the process was peaceful and we thank God that the will of people prevailed without opposition.’’
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Rasheed Makinde, commended the party leaders and members for the spirit of oneness in the area.
According to him, the leadership of APC in Ojokoro LCDA had come together with a single list, which the LOC (Local Organising Committee) read out to everybody and all agreed to it.
“This is a sign that our party is moving forward and it is a good omen for our democracy,’’ Makinde told NAN.
He said the development was a sign of maturity and harmony and the progress of the party.
Mr Thaddius Uwanaka, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Officer, who monitored the Congress, expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the delegates.
NAN reports that the Congress was held across the local governments in the state. (NAN)
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.
From Bomb Blast to Praise: Maureen J’s Miracle Song
PDP Crisis: Saraki, Dickson, Dankwambo Storm Enugu, Meet with Gov Mbah
Atiku Abubakar’s Coalition on a Path to Failure after Struggles
LASG Acquires New Outboard Engines For Optimum Boat Performance
Elon Musk builds Hotel in Mars, Sets to launch soon at $5million per night – Photos
