GRPolitics
South East APC mute as Saraki exposes Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition
There is no word yet from the leadership of All Progressive Congress (APC) South East Chapter over the claims that the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is only supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election with the hope of succeeding the President in 2023.
Senate President Bukola Saraki made the allegation in a statement on Monday in response to an open letter written by Tinubu on Sunday.
If that stands, it dashes the hopes of the South East to produce a presidential candidate under APC should President Muhammadu Buhari runs and wins in 2019.
Tinubu in his letter, released late on Sunday, had said the Senate President dumped the APC because of his presidential ambition and selfish quest for power rather than good governance.
But in a statement titled, ‘The Tinubu Rhetoric- My Response’, the Senate President said when Tinubu was appointed the head of the APC’s reconciliation committee, he (Tinubu) reached out to him and admitted that he was also not satisfied with Buhari’s performance but he would remain in the party so that he (Tinubu) could emerge President in 2023.
Saraki said Tinubu told him that he would support Buhari even if the President was on a stretcher.
Saraki added, “However, during those meetings, the point of disagreement between me and him was that while I expressed my worry that there was nothing on the ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that would enable us to deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he (Tinubu) expressed a strong opinion that he would rather ‘support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher’ to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-West.
“This Tinubu viewpoint was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues; so much for acting in national interest.
“It is clear that while my own decision is based on protecting collective, national interest, Tinubu will rather live with the identified inadequacies in the government for the sake of fulfilling and preserving his presidential ambition in 2023. This new position of Tinubu has only demonstrated inconsistency, particularly when one reviews his antecedent over the years.”
The Senate President said Tinubu was still sulking over the fact that he (Saraki) was one of those who opposed Tinubu’s bid to emerge as the running mate of Buhari in 2014.
Saraki said he had insisted that Buhari’s running mate should be a Christian for the sake of balance, a decision which he said angered Tinubu.
He added, “Again, let me reiterate my position that my uncertain and complex relationship with Tinubu has been continually defined by the event of 2014 when I and other leaders of the APC opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls.
“It should be noted that he has not forgotten the fact that I took the bull by the horns and told him that in the interest of the country, he should accept the need for the party to present a balanced ticket for the 2015 general elections in terms of religion and geopolitical zones.
“Since that time he has been very active, plotting at every point to undermine me, within and outside the National Assembly.”
The Senate President said his decision to quit the APC was based on Buhari’s disrespect for the legislative arm of government and his allies.
He said the Buhari government expected the National Assembly to be a “rubber stamp.”
Saraki said even Tinubu had once criticised Buhari but had decided to change his mind for selfish reasons.
The Senate President said, “I can also vividly recall that he himself always expressed his displeasure with the style of the government and also mentioned that he had equally suffered disrespect from the same government which we all worked to put in office.”
Saraki said Tinubu had been using his newspaper to malign his character and settle scores.
He alleged that in one of such malicious stories, he (Saraki) was quoted to have said he would remain in the APC on the sole condition that he would be given an oil block and automatic ticket.
The Senate President added, “It is a surprise to me that Asiwaju Tinubu is still peddling the falsehood about the fact that my defection is about automatic ticket and sharing of resources.
“Members of the public will recall that when the issue of my decision to quit the APC came to the fore and many APC leaders were holding meetings with me, a newspaper owned by the same Tinubu published a false report about the promise of automatic ticket, oil block and other benefits.
“I immediately rebutted their claims and categorically stated that I never discussed any such personal and pecuniary benefits with anybody. My challenge that anybody who has contrary facts should come forward with them still remains open.”
I have what it takes to contest against Buhari, Tambuwal tells Tinubu
Also on Monday, the Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, responded to the allegations against him by Tinubu
Tinubu had also on Sunday alleged that Tambuwal left the APC because the party refused to grant his demand for automatic ticket in 2019.
But responding on the twitter handle of the Sokoto State Government, Tambuwal denied that he defected from the APC because he was not given automatic ticket.
He wrote, “If I wanted to, I could contest against President Buhari under the APC. I have what it takes to have contested against Mr President.”
“I adduced reasons of my defection to the PDP. The reasons are still on record. Automatic ticket by the APC is certainly not part of that. ”
The governor said he had given the people of Sokoto State the reasons he defected and automatic ticket was not among.
He stated, “Tinubu is confessing that there is no level playing field for all members of the APC; that there is no internal democracy in it and that some people were denied their right to internal democracy.”
“Tinubu tried to rock the boat when he was denied Buhari’s vice presidency. He thinks every other person could behave his way. If I wanted to contest under the APC as president, I could have done so and only the votes could have produced a winner.”
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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