GRPolitics
APC crisis: Oshiomhole’s fate will be determined next week
Barring any last minute changes, a leadership meeting of the All Progressives Congress will hold next week to determine the fate of the embattled National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, Saturday PUNCH has reported.
A prominent member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, confided in one of our correspondents, in Abuja, on Friday that as a precursor to this meeting, the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and Oshiomhole, met in Paris, France, on Thursday. Tinubu had gone to France ahead of the President’s visit to the country.
It was further learnt that the meeting between Tinubu and Oshiomhole centred on the growing plot by aggrieved party members especially governors to remove Oshiomhole from office.
The former Lagos State governor is one of the party stalwarts backing Oshiomhole who is now under probe by the Department of State Services.
An APC source said, “Tinubu and Oshiomhole met in Paris on Thursday over attempts by governors and some members of the NWC to remove the party chairman. You will recall that it was Asiwaju who paved the way for the emergence of Oshiomhole as the chairman when Chief Oyegun wanted a tenure extension.
“Now that he has come under probe by the DSS and is being asked to step aside, he has run to Tinubu to save him. It remains unclear what their strategy will be to put a stop to the probe.”
It was also learnt that some aggrieved governors had begun reaching out to members of the National Working Committee to ask Oshiomhole to step aside pending the outcome of the DSS probe.
A member of the party’s NWC, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution said, “The fact that Oshiomhole is under investigation for allegedly collecting money from aspirants is bad for the image of the APC government which claims to be fighting corruption.
“It is for this reason that the NWC members are being asked (by interested parties) to push for the suspension of the APC chairman pending the outcome of the probe. The President’s body language and actions in the coming days will determine Oshiomhole’s fate. For now, we are still considering it but we don’t want to make any hasty decision until we are sure that we have the President’s backing.”
Another party source said high-ranking party leaders would meet “next week” to decide the best way to proceed without “further depleting the party’s public image and goodwill.”
It was also gathered that President Buhari, who has taken charge of efforts to resolve the party’s post primary crisis, would be convening the meeting.
Apart from Buhari, those expected at the Abuja meeting include: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Tinubu, pioneer Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (as former chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party), and Prince Tony Momoh (former National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change).
The party source said, “The matter is receiving attention at the highest level. We cannot pretend, the situation involving our national chairman is already in public domain.
“His invitation and subsequent interrogation by the Department of State Services, is an indictment if you ask me; but you cannot pronounce a man guilty without giving him the right of fair hearing.
“The leadership meeting will take place because as you know, we don’t have a Board of Trustees in place. Mr. President as the leader of the party, who in fact, has personally taken over the process of dealing with the post-primary crisis, is convening the meeting to deal with all these issues.”
In response to a question on whether there were charges against the party chairman, he said, “Our party has a constitution, I refer you to Article 21 which deals with the issue of party discipline. Go and read sub-sections i, ii and xi.”
Article 21 of the APC Constitution (April 2014 As amended) which deals with the discipline of party members reads in part, “Subject to the provision of this Article and the right to fair hearing, the party shall have power to discipline party members. The power shall be exercised on behalf of the party by the respective Executive Committee of the party at all levels.
“Offences against the party shall include the following: (i)a breach of any provision of this constitution; (i) anti-party activities or any conduct, which is likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party or put it into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute; (xi) in cases of alteration of delegate lists, falsification of nomination results, and or tampering with the processes of internal democracy of the party, the offender shall be liable to expulsion from the party and be prosecuted.”
Efforts to get a response from the party chairman were futile. Calls to the mobile telephone number of Oshiomhole’s media aide, Mr. Simon Ebegbulem, were neither picked nor returned.
A response to a text message asking him to confirm whether or not his principal had returned to the country and what was his response to the news making the rounds about his encounter with the DSS was still being expected as at the time of filing this report at 8:07pm.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, told Saturday PUNCH on Friday night that Oshiomhole was back in the country.
He said, “The APC chairman is back in the country as scheduled. This is contrary to speculations that he was running away. He has been postponing the trip due to the party primaries and submission of candidates’ names to INEC ”
Asked about the meeting between Oshiomhole and Tinubu in France, the APC spokesman replied, “I don’t have such information yet.”
On the proposed leadership meeting holding in Abuja next week, Issa-Onilu said, “I am not aware but even if such meeting would hold…you see there is no crisis in APC. What people call crisis, I call conflict. I can assure you that we are in peace in the APC. The chairman and the NWC are standing for democracy and you should expect resistance.
However, the Spokesman for Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), said the crisis within the party was being exaggerated by the media.
Keyamo said the crisis was normal for a ruling party, adding that things would become normal very soon.
He said, “Let me say clearly that what is happening now is only normal for a ruling party.”
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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