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Stakeholders Urged Buhari To Wade Into Rivers APC Crisis

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Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the crisis rocking the party in the state

While rejecting the outcome of the last Saturday’s ward congress of the party in the state, the stakeholders said Buhari’s intervention will ameliorate the fallout of the botched ward congress of the party in the state.

Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday on behalf of the stakeholders, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Marcus Nle-Eji, disclosed that they were motivated by the need to keep the records straight and let the world know what is happening in Rivers State.

Nle-Eji noted that it is only presidential intervention anchored on Buhari’s reputation for integrity, justice and fair play that can ameliorate the negative impact of the disenfranchisement of party members and the outright betrayal of the ideals of APC “during the so-called sham ward congresses in the state”.

The former lawmaker, who further noted that what transpired in Rivers State in the name of the APC Ward Congress, was a theatre of the absurd.

He said: “In all my years in politics, I have never seen this trend of politics before.

“Even when we contested election under the military, during the Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha transitions, we never saw anything like this.

“I have not seen soldiers used for party congresses before.

“You all saw what happened here on Saturday.

“Police, SARS, soldiers, criminals were hired to intimidate, harass and torture our supporters.

“Members of the same political party, APC.

“You may ask what happened during the congresses.

“Let me use my local government area as an example.

“I am from Eleme LGA.

“Orji Ngofa, a former local government chairman and now an Ambassador, led people and police to Eteo community.

“They shot sporadically and cars were destroyed.

“They shot guns, chased people around and caused so much mayhem.

“Is that how they conduct primaries?

“SARS personnel were deployed all over the place, down to the unit level.

“Armed men took over entire wards.

“For me it’s strange.

“If you ask questions about the irregularities witnessed during the charade of as congress, you will be harassed, intimidated and asked to frog jump.

“I have received over four calls to report to the police.

“If this SARS people are not called to order, I wonder what will happen.

“If SARS can be used to intimidate people for a party congress, what will happen in the general election?

“Over 40 persons who went to the secretariat to collect their forms were arrested and detained and some of them are already being charged to court.”

Speaking on the development, another stakeholder and member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Elder Chidi Wihioka, disclosed that party congresses like elections is a process not an event.

Wihioka said: “Election is a process.

“Aspirants go to the bank, pay and take their tellers to the party secretariat, collect the forms and go back to their wards for their sponsors to sign and then take the form back to the secretariat before they can be declared candidates.

“That’s the process.

“Ward congresses are local based elections.

“Most of the aspirants are artisans, farmers, traders, etc.

“For them to get N10,000 to pay for the forms and come down to Port Harcourt is not an easy thing.

“So what we are dealing with here is a failed process, from the beginning to the end.

“How will APC print forms without result sheets?

“How is that possible?

“Without result sheets, what will the party national officers take back to Abuja?

“Will they cram the names of all the candidates?

“How could they claim to have sold forms to over 8,000 aspirants within a few hours.

“If you have two persons per position and per ward, that will make it 16,000.

“You can see that the congress was a sham.

“How could you have contested the ward congresses without a form?

“How come that for just ward congresses SARS was deployed?

“DCP OPS Steve Hasso ordered that I should be detained and my phones seized because I challenged the irregularities.

“Has SARS been re-created for congresses?

“There was no congress anywhere.”

Wihioka stated that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, did not even go to Ubima for the congress, pointing out that at Ubima, there was shooting from 6am to 4pm to scare party members from coming out.

The federal lawmaker claimed that the same scenario was witnessed at Emohua local government area of the state, where shooting was recorded at Elibrada, Rumuakunde and other communities.

He therefore called on Buhari and the leadership of the APC to make a statement and distance the party leadership from the charade that was enacted in Rivers State in the name of ward congress, which was orchestrated and supervised by one of his appointees.

Also speaking, Hon. Worgu Boms, a former Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice under Amaechi, faulted claims that there was a ward congress in the state.

Boms said: “As at Wednesday, Ibiamu Ikanya, the party chairman, had admitted at a meeting that the election materials for the ward congress were with him.

“From that Wednesday to Friday, he failed to release the forms.

“On Friday, I went to the secretariat and met party members in their numbers who were peacefully waiting for the forms to be released.

“It was only after SARS personnel arrived and started shooting that some violence erupted.

“There were over 4,000 people at the secretariat as at the time of the shooting by SARS.

“How is it possible that all these people are Senator Magnus Abe’s supporters?

“Dakuku Peterside, Dumo Lulu Briggs, Tonye Princewill, Tonye Cole, Chidi Lloyd, Sekonte Davies, etc, are all coming out for governor, why are they not being singled out for blame?

“Were their supporters not at the secretariat?”

Also, another stakeholder, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, a former Commissioner under Amaechi, said it is sad that under APC, the same impunity that characterized the Peoples Democratic Party is being witnessed.

Harry said: “It is sad and unfortunate that young men and women who spent their hard earned money should be treated this way.

“Our party members expected a genuine congress and not this fraudulent sham.”

GrassRoots.ng is on a critical mission; to objectively and honestly represent the voice of ‘grassrooters’ in International, Federal, State and Local Government fora; heralding the achievements of political and other leaders and investors alike, without discrimination. This daily, digital news publication platform serves as the leading source of up-to-date information on how people and events reflect on the global community. The pragmatic articles reflect on the life of the community people, covering news/current affairs, business, technology, culture and fashion, entertainment, sports, State, National and International issues that directly impact the locals.

GRPolitics

With Commitment, Resilience We’ll Defeat Banditry and Terrorism – Badaru

…it is time to end it…Reports SANDRA ANI

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Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar

The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has called  on the Nigerian Airforce to intensify the use of their various platforms to bring an end to banditry and terrorism.

According to the Minister, you are key to this this fight and we must put our acts together on your active component to end this war.

In a statement signed by Henshaw Ogubike, director information and Public Relations, Badaru said this during his operational visit to the Air Component Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA at Katsina state on Monday 18th November 2024.

The Honourable Minister appreciated the heroic Air warriors who has continued to shine as beacons of hope, courage and resilience which is an inspiration to Nigerian people.

Furthermore, “the Minister opined that their efforts are yielding positive results as farmers are gradually returning to their farms, schools are reopening, businesses are picking up and Nigerians can now sleep peacefully.”

According to the Minister, the President and commander in chief of the Armed forces Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has expressed confidence on their unwavering loyalty, perseverance and professionalism. He recognizes the personal sacrifices you make every day to keep our country together.

It is pertinent to know that the President has provided the Nigerian Airforce with state of the art Aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to enhance their attack capabilities. With the induction of these new platforms including the   T129 Attack Helicopter, ” I am confident we will make Mr President and Nigerians proud.”

Consequent to this, ‘it is no coincidence that I am here today to flag off this critical phase of the Operations’. “I therefore urge you to synergize with the ground forces and other stakeholders to ensure maximum effect from these combat enablers” Badaru said.

The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON mni continued his operational visit by also going to sokoto to inspect the combat readiness of the platforms and also toured the new site where the permanent base of the newly established  Airforce component of military operations against banditry and terrorism  and facilities will be built at Sokoto Airport.

In his remarks, the chief of the Air staff ,  Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, appreciated the Minister’s servant leadership style which is an inspiration to all. For him , the T129 Attack Helicopters will transform our operational capabilities to those who think they can destabilize our nation.

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Jigawa Youth Agenda Refutes Allegations Against Badaru

By, Al-Amin Aliu, a Public Analyst

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Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar
Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar

The Jigawa Youth Agenda has vehemently denied the unfounded allegations made by a mysterious group claiming to represent APC youth in Jigawa State against Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.

After thorough investigations, it was revealed that this group is not officially registered with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa and seems to have been hastily formed to spread misinformation and disrupt party unity.

The Youth Agenda are in solidarity with Minister Badaru Abubakar as they reaffirmed its unwavering support for Minister Badaru Abubakar, acknowledging his exceptional contributions to the APC and Nigeria. His leadership and commitment are indisputable, from his transformative tenure as Governor of Jigawa State to his current role as Minister of Defence.

The them, Minister Badaru has done excellently well and the highlighted his key schievements to include but not limited to the following:

– Strengthening National Security: Minister Badaru Abubakar has enhanced Nigeria’s military capabilities, ensuring protection of lives and property.

– Forging Strategic Partnerships: He has fostered vital alliances with global defence organizations to bolster Nigeria’s security and modernize defence infrastructure.

– Promoting Youth Empowerment: The Minister has launched initiatives focused on education, employment, and entrepreneurship in Jigawa State.

– Advancing APC Unity: Minister Badaru Abubakar promotes unity within the party, fostering collaboration across Jigawa and nationally.

The so-called APC Youth Group’s allegations are an attempt to create division within the united APC family. The Jigawa Youth Agenda urges APC members and the public to disregard these unfounded claims and focus on strengthening party unity and ideals.

Minister Badaru Abubakar’s legacy remains a source of pride for Jigawa State and Nigeria. His dedication to national development, APC principles, and the Tinubu administration demonstrates his integrity and effectiveness. The Jigawa Youth Agenda urges Nigerians to recognize his achievements and support his efforts to build a stronger, more secure nation.

The Jigawa Youth Agenda reaffirms its full confidence in Minister Badaru Abubakar’s ability to lead and contribute positively to Nigeria’s development. Together, let us reject misinformation and uphold APC unity and progress at state and national levels.

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Unmasking the Campaign of Calumny against Dr Bello Matawalle

Writer: Habib Usman, writes from Abuja

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Bello Matawalle

Recent protests and allegations against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, have stirred controversy.

Organized demonstrations outside the Department of State Security (DSS) headquarters in Abuja, filled with hired crowds by APC AKIDA sponsored by Tijjani Ramallan and the Zamfara state government with unsubstantiated accusations, reveal a calculated attempt by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to discredit Dr. Matawalle.

This orchestrated campaign, fueled by political motives and a desire to undermine Matawalle’s position, demands closer scrutiny.

Reports indicate that these so-called protests are not spontaneous outcries from Zamfara’s citizens but rather an agenda-driven spectacle designed to tarnish Matawalle’s reputation.

According to sources, the protestors arrived in approximately 12 long buses, clearly organized and funded to create an image of discontent aimed at the minister.

The protestors, reportedly waving placards accusing Matawalle of colluding with criminals, are part of a broader strategy to mislead the public and manipulate the narrative around Zamfara’s complex security situation.

This orchestrated misinformation aligns with the ongoing media offensive spearheaded by Governor Lawal who has now recruited Tijjani Ramallan and his cohorts. Despite lacking concrete evidence, the governor has been on a persistent media campaign, linking Matawalle with criminal elements and falsely alleging his complicity in the state’s banditry crisis.

However, these accusations have repeatedly failed to withstand scrutiny, as underscored by a recent ruling from the Kano High Court.

The court issued an interim injunction barring Governor Lawal and his associates from continuing their smear campaign against Matawalle, stating that any further defamatory actions would be illegal until a substantive hearing on the matter.

The court order highlights the groundlessness of the governor’s claims and serves as a reminder that accusations against public officials must be substantiated by evidence, not driven by political vendettas.

By pursuing a smear campaign against a fellow public servant, Governor Lawal risks destabilizing not only his state but also the critical national security efforts in which Matawalle is involved.

Such actions could divert attention and resources from urgent security issues, ultimately harming the very citizens the governor purports to defend.

The governor’s tactic of repeatedly visiting media houses to disseminate misleading information about Dr. Matawalle has sparked concern among political observers and security experts alike.

His attempts to block Matawalle’s reappointment appear to be rooted more in political rivalry than in any genuine concerns about Zamfara’s security. It’s no coincidence that this intensified campaign began just as discussions about a potential cabinet reshuffle surfaced.

Dr. Matawalle’s growing influence, coupled with his steadfast loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has evidently made him a target for those who feel threatened by his rise.

For Nigerians, it is crucial to separate truth from politically motivated propaganda. The allegations against Dr. Matawalle are part of a coordinated campaign to undermine a dedicated public servant who has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s defence apparatus.

As the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle plays an essential role in shaping security policy, a responsibility he takes seriously and executes with distinction.

The public is advised to view the recent protests and media blitz with caution. It is imperative to consider the context: Governor Lawal’s relentless pursuit to discredit Matawalle, despite the court’s injunction against these defamatory efforts. Rather than yield to such divisive tactics, Nigerians should remain vigilant, prioritizing the integrity of national discourse over political maneuvering.

In conclusion, let us reject efforts to smear individuals serving in crucial roles, particularly when these efforts lack factual foundation and threaten to undermine national security. The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, deserves due process and an unbiased evaluation, free from political interference.nmasking the Campaign of Calumny Against Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle

Recent protests and allegations against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON, have stirred controversy. Organized demonstrations outside the Department of State Security (DSS) headquarters in Abuja, filled with hired crowds and unsubstantiated accusations, reveal a calculated attempt by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to discredit Dr. Matawalle. This orchestrated campaign, fueled by political motives and a desire to undermine Matawalle’s position, demands closer scrutiny.

Reports indicate that these so-called protests are not spontaneous outcries from Zamfara’s citizens but rather an agenda-driven spectacle designed to tarnish Matawalle’s reputation. According to sources, the protestors arrived in approximately 12 long buses, clearly organized and funded to create an image of discontent aimed at the minister. The protestors, reportedly waving placards accusing Matawalle of colluding with criminals, are part of a broader strategy to mislead the public and manipulate the narrative around Zamfara’s complex security situation.

This orchestrated misinformation aligns with the ongoing media offensive spearheaded by Governor Lawal.

Despite lacking concrete evidence, the governor has been on a persistent media campaign, linking Matawalle with criminal elements and falsely alleging his complicity in the state’s banditry crisis.

However, these accusations have repeatedly failed to withstand scrutiny, as underscored by a recent ruling from the Kano High Court.

The court issued an interim injunction barring Governor Lawal and his associates from continuing their smear campaign against Matawalle, stating that any further defamatory actions would be illegal until a substantive hearing on the matter.

The court order highlights the groundlessness of the governor’s claims and serves as a reminder that accusations against public officials must be substantiated by evidence, not driven by political vendettas.

By pursuing a smear campaign against a fellow public servant, Governor Lawal risks destabilizing not only his state but also the critical national security efforts in which Matawalle is involved.

Such actions could divert attention and resources from urgent security issues, ultimately harming the very citizens the governor purports to defend.

The governor’s tactic of repeatedly visiting media houses to disseminate misleading information about Dr. Matawalle has sparked concern among political observers and security experts alike.

His attempts to block Matawalle’s reappointment appear to be rooted more in political rivalry than in any genuine concerns about Zamfara’s security. It’s no coincidence that this intensified campaign began just as discussions about a potential cabinet reshuffle surfaced.

Dr. Matawalle’s growing influence, coupled with his steadfast loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has evidently made him a target for those who feel threatened by his rise.

For Nigerians, it is crucial to separate truth from politically motivated propaganda. The allegations against Dr. Matawalle are part of a coordinated campaign to undermine a dedicated public servant who has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s defence apparatus.

As the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle plays an essential role in shaping security policy, a responsibility he takes seriously and executes with distinction.

The public is advised to view the recent protests and media blitz with caution. It is imperative to consider the context: Governor Lawal’s relentless pursuit to discredit Matawalle, despite the court’s injunction against these defamatory efforts. Rather than yield to such divisive tactics, Nigerians should remain vigilant, prioritizing the integrity of national discourse over political maneuvering.

In conclusion, let us reject efforts to smear individuals serving in crucial roles, particularly when these efforts lack factual foundation and threaten to undermine national security. The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, deserves due process and an unbiased evaluation, free from political interference.

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