Politics

Labour Party now mass movement, Obi declares

Published

2 years ago

August 24, 2022

Advocate News Nigeria

PHOTO: National Secretary, Labour Party (LP), Umar Farouk Ibrahim (left); presidential candidate, Peter Obi and National Chairman, Julius Abure, during the reception of former Anambra State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, into LP in Lagos…yesterday

…receives Ozigbo, others

THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday, declared that the LP is no longer a political party, but a mass movement to take back the country for Nigerians.

According to him, the party wants to take Nigeria back to the root of greatness, where all citizens can be proud to say they are Nigerians.

Obi, who spoke in Lagos during the formal reception for the 2021 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, and his group into the LP, said he is determined to turn Nigeria from consumption to production.

Citing Brazil as a country of over 200 million population, which had similar experience of depending on importation, as an example, he explained that Brazil has, today, changed the trajectory by producing their own foods.

The presidential hopeful used the opportunity to warn those who twist his statements for political reasons to desist.

“For those who turn around what I say, I want them to tell us what figures their own candidates have. We want a productive country. Netherland is smaller than Nigeria but its total export, last year, was over $600 billion.

“Nigerians believe in me. We must have competent people in office by reversing the trend of having our children stay abroad. Parents are getting lonely these days. If you ask them, they say their children are in Canada. Canadians don’t keep their children in Nigeria.

“Our children have been exported to other countries because things are not working here and it’s not good. We want to reverse it, because it’s affecting all of us. So, it’s important that we do the right thing. We must sacrifice for our children to come back, and for our society to work.

“We have a country called Nigeria but we don’t have Nigerians, because we don’t have citizens who are proud to say they are Nigerians. And that’s what we want to do; to make Nigerians proud of themselves. We want to start a journey that will take Nigeria back and be on a route to greatness.”

Reflecting on the shrinking value of Nigeria’s currency, naira, Obi said one practical way to stabilise the local currency is to move Nigeria from consumption to production and export of goods.

“When you export goods, they pay you in dollars. What will give you dollar is production. Nigeria is not a producing country. So, let us go out and produce, that is our desire. That’s how we will create jobs. We’re not going to create jobs with people thinking they can live by tribes, or by religion.

“We want to stop politics of wasting people’s time and politics of sharing money. We want to play politics that will make our children live in a better society. Today, businesses have collapsed, nowhere is secured. I used to drive all over the country but today, you can’t drive and people still think it will continue to be business as usual. No!, it has to change and that change is very important,” he declared.

The National chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, explained that the party does not admit all manner of persons.

According to him, the Obi-dient movement is driven by integrity, capacity, competence and track record of performance.

He stated that the party carefully selected its candidates for elective offices based on the listed principles.

“Ozigbo met all the criteria I mentioned. That is why we welcomed him. Nigeria is in crisis. Inflation is double digit and over 80 million Nigerians are living in poverty. Before it degenerates to where people will adopt others on the street to eat them, we must do something to rescue the nation,” he said.

Abure assured Ozigbo and his group of equal opportunity and treatment, adding that they would be accorded all membership rights and privileges.

Ozigbo, who expressed delight to join the party, declared that he is “proudly Obi-dient.”

He explained that he has faith in the presidential candidate of the party, adding that there is no way he can vote a different person when Obi is on the ballot.

“Obi will go down in history as the man that ushered Nigeria into a new dawn. I am very proud of LP and proud to be a member of the party,” he added.

The party’s governorship candidate for Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, expressed happiness with the entrance of Ozigbo into the party and stated that the mantra of their presidential candidate, which is moving Nigeria from consumption to production, resonates with the name of the party, Labour. (The Guardian)

News

Protest breaks out in Ondo over APC Gov Primary

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Protest breaks out in Ondo over APC Gov Primary

• Protesters demand cancellation of APC ward primaries in Ondo State on Sunday, April 21, 2024

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, the Ondo State capital, took to the streets on Sunday to protest what they termed irregularities and biased conduct of the ward primaries across the state on Saturday.

The ward primaries meant to produce the governorship candidate of the party for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the state has been marred with non-availability of election materials.

The protesters called for the cancellation of the ward primaries.

The protesters stormed the APC state secretariat in Akure to display their displeasure to the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the ward primaries across the 203 wards of the state.

Most of them are supporters of one of the aspirants, Olushola Oke, and they carried different placards calling on the national secretariat to remove the chairman of the primary election committee and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo.

They described the process as a daylight robbery and urged the national secretariat of the APC not to allow the state to be embroiled in crisis.

One of the protesters claimed no ward primaries were held, insisting that the guidelines given by the national secretariat of the party were not followed as the committee did not distribute materials to any wards.

The party members warned of likely consequences if an unpopular candidate is imposed on them as it could affect the chances of the party in the governorship election.

Ododo had on Saturday announced that polls would be conducted in all 13 wards of Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state by noon on Sunday.

“Having received reports of the primary election from the 203 wards in the 18 local governments of Ondo State, the primary election committee has decided that election will be conducted in all the 13 Wards of Okitipupa local government with total validated registered members of 9,515, because of validated reports that the exercise did not hold in the local government due to late arrival of materials and personnel as a result of logistics challenges.

“Election in Okitipupa local government shall be conducted 12 noon on Sunday 21st April 2024. The final collation of the results will be done thereafter,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, two aspirants and agents of two other contestants raised concerns about the conduct of the primary.

They alleged that based on the conduct of the exercise, plans were made to favour certain aspirants.

Olugbenga Edema, who is one of the 16 aspirants in the race for the APC ticket, decried delays in the distribution of materials and called on the party to investigate the process.

Rotimi Williams, the agent of Oke, took a similar position.

Shola Ajisafe, the agent of Adewale Akinterinwa, backed the narrative by Edema and Willams.

“My people have been calling me. No material has been distributed to them,” Ajisafe who is from Ondo North said, accusing Governor Ododo of working in favour of a candidate. (Channelstv)

Politics

PDP caucus backs Damagum to continue as Acting National Chair

Published

4 days ago

April 18, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

PDP caucus backs Damagum to continue as Acting National Chair

• PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum

The current acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, will continue in that capacity until another National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that will hold after the one slated for today, Thursday April 18, 2024.

This formed part of the resolution of the PDP caucus meeting on Wednesday night.

PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said the caucus resolved that all reconciliation committees of the party be reconstituted to resolve grievances affecting the unity of the party.

Asked what the caucus discussed about issues regarding the party’s chairmanship position, he said it is an issue that the NEC of the party will discuss but said the organ resolved that Damagum continue as chairman till the next NEC after today’s.

The meeting was attended by the former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; and the 2023 presidential flag bearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

Damagum is suspected to be an ally of Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The caucus also directed that the party should revisit the Rivers State Caretaker Committee List, and find a political solution to the crisis in the state.

The caucus meeting held less than 24 hours to theNEC meeting of the party, which has been scheduled for today (April 18, 2024) to discus issues regarding the leadership of the party and also to ractify decisions by various organs of the party.

The PDP is facing a leadership crisis, with members urging the resignation of the Damagum-led NEC. Meetings like the NEC and the party’s Board of Trustees have been arranged to address these issues.

Meanwhile, Senator Iyorcha Ayu has withdrew his appeal, which sought to challenge his removal as the party’s national chairman. His move is also believed to be connected with the party’s upcoming National Executive Meeting.

Ayu was suspended by the executive committee of the PDP in Igyorov ward in the Gboko Local Government Area of Kogi State in 2023 over alleged anti-party activities but he had approached the court to challenge his removal.

However, a Federal High Court in June last year affirmed the decision of the party to sack Senator Ayu, a judgement that led to an appeal, which he has now withdrawn.

FULL TEXT: Communique Issued At End Of PDP NEC Meeting

Communique Issued at the end of the 98th Meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Today, Thursday, April 18, 2024.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great Party, at its 98th meeting today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, thoroughly assessed the State of affairs of the Nation and the Party and resolved as follows:

1. NEC commends all the Organs of the Party for their collective resilience, steadfastness and commitment towards the unity, stability and sustenance of our great Party despite dauting challenges.

2. NEC also commends members of the PDP, with particular reference to the youths and women for their courage in resisting the antics of the divisive and anti-people All Progressives Congress (APC), especially, its desperation to emasculate the opposition and foist a one-Party State on our nation.

3. NEC expresses concern over the ill-implemented policies of the insensitive APC administration, leading to worsening insecurity, harrowing economic hardship, soaring unemployment rate, high cost of food and other necessities of life with pervading misery and despondency across the country.

4. NEC expresses serious apprehensions over the spate of acts of terrorism and violence including the escalated cases of mindless killings, mass abduction of innocent Nigerians and marauding of communities in various parts of the country.

5. NEC condemns the insensitivity, nonchalance, incompetence and arrogance in failure of the APC administration which continues to conduct itself in a manner that shows that it has no iota of interest or commitment towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.

6. NEC also condemns the creeping totalitarianism and tendencies towards a One-Party State which is inimical to the peace, stability and corporate existence of our nation as well as the development of Democracy and good governance in the country.

7. NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should urgently convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative consequences on our national life.

8. NEC also demands that President Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.

9. NEC further demands that the Federal Government should review all policies and programmes which are stifling the economy with suffocating effect on the lives of citizens; including the increase in price of fuel without cushioning measures, hike in electricity tariff, increased taxation and implementation of adverse fiscal policies.

10. NEC charges all Organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the center in the interest of the Nigerian people.

11. Consequently, NEC received and approved the Timetable for Party Congresses across the country.

12. NEC also approved the Reconstitution of the Party Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the Party.

13. Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the Party Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC.

14. NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the Party including the new look PDP Logo which is widely accepted by Party members and Nigerians in general.

15. NEC charges all Party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country.

Thank you for listening.

Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary

Politics

El-Rufai reveals how Governors usually write election results instead of conducting election

Published

5 days ago

April 18, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

El-Rufai reveals how Governors usually write election results instead of conducting election

Nasir El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused a northwest Governor of writing election results instead of conducting free and fair elections.

El-Rufai disclosed that the said Governor had approached him on how to conduct free and fair elections, but instead of heeding the advice given to him, the Northwest Governor went ahead to write election results as usual.

El-Rufai stated this on Monday in Maiduguri, while delivering a lead paper at a capacity-building workshop for top officials of the Borno State government.

Speaking against the backdrop of state electoral commissions as rigging tools in the hands of the state governors, El-Rufai recalled how he used electronic voting to conduct a free and fair local government areas elections during his tenure as governor.

He narrated that it was after the success of the local government elections that the Northwest state governor approached him to use his pattern, but after availing him of the technique used in conducting the elections, he went back to his state and wrote results of the local government elections he conducted instead of conducting it electronically.

El-Rufai, during his lecture, called for the scrapping of the state electoral commissions, arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could handle all local government elections.

“While I was the Governor of Kaduna State, I introduced electronic voting and conducted local government election with it. After the election, we lost about three to four local government areas to the opposition, because of the credibility of the election. And because we were transparent in the election, some of those opposition candidates decamped to our party because of our fairness in the election.

“I remember that one governor from the Northwest who loved the conduct of the election through electronic voting asked me to assist him with the technology I used in the election, but because it has the state logo, I told him that it would not cost more than 10,000 US dollars, so that he can get the equipment to conduct his state LGA election electronically. But after that conversation, I did not hear from him again, he went back home and conducted his election by writing the results as usual,” El-Rufai said.