Politics

Fallout of Enugu presidential rally: APC may remove embattled Agballah

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

• We’ve been vindicated – Ude, Chairman, Mainstream APC

The last may not have been heard about the crisis bedeviling the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (Congress), as it is reliably gathered that the state party chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah is said to have embarked on a desperate move to save his job over allegations of corruption and the boycott of the parties presidential rally in Enugu by the state’s party big wigs.

This fear in Agballah camp, it is gathered followed the decision of the national leadership of the party and the APC Presidential Campaign Council to postpone the party’s presidential rally in Taraba State following the alleged embezzlement of N200 million campaign fund by the leadership of the party in Taraba, a similar allegation that led to the flop of the party’s presidential rally in Enugu, recently.

Reliable party sources said that the national leadership of the APC and the APC Presidential Campaign Council, which appear to have learnt from their Enugu experience may have finally made up their minds to sack the embattled party chairman to save what remains of the party’s hope of securing 25 per cent of votes in Enugu in the February 25 presidential election and equally save the party from total collapse in the state.

The decision by the party followed a recent massive protest at the national headquarters of the APC by aggrieved members of the party in Enugu under the auspices of the Concerned Enugu APC members at the party’s national headquarters accusing Ugochukwu Agballah and the Enugu APC governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji of “impunity, gross misconducts, divisiveness, maladministration and embezzlement of party funds to tune of over N1.3bn”.

The protesters demanded Agballah’s removal and restitution of said N1.3bn and additional funds said to be running into hundreds of millions of naira donated by a South East governor of the APC extraction for the hosting of the presidential rally in Enugu by Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim shettima.

The party is also peeved by the boycott of presidential rally of the party at Okpara Square, Enugu, by the leaders of the party in the State such as former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; former governor of the Enugu State, Sullivan Chime; former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh; Director-General of the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu; Member of the Police Service Commission, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, among a host of other major APC stakeholders in Enugu State.

However, party sources said that Agballah is lobbying the South East party stakeholders in the region to help weather the storm.

Confirming the development, the pioneer deputy chairman of APC and chairman of Enugu Mainstream APC, Comrade Adolphus Ude, said the Concerned Enugu APC Members, which he leads have been justified, adding that the party should have saved itself the “embarrassment of the flopped presidential rally organised by Agballah by postponing the rally, just as they did in Taraba”.

“Yes, I can confirm to you that the factional chairman of the party in our state is in deep trouble. Unfortunately, while wisdom teaches us that you don’t dig further when you are in a hole, Agballah continued to dig and dig until he buried himself in his own conceitedness and greed.

“It is true he is running from pillar to pole to save a job he didn’t deserve or get in the first place, as he was never an APC member. But for how far can he run because the noose is too tight. The evidences of how he and Uche Nnaji short-changed party faithful to the tune of N1.3 billion plus the last hundreds of million released by a governor for the Enugu APC presidential rally are too clear and real to be ignored by the national party leadership. In fact, the party should have postponed the rally as they just did in Taraba.

“Importantly, at the end of the day, every party wants to win elections. But it is clear to the party now that there is no hope of APC in Enugu with Agballa in the saddle. So, he has to go”, Ude stated.

Politics

Ex-Imo gov, Emeka Ihedioha resigns from PDP

Published

21 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Emeka Ihedioha

A former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In his resignation letter addressed to the PDP chairman in Mbutu Ward, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state, Ihedioha cited a misalignment between his personal beliefs and the current trajectory of the main opposition party.

The former governor expressed his dedication to the advancement of democracy and good governance in the country despite his decision to step away from PDP.

According to Ihedioha, having been a member of the party since its inception in 1998, he has contributed immensely to the growth and evolution of the party.

The former governor, however, lamented recent developments within the PDP, stating that it has deviated from its core principles.

He voiced concerns over the party’s inability to enact internal reforms, uphold its own regulations, and effectively oppose the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

“Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly, no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.’

“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party effective immediately.

“While the decision was difficult to take, I, however, believe that it is the right one. Despite this resignation, I will always be available to offer my services towards the deepening of democracy and good governance in Nigeria”, the letter added.

News

Protest breaks out in Ondo over APC Gov Primary

Published

3 days 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

6 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