Connect with us

Politics

I’m not afraid of impeachment, says Shaibu

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Ahead of the September 21 Edo State governorship election, the factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Philip Shaibu, has vowed to carry on with his preparations even if doing so would cause his impeachment by the state House of Assembly.

Shaibu, the deputy governor of the state, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.

On Thursday, the returning officer in the PDP governorship primary and Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, announced Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the delegate election, having polled a total of 577 votes.

However, in the parallel primaries that took place at the Benin residence of the Deputy Governor, the returning officer, Bartholomew Moses, declared Shaibu the winner, saying he won “with over 300 votes.”

Advertisement

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Shaibu described himself as the authentic candidate, noting that the primary that produced Ighodalo was nothing short of a social party attended by “people who wore aso ebi from all over the place.”

Shaibu, who defected to the PDP alongside the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in 2020 from the All Progressives Congress, said his office has been subjected to all manner of degrading treatment by the governor, adding however that he is the man to win the election for the PDP.

He said, “Even as we speak, my team has been calling me that, ‘Look at what these people are doing. They are saying they are going to impeach you, that you have gotten too far.’ They are threatening to impeach me.

“And I said, well, if fighting for my rights and all of us collectively triggers my impeachment, so be it.”

Advertisement

Shaibu, who described Ighodalo as “my far elder brother,” however, urged the PDP to know that the lawyer-turned-politician does not have what it takes to win the poll.

“If the party wants to win the election, they will not go for Ighodalo. If the party wants to win the election, the people have spoken, and they have spoken very loud and clearly.

“If people can stand bullets to say this is who we want, then the party should follow that direction,” he added.

The deputy governor also said that he has appointed former APC Deputy Chairman, Edo State Chapter, Pastor Kenneth Asekomhe, to chair a committee to reach out to Ighodalo’s camp to forge a common front for the PDP in the election.

Advertisement

“He is the chairman of the committee that I have set up to reach out to the Ighodalo group for us to have a discussion to see how we will go because it is only him that is not on board,” he further said.

Shaibu also said he is working with the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Mr Dan Orbih.

“The leader of the legacy coalition is Dan Orbih. We are working together and that is why it is important that Asue (Ighodalo) join the legacy coalition because the coalition is those that were in APC that moved to PDP to meet those that were already in PDP.

“Those that were in PDP that we met are the legacy. The coalition now is that we joined the old PDP moving together because we don’t want to hear new and old PDP and that is why we call it a legacy coalition,” Shaibu stated.

Advertisement

On whether the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the primary election that produced him, Shaibu spoke affirmatively without going into details.

“INEC and the party were there but I will not disclose a lot. If we don’t go to court, fine. But if we do go to court, all this information will be unveiled,” he threatened.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Politics

FCT elections: APC vows to capture FCT Area Councils

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

The All Progressives Congress is poised to wrest control of all six Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils from the opposition, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has declared.

Yilwatda made the announcement on Friday during the inauguration of a 138-member National Campaign Council for the FCT Area Council elections at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

He instructed the committee, led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to mobilise support and deploy strategies aimed at securing all six chairmanship positions and 62 councillors seats in the polls scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The chairman further urged the campaign team to capitalise on the growing influx of prominent political figures joining the party daily, emphasising that their involvement would strengthen the APC’s chances of victory across the FCT.

Advertisement

“With the calibre of people coming into the party on a daily basis, I will advise the committee to mobilize and put in place a strategy to claim the FCT. Those who worked against the party are now with us, and we should be able to leverage that to win the next Saturday election in the FCT.

“We must ensure we win the 6 Area councils and 62 councillorship seats,” the Chairman directed the committee.

The chairman added that the campaign council will focus on two major objectives — aggressive mobilisation of voters and deployment of well-articulated strategies to secure victory on Election Day.

He explained that the composition of the campaign council reflects Nigeria’s geopolitical diversity, noting that Abuja is home to residents from all parts of the country.

Advertisement

He stated that leaders from the South-South, South-East, North-Central, North-East, and North-West have been strategically assigned to mobilise residents from their respective regions who reside in the FCT.

“The FCT belongs to all Nigerians. If we execute our strategies effectively and work as one united party, victory is assured,” he said.

Addressing newsmen after the inauguration, the National Chairman dispelled the claim that only opposition parties are on the campaign trail, with major opposition leaders leading.

Responding to the allegation, Yilwatda said, “Who told you they were not campaigning? The campaign is done at the grassroots, among our people, across all tribes of Nigeria. It’s not selective. We have our governors who have been coming to town.

Advertisement

“They are from the South-South, South-East, North-Central, and North-West, representing all regions of the country. We have governors from all these regions, and all of them have been reaching out to the people in their own way, going to the communities, and they have dispatched leadership within those groups and tribes.

“So, we are mobilizing more than any other political party in Nigeria. We are confident we will win the election,” Yilwatda boasted.

Assuring the party of delivery, the campaign committee Chairman and Governor of Kwara State,  AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said his council would not disappoint the party leadership for the trust and confidence reposted on the committee.

AbdulRazaq then called on party members in the FCT to team up together for the victory of the party.

Advertisement

In his remarks, the Secretary of the Council and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu said the committee “will bring the energy of the young minds, the innovative mindedness of the young people to push the agenda to the grassroots.

“We will be on the streets. We will be in every household. We will go door to door, business to business, to sell the message of APC.

“It will no longer be mentioned that APC lost the election in Abuja. That was in the past. We are about to rewrite history. My people that I love so much, the people, my Igbo people that I love and who loves me will not allow me to be ashamed knowing fully well that I’m at the helm of affairs to make sure that the bulk vote of the Igbo communities in Abuja that we harvest them for the greatest party within the black race that is called the APC.”

Earlier, the Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, said the campaign council was enlarged from 137 to 138 to accommodate the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Former PDP National Women Leader Joins APC

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

A former National Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hajiya Maria Waziri, has left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State.

Waziri made her decision public on Monday at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi, where she arrived with a group of her supporters to formally register with the APC.

She was received by the state governor, Nasir Idris, who praised her move and described it as coming at the right time for the party and the state.

The governor assured Waziri and those who came with her that they would be fully accepted into the APC without discrimination.

Advertisement

Idris said the ruling party remained open to all politicians who were ready to contribute to the development of Kebbi State.

He added that his administration would continue to focus on projects and policies that improve the lives of residents, regardless of their political background.

The governor also spoke about his personal relationship with Waziri, noting that he was familiar with her experience and political strength and believed she would add value to the party and the state.

The APC chairman in Kebbi State, Abubakar Kana-Zuru, also welcomed the former PDP leader and her supporters.

Advertisement

He assured them that they would enjoy equal rights and opportunities within the party, just like other members.

Kana-Zuru pointed to the achievements of the current administration in the state and said Waziri’s decision to join the APC showed confidence in the direction of the government.

Speaking on her decision, Waziri explained that her move was influenced by the performance of the APC-led government in Kebbi State and at the national level. She noted that this was her first time changing political parties in about 20 years.

She said she had spent most of her political life in opposition and chose to remain there until now, but recent developments in governance convinced her to take a new path.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

2027: APC Members Push For Ambode

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have said the candidacy of former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in the 2027 governorship election will make the party’s electoral victory seamless in the state.

The party members made this declaration during the South-South APC Lagos State Women Forum PVC Sensitisation Exercise and APC e-Registration Mobilisation held in Ikorodu area of the state that was propelled by the Tinubu – Ambode Support Group.

The party faithful, women leaders, and grassroots mobilizers had gathered at the event to strengthen the party’s base and encourage wider political participation.

In her address at the event, group women leader, Mrs. Justina Osara, emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Governor Ambode remained symbols of purposeful leadership, visionary governance, and people-oriented administration.

Advertisement

Osara noted that Ambode’s track record in office speaks volumes, particularly in the areas of infrastructure development, public service reforms, and inclusive governance.

According to her, Ambode’s re-emergence on the political stage would bring renewed confidence, unity, and strategic direction to APC, especially at the grassroots level where his policies and projects positively impacted ordinary citizens.

She commended women leaders from the South-South community for their commitment to democratic participation through PVC sensitisation and active involvement in the APC e-registration process, describing them as the backbone of grassroots mobilisation and a critical force in shaping electoral success.

Speakers at the event described former Governor Ambode as a leader who listens, delivers, and prioritizes the welfare of the people, and further described him as a bridge-builder, a technocrat with a human face, and a dependable political asset whose leadership style aligns with the aspirations of party members and the general populace.

Advertisement

They concluded by assuring APC members that with renewed mobilisation, unity, and the strategic inclusion of experienced leaders like Ambode, the party stands on a stronger footing to achieve greater electoral victories and deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of Lagos State and beyond.

They urged all members, especially women and youth, to continue participating actively in PVC registration, party e-registration, and grassroots mobilisation, stressing that collective effort was key to securing a more prosperous future for the APC.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News