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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has said he has consulted with other political parties and will announce his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within a week.

The media had reported that the governor was weighing his exit from the PDP following lingering internal crisis that led to the nullification of the party’s Ibadan convention.

A delegation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, had visited the Bauchi Government House at the instance of the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, to persuade the governor to join the ADC.

After the meeting, Mohammed was said to have described the ADC as a preferred platform if he eventually decides to leave the PDP.

The governor later met with President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also led a delegation to Bauchi, in a bid to woo the governor.

However, talks between both sides later collapsed over disagreements on the sharing formula for control of the party structure, among other arrangements.

Speaking to journalists in Bauchi, Chairman of the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP in the state, Samila Adamu Burga, accused the APC of being unwilling to accommodate the governor’s political structure.

In an interview with BBC Hausa days after the Supreme Court nullified the PDP’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, Mohammed said his camp had accepted the judgement in good faith.

He, however, disclosed that he would soon announce his defection to a platform he considers stable enough to participate in the forthcoming general elections.

“As democrats and committed PDP members who respect the rule of law, we accept the judgement as the will of Allah. It is neither a total defeat for us nor a complete victory for the other side. The efforts we made to defend the rights of our supporters and uphold democracy are clear. While our Ibadan convention was nullified, their leadership was also set aside.

“In line with the party’s constitution, the Board of Trustees will take charge of affairs pending the emergence of an interim leadership, since the court has invalidated the current structure,” he said.

The governor accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of fuelling the crisis in the PDP, alleging that his actions weakened the party from within.

“We find ourselves in a difficult situation. Nyesom Wike and many of his associates are with the APC. His presence in the PDP was aimed at frustrating the party, and to some extent, that has happened. At the same time, we ensured he did not take full control.

“Given the limited time, we have begun consultations with other political parties where our people can secure tickets and contest. We do not have the time to form an interim leadership and obtain INEC approval within a few days.

“The focus now is to identify a stable platform for our candidates to participate in the coming elections.”

He also alleged a plot to produce a sole presidential candidate in the country.

“It was a deliberate attempt for them to emerge as sole candidates and go into the election unchallenged. Even though our loyalty remains with the PDP, we have no option but to look elsewhere.

“With only a few days left, we are working to conclude discussions on where to move. The PDP leadership, including Tanimu Turaki, will remain to pursue the matter, while we give our supporters the opportunity to contest on other platforms. Within a week, we will make our position known in Bauchi,” he said.

Mohammed appealed to his supporters to remain calm, assuring aspirants that they would have the opportunity to contest in the forthcoming elections.

On his political ambition, the governor said he would not run for the presidency, noting that the party had zoned the position to the South, adding that he would instead contest the Bauchi South senatorial seat.

“I am not contesting for the presidency. At the party level, we agreed to zone it to the South out of fairness.

“However, based on calls from my people, I will contest the Bauchi South senatorial seat to continue representing them and support our candidates,” he said.

On possible alliances, he said consultations were ongoing with other opposition figures.

“We are in talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi. There are calls for the opposition to unite under one platform, but that is not easy. Political realities differ across states and regions, as do the needs of the people,” he added.

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The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has said the indicative gantry price for aviation fuel released by Dangote Refinery will ensure market stability and compliance by marketers.

The Director, Public Affairs, Mr George Ene-Ita, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday.

Ene-Ita was reacting to the pricing and high cost of Aviation Turbine Kerosene, known as aviation fuel or Jet A1 fuel.

NAN reports that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has fixed its gantry price of ATK at N1,820 per litre, a move aimed at enhancing transparency in the sector.

This development comes at a time when Nigerians and airline operators have raised concerns over the high cost of the product and its heavy impact on the aviation industry.

In a move to ensure market stability, fair pricing, and ease mounting pressure on airline operators and passengers, NMDPRA had earlier set Jet fuel price cap for marketers, ordering direct sales to airlines.

The NMDPRA had issued a directive that the cost of Jet A1 fuel for end-users should range between N1,760 and N1,988 per litre in Lagos, and N1,809 to N2,037 per litre in Abuja.

In spite of the advisory guidance from the NMDPRA, oil marketers have continued to sell aviation fuel to airlines at N2,230 per litre and above, deepening concerns across Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Ene-Ita said that although petroleum product prices had been deregulated, the latest indicative gantry price for ATK disclosed by the refinery would further support its monitoring efforts.

“All petroleum product prices have been deregulated.

“However, with particular emphasis on ATK, the Dangote refinery, having released its latest indicative gantry prices, which they promised to publish daily going forward, will enable us to ensure tacit compliance by marketers and operators during our routine surveillance operations nationwide.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that what the Dangote Refinery is doing is a concession to help ease overhead cost pressures in the Aviation sector in order not to truncate its operations.

“So, we will play our part to see that Nigerians benefit from the gesture,” he said.

NAN reports that the NMDPRA pricing framework was derived from Platts average figures recorded between April 17 and 23, reflecting prevailing global oil market conditions.

According to the regulator, while the benchmarks provide guidance for fair pricing, actual market prices may fluctuate outside the stated range depending on purchase timing and external factors.

It specifically cited heightened global volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing U.S.–Iran crisis, as a key contributor to the recent hike in aviation fuel prices.

NAN

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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio at the weekend pleaded with the people of the South East, the Ndigbo, to continue to maintain peace in the country and guide the youth appropriately to shun Armed struggle against the Nigerian government.

Akpabio made the appeal while at the funeral of the former Administrative Secretary of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission(OMPADEC), Sir Albert Ikechukwu Nnamani who was buried on Saturday in his home town at Ikem in Enugu State.

Akpabio said development is feasible only in atmosphere of peace and urged the Ndigbo to watch over the youth with a view to guiding them appropriately.

Akpabio said: “For Ndigbo, l want to plead with you to continue to maintain the peace and watch the youth of today. They don’t understand politics. They don’t understand development. You can only have development in an area of peace.

“A situation whereby you try to wrestle power and try to assert independence through armed struggle from the Federal Government will fail. The state power will always overwhelm you.

“We are prepared as a parliament, to make the right laws, to tinker with the Act, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in order for Ndigbo to have, at least, an additional state. So that, they will also be equal to the other zones of the country. So for this, is the promise that we make and we stand by that.

“The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very eager to right the wrong of the past. That is why even in terms of appointment, he has done his best to ensure that Ndigbo is not marginalised. But everything you want should be negotiated.

“I’m saying this to underscore the fact that through peaceful means and negotiation, we shall get our right of place in Nigeria. I want this to happen in your life time. May we not lose our youth because of wrong politics and wrong advice. May we not lose our youth because of disaffection and people misleading them.
“We need solid base in Ndigbo land. I am not happy that the economy of Onitsha and Nigeria is affected by the so called sit at home. It has affected your economy so badly.

“Ndigbo are known for nothing but enterprise. When we came out from the war, all your accounts were frozen. If you have two million pounds, they gave you three pounds. What will you do with three pounds.

“So when l was given an award in 2010 by Silverbird. I saw all the gladiators sitted together. Then I asked them: how come the so called three Rs – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction – that Reconstruction happened in other areas of the country where the war was not fought.

“But in the area of the South-South and South East where Biafra war was fought, there was no reconstruction. They only tried reconciliation and rehabilitation. That R (Reconstruction) was missing.”
Akpabio said the Nigerian past leaders at the event were not comfortable with his speech. He however ended his speech by saying it was time for Nigeria to do justice and prayed “that justice shall be done to Ndigbo in our life time in Jesus Name.”

Akpabio paid glowing tribute to the former OMPADEC administrator that was buried stressing that “as administrative secretary of the former OMPADEC, he discharged his duty with dignity and with candour and he set the tone for the development of the Niger Delta region.

“Before his ascension into that position, many use to say that so much is being promised the people of the Niger Delta and that all the promises were in the pipeline. After a while, our people started breaking the pipelines in order to bring out the Federal Government promises. But those things are now things of the past.”