Politics

Former Governor declares interest in PDP national chair position

Published

12 months ago

March 18, 2024

Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue state, has declared his intention to run for the office of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement issued by Bede Bartholomew, media aide to Suswam, the former governor expressed his desire to vie for the position during an expanded caucus meeting of the party, held at his residence in Katsina-Ala, Benue state, over the weekend.

He said Suswam is seeking to complete the tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, the suspended national chairman of the party.

“The meeting which was convened by the Zonal Vice Chairman Hon. Azua Ashongo, had about all stakeholders in attendance including the former governor of Benue State, HE. Sen. Gabriel Suswam, who announced his interest in the position of the national championship which by the law of the party is still domiciled in North Central and Benue in particular,” the statement reads.

Bartholomew said those who attended the meeting included Titus Uba, Benue PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 election; Margaret Icheen, member of the PDP board of trustees (BoT); and Maurice Tsav, north-central secretary of the party.

Suswam served as a member of the house of representatives from 1999 to 2007.

He was elected governor of Benue in 2007 and reelected in 2011.

In 2019, he was elected to represent the Benue north-east senatorial district in the senate.

Ayu was elected as the national chairman of the PDP in October 2021 to serve a term of four years.

According to section 47 (1) of the party’s constitution, each elected officer of the party “shall hold office for a term of four years and shall be eligible for reelection for another term and no more”.

Ayu was suspended from office in March 2023, after the executive members of Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA of Benue, passed a vote of no confidence on him over alleged anti-party activities.

The LGA executives claimed that Ayu worked against the success of the PDP in his ward during the 2023 elections.

They also alleged that he was not paying his membership dues and did not vote in the March 18 governorship and house of assembly elections in the state.

Ayu’s suspension was upheld by the court. He was stopped from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

The party subsequently named Iliya Damagum as the acting national chairman.

Ayu was suspended after he declined calls by some members of the party to resign, following the presidential primary of the party in 2022.

Crisis broke out in the main opposition party after Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the party at the time, picked Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for the 2023 election, overlooking Nyesom Wike who was recommended by a panel comprising national working committee (NWC) members and governors.

Wike polled second to Abubakar in the PDP presidential primary election in May 2022, after the last-minute withdrawal of Aminu Tambuwal, who asked his supporters to back the former vice-president.

A day after the primary election, Ayu openly celebrated Abubakar’s victory, describing Tambuwal as “the hero of the convention”.

Politics

BREAKING: Ex- Lagos guber candidate Jandor dumps PDP

Published

9 hours ago

March 3, 2025

Austin Ojomah

Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly known as JANDOR, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The 2023 Lagos governorship candidate made the announcement on Monday during a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos.

While he did not disclose his next political move, JANDOR assured that he would make his intentions known in the coming months.

His departure from the PDP comes with the backing of his supporters across the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos State.

Details to follow…

Politics

UPDATED: Present 2025 Budget in the next 48hrs, Rivers Assembly tells embattled Fubara

Published

10 hours ago

March 3, 2025

Naijablitznews

… Assembly insists on no account should Rivers people suffer

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given embattled Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present the 2025 budget to the House.

Also, Fubara was encouraged to act fast and do the needful to stop unnecessary suffering by Rivers people over the stoppage of federal allocations to the state.

See details below:
The Rivers House of Assembly on the 3rd day of March 2025, amongst other matters deliberated on Judgements of
the Supreme Court in Suits numbers- SC/Cy/1174/2024 and sC/CV/1105/2024 delivered on the 28h day of
February 2025 and resolved as follows:

“That pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court in Suit no.: sc/CV/1174/2024 for the stoppage of
Statutory Federal allocations to the Rivers State Government and haltíng of spending from the
Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State pending the passage of an Appropriation Bill, you are
requested to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House in line with the provisions of the 1999
Constitution as amended.

“That the House expects you to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill within 48 hours.

“That since the Supreme Court in the judgement delivered in Suit no.: SC/CV/1105/20
0/2024 nullified the
Rivers State Local Government Elections of 5th October 2024 for non-compliance with the
Electoral Act among other reasons, the House would soon commence the process of amending the
Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 and the Rivers State Independent Electoral
Commission Law No. 2 of 2018 so that they can be in tandem with the Electoral Act and pave the way
for the commencement of plans for fresh Local Government elections in the State.

That your attention should be drawn to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended; the Rivers
State Local Government (Amendment) Law, 2023 as well as the Judgement of the Supreme Court in
Suit No.: Sc/cv/343/2024 that prohibits the administration of Local Governments by HLGA’S or any
other persons other than democratically elected officials.

That the House would proceed on a 12- week recess as from Friday 7th March 2025 but Standing
Committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.

“Please be informed that our resolutions are geared towards a quick fix to the current financial quagmire
occasioned by the absence of an Appropriatíon Law for Rivers State.

“We do not want Rivers State people to
suffer.

“We, therefore, urge you to act fast and do the needful in the best interest of the good people of Rivers
State.