By Mario Deepromoter

… ensure neutrality

…and INEC must inspire in Nigerians

As the Edo state governorship elections is few days away, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives outrightly condemns the incessant discriminatory arrests of members and leaders of some opposition parties by the police and other security agencies.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Caucus Leader, Rep Kingsley Chinda where the Caucus expressed concern over events in Edo State.

” We are worried by the reported cases of deliberate coercion, gross harassment, and grand intimidation of some of the minority party faithful and stakeholders across the state.

“We are alarmed that the police and some security agencies in cahoot with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) have, in the past weeks being involved in serial unlawful activities which includes wanton and forceful arrests of opposition members under spurious allegations.

The caucus also condemned the unusual silence from above saying: “More disturbing is the silence of the Federal Government to the ludicrous posturing, preposterous demagoguery, and insidious shenanigans of some leaders and senior members of the APC.

” Some of these people whose penchant for garrulousness and tactless elucidation are well documented. If these anti- democratic forces are not called to order, their negative acts may deny the good people of Edo state the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility.

“Also, the FG must as of necessity, come clean and clear doubts about allegations that it plans to rig the elections for the APC candidate.

“The Caucus criticises in its entirety this negative ploy, which will further erode citizens confidence in our electoral system. As it is, the FG’s interest and interference in the elections has created mistrust in the electoral process among some voters.

“As major stakeholders in the electoral process and advocate for odourless, and transparent elections, the Caucus strongly appeals to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair, and credible elections on Saturday. Aware of the negative narratives, and stain-riddled perception of INEC by many Nigerians, the electoral body is advised to use the Edo governorship elections to wean itself of these baggages. The INEC should grab the opportunity of Saturday’s election to embark on necessary image-cleaning, credibility re-positioning, and convince Nigerians of its independence. To achieve this, the electoral umpire should not only guarantee level playing field for all parties, and candidates, it must ensure that voters freely exercise their franchise.

“The Caucus enjoins the FG, INEC, security agencies, political parties, and other major stakeholders to play by the rules. President Bola Tinubu must ensure that the Edo governorship elections, the fourth in his administration, must be an improvement on the Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa elections. To achieve this, he must ensure that INEC is fair to all parties; guarantee the neutrality of the police, and other security agencies, and emplace protection of voters.

“The Caucus has also resolved to monitor the election to enable it take necessary and consequential legislative action.

The split among the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is widening.

A group of National Working Committee (NWC) members met with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed on Tuesday and got a message.

Another group led by Acting National Chairman Illiya Damagum met yesterday with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. They got another message.

While the Bauchi State Governor said the party would send Damagum packing because his stay had become untenable, Makinde said in Ibadan that he was giving 100 per cent support to the acting national chairman.

Mohammed hosted members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) yesterday at the time that Damagum was in Ibadan.

Reading the communique of his meeting with a faction of the NWC, he said: “My brother from the Northeast is currently serving as Acting National Chairman, which is constitutionally inappropriate.

“According to our party’s constitution, any leadership vacancy should be filled by someone from the region where it originated.

“Northcentral has been eager for this opportunity, and we’ve discussed this issue.

“We are committed to working with the NWC and the party to ensure that the Northcentral is given the chance to assume this responsibility.”

He said such an arrangement was worked out after the resignation of Alh. Bamanga Tukur from the Northeast, when former Governor of Bauchi State, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, became the PDP National Chairman.

The NWC team that met with Mohammed was led by the National Legal Adviser, Kamaluddeen Adeyemi.

With him were National Publicity Secretary Debo Olagunagba and National Vice Chairman (Northeast) Emmanuel Bovao.

Others were National Treasurer Ahmed Yayari, National Women Leader Amina Bryhm and National Financial Secretary W. A Daniel.

There were also DG-PDP Governors Forum Agbo Emmanuel and Consultant Agu Emmanuel.

But, Makinde pledged full support for Damagum, who was in Ibadan for the turning of the sod for the rehabilitation of the Ladoke Akintola airport.

The Oyo governor said: “I am glad also that our Acting National Chairman and members of his NWC are here.

“I was reading yesterday (Tuesday) that there was another meeting in Bauchi by some NWC members.

“Let me say clearly that I have been discussing with my brother and let me tell you that we are 100 per cent in support of Damagum-led NWC.

“Whatever decision you take, we will support you to reposition our party.

“Let me also say this: I don’t think this is the right time…Even if we have issues within ourselves, we have an important election on Saturday.

“So, we should all just rally around and deliver our candidate.”

Dispelling speculations that he is not in support of Edo PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo, Makinde said: “I was away. I already fixed the meetings in Finland and Sweden when they fixed the Edo governorship grand finale rally. I couldn’t come.

“I thought I would manage to get to Nigeria that Saturday and tongues have been wagging that I wasn’t at the rally.

“Let me declare loud and clear that Seyi Makinde is 100 per cent with our candidate Asue Ighodalo in Edo State and it is the Edo people’s decision.

“If the people of Edo want to know the difference between delicious and nutritious, you should vote for Asue Ighodalo and deliver him as your next governor. He will give you nutrition.”

‘APC planting moles in Rivers PDP’

Mohammed accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately planting moles within the PDP in Rivers State.

The governor alleged that the ruling party’s strategy is to fuel internal divisions for political gains.

Mohammed made the accusations when the PDP BoT visited him.

Mohammed expressed concern over the ongoing power struggle within Rivers PDP between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under the APC-led government.

He said: “We have to close ranks but it is something that is baffling some of us.

“No challenge is not insurmountable. It will be surmounted by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that and that is why there is a problem.

“It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged. And you will notice that this is a creation of the other side (the APC).

“They want us to be in disarray; the crisis is the creation of the APC. They always want to have moles within us; they want to know what is happening within us.”

Mohammed said efforts were on to unify the party, adding: “We cannot compromise the peace and unity of our great party.”

BoT Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara commended Mohammed for his initiatives in resolving the crisis, expressing the BoT’s willingness to support his efforts.

Wabara said the BoT plans to engage the two factions in Rivers in separate meetings to address the issues.

Wabara further expressed disappointment with the ongoing challenges in the PDP, particularly the NWC’s actions and the leadership crisis in Rivers.

“We are not happy with what is happening in the party, and I think Nigerians too are not happy with what is happening in the PDP, particularly in Rivers,” he said.

Ahead of the Saturday, September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the Labour Party, on Wednesday, held its final mega campaign rally with the party’s leaders, such as Peter Obi, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, Nenadi Usman, Aisha Yesufu, among others, in attendance, canvassing support for the party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata.

However, the embattled National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and members of his disputed National Working Committee, were absent.

On Wednesday, the Abure camp, at a press conference in Abuja addressed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, accused Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of betrayal, following the appointment of a caretaker committee, led by Nenadi Usman, to lead the party.

Ifoh accused Obi and Otti of teaming up with the Independent National Electoral Commission to frustrate Abure and his NWC.

Ifoh lamented that rather than stand by the party in its trying moment, the two party leaders betrayed their trust by openly dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo gwon’ with the electoral umpire.

“Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” is a popular folk music by nonagenarian highlife artist, Mike Ejeagha, which went viral this year on social media.

Ifoh said, “The party is miffed by the actions of our leaders including our former presidential candidate and our only governor who should be defending the party at this trying moment. They ought to know that the LP is going through challenging times over its role in defending both leaders during the 2023 general election. Our leadership went to the trenches with Obi, cascading through the nooks and crannies canvassing for votes.

“For the benefit of hindsight, not a few Nigerians will forget how we accommodated some of these leaders when they were denied tickets in their former political parties. Many who suddenly sought the head of Julius Abure to be served on a platter were rolling on the floors, begging for tickets. Some couldn’t even afford to pay for the nomination forms.

“The same LP leadership stood by our then governorship candidate in Abia through thick and thin, snubbing all sorts of pressures, weathering the political and judicial storms to ensure that victory was achieved. Today, these leaders are now dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ with us. What a shame, what a betrayal.”

The drama comes barely one week after the party dragged INEC to court to stop the commission from granting recognition to the newly installed Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee.

Two days ago, the media was also awash with INEC’s counter-affidavit to the effect that the tenure of the Abure-led executives has expired to justify its attempt to confer legitimacy on the 29-member committee inaugurated by Obi, Otti and the party’s stakeholders.

But Ifoh vowed on Wednesday that the ‘illegal arrangement’ wouldn’t stand, stressing that the committee members were handpicked by factions of the party in the most undemocratic fashion.

He also accused INEC of trying to destabilise the party by taking sides and attempting to undermine the LP leadership.

“As you are aware, the party has since sued INEC challenging its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. However, INEC had in a counter-affidavit, filed in response to our suit argued that the Labour Party’s leadership, including Julius Abure, is invalid, stressing that it does not recognise the party’s March 2024 National Convention.

“Every Nigerian alive knows the role INEC played in the 2023 general election and how the electoral will of the people were dashed. It amazes us that those who suffered from this INEC’s ineptitude in 2023, are now joining forces with the commission against the party leadership. For these leaders, there is no qualm to leverage on the INEC’s standpoint of illegality to attempt to seize the leadership of the party.

“We sincerely want to advise these leaders that INEC is and can never be the model on which to launch their annexation agenda. The 2023 saga is still fresh. In one breath, we demonised INEC. In another, you are seen fraternising with them. I ask, where was this loyalty when INEC failed to protect the will of the people in 2023? Let us not be fooled. INEC has not changed, and come 2027, they will once again serve you the portage with the same dish,” he stated.