Politics
Main Reason I Signed Letter To Appeal Court Over 27 Rivers Lawmakers — Damagum
Acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Iliya Damagum, has explained his decision to sign the controversial letter to the Appeal Court on the case involving the embattled 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly contrary to the position of the party’s national legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.
Damagum, who said there was a precedence for his action, noted that he and the party’s national secretary are the signatories of PDP, stressing that he didn’t make the decision without consulting members of his team.
He stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating the Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees of the party headed by Chief Tom Ikimi and Prince Olagunsoye Onyinlola, respectively.
Recall that a former national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, had lambasted Damagum and the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, for writing to the Appeal Court in Rivers State, insisting that the party would remain on an appeal over the embattled 27 Rivers State lawmakers contrary to the position of the party’s legal adviser, Mr. Ajibade, SAN.
The former party spokesman said the acting national chairman breached the party’s constitution by taking that action without recourse to the national legal adviser who, he said, is empowered by Section 42 (1) of the party’s constitution to nominate legal representation for the party.
Earlier, opposition federal lawmakers had accused Damagum and Anyanwu of orchestrating a plot to undermine the party’s interests in Rivers State.
The group led by Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere said Damagun and Anyawu opposed the PDP national legal adviser’s move to ensure that the sacked pro-Wike 27 lawmakers, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from PDP, are neutralised and stopped from doing any harm to PDP interest and possible removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.
Ugochinyere explained that the Rivers State High Court had previously issued an ex parte order on July 8, 2024, restraining key state officials from interacting with the defected lawmakers.
However, he alleged that Dr. J.Y. Musa, SAN, filed an appeal against the order, despite opposition from the PDP’s national legal adviser.
He said, “The National Legal Adviser, constitutionally empowered to protect the interests of the PDP, had already moved to withdraw the appeal on July 24, 2024, recognizing its potential harm to the party.
“However, in a shocking turn of events, on August 15, 2024, Damagum and Anyanwu sent a letter to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, dissociating themselves from the withdrawal, effectively undermining the Legal Adviser’s authority,” Ugochinyere said.
However, responding for the first time on the crisis, Damagum said, “I also want to use this opportunity to clear certain insinuations that have been trending on social media. Last I checked, the signatories of this party are the chairman and the secretary.
“Just because the chairman and secretary signed a letter, it has become an issue. People are making all sorts of insinuations about it. I don’t want to engage with the other person—it’s a distraction.
“But it pains me when I see someone who knows the workings of the NWC going on television to mislead the audience and say things that are not correct. It is painful. Very, very painful.
“There is precedent for what we did. During Kashamu’s case, the chairman and secretary brought it to the Supreme Court. There was also the issue of Anambra.
“Two issues arose. The chairman and secretary, in any situation, work as a team. I don’t make decisions without consulting my members,” the acting PDP national chairman stated.
Politics
PDP chieftain opens a can of worm on Edo APC Chair
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo state, Barrister Richard Ihenaekhien has taken to the social media to bring out damning evidence of past misdeeds of the acting Chairman of the ruling All Program Congress, APC, in Edo state Emperor Jarret Tenebe.
In a well documented treatises pieced together by Penpushers, an online medium, Ihensekien’s angst stem from the APC’s chairman’s vituperations which culminated with the later calling his wife a prostitute on social media.
According to the PDP chieftain: “The APC Acting State chairman, Jarret Tenebe hate has been seriously exposed as he has been casting aspersions on people mainly in PDP. His penchant for a dog fight is being exposed particularly after calling the APC Governorship candidate,Asue Ighodalo, a thief on social media and afterwards putting up of Richard Ihensekhien wife’s pictures on Facebook calling her a prostitute on social media. A highly despicable act for which the entire party,APC that he leads should be ashamed.
“This has now led people to dig to know who the person Jarret Tenebe really is. People are surprised and disappointed that a character of Jarret Tenebe could be the Chairman of a major political party. Particularly a party that has serving senators, House of Representatives and State Assembly members. A man whose past is so despicable , nothing to be pleased about and so embarrassing”.
Further, he stated: “Tenebe was a corporal in the Nigerian Army, he deserted the Army (AWOL )after he was involved in armed robbery in lagos , along Badagry/ Seme expressway using the Army uniform.He was declared wanted by both the Army and the Nigeria Police authorities after the robbery incident especially for the loss of innocent lives that were involved. He has since then not reported to the military for investigation and yet prides himself everywhere as an ex-soldier.
On the homefront; “His family life is in shambles and tatters. He claims to be married but has abandoned his wife over the years and does not even see or communicate with her even when he visits lagos, which he often does. The wife is said to be suffering from acute depression resulting from abandonment by her supposed husband and only lives on proceeds from the rents she collects form the boys quarters of her house she rented out.However, he uses her name to beg for money all about, ranging from medicals to other unfathomable reasons.What an irresponsible man?
Jarret is also alleged to be at daggers drawn with his siblings with whom he is not on speaking terms over the years. His mother died while they kept malice. Yet,he started using her death to raise money for himself to survive.
“He is said to have been diagnosed with very serious diabetes and Erectile dysfunction. His man hood is not functioning anymore, he cannot have intimate affairs with a woman let alone make love to his supposed wife for years
“He is always seen in the company of young girls but they tell you he is not functional and just keeps them for company to deceive the public of his disability.
“He goes about claiming another person’s child in the US, saying the girl is his daughter. The pictures of the young girl and her mother will soon be released. The child in the US is not his. DNA results will reveal that. He is not capable of producing children after he took an oath in a shrine in lagos for money. The money he got and frittered away without any single thing to show.
“After over 20 years of living on people and begging from one person to the other he is now a habitual begger known to everybody.
“He was arrested and beaten up by soldiers from the 4th Mechanised Brigade of the Nigerian Army after he was caught stealing crude oil products from burst pipelines in Warri along side some miscreants. He was terribly beaten up thrown into a container and taken to Bayelsa and detained . He was thereafter handed over to the EFCC for prosecution. In his usual character of blackmail, he tried spiritedly to rope in some top level PDP members in his infamy, desperate attempt to secure temporary freedom.please google ( Jarret Tenebe;oil thief on the internet for more details)”.
Ihensekien therefore wants the Economic Financial Crimea Commission, EFCC, to revisit the case and explain to Nigerians why Jarrett Tenebe is not in jail today when he was hunted by the Nigerian Police and he couldn’t even leave the country using airports if not for his long time associate who was then an officer attached to the airport who severally smuggled him through the airport.
“Jarret is a confirmed thief and criminal as confirmed by Google reports. I wonder how he can open his mouth to call a renowned African bureaucrat like Asue Ighodalo and the former Edo state gov thieves , it is a sign of early stages of madness.
“He also is a drug addict, addicted to tramadol tablets and capsule which he takes at least 10 tablets at once after which he loses his senses and do unusual things like calling another man’s wife a prostitute on Facebook. He is a user of Indian hemp called loud and kolos, abusing these substances above his limits hence he suffers from disorganized thinking at most times. He is a drug addict.
“There are witnesses to testify that he sponsored some secret cult members to kill and create public disorders during the cult clashes in Edo state. He recently threatened one pharez okpere on FB, that if he doesn’t leave Benin, he will kill him. He is a disgrace and Apc should be ashamed to say Jarrett is their Acting chairman.
“He is a pretender and has vowed that if he is confirmed chairman of APC in the next congress the first people he would crush is Hon Gani Audu, Comrade Oshiomole and Lawrence okah. He is working with Philip Shaibu for him to replace Oshiomole at the senate. He hates them; Oshiomole, Joseph Ugheoke and Gani Audu internally with a passion. He is a political jobber.
When contacted, the APC chairman rebuffed this reporter and is quoted to have said; “You can go ahead and publish”
Politics
Ihedioha’s Ex-CoS, Others Dump PDP For APC
A former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, Chris Okewulonu, alongside Ihedioha’s former deputy governorship candidate, Chuma Nnaji, have defected to the All Progressives Congress.
The duo, alongside their supporters, defected on Friday.
At the APC secretariat in Owerri, the state capital, Okewulonu addressed party members.
He said “You will recall that a few months ago, I tendered my resignations, both as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and as a member of its Board of Trustees,” Okewulonu stated.
“My decision to leave that party was taken after deep introspection, coupled with lengthy consultations with members of my family, my political colleagues, and my well-wishers.
“My decision was equally rooted in my conviction that the qualities which formed the essence of the PDP as a political party, and which ab initio informed my attraction to it, had been continuously eroded, totally degraded, and finally and irretrievably lost,” he said.
Okewulonu explained that his break from political activity allowed him to observe Imo’s political landscape critically.
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“In the light of the protracted disagreements and schisms in both of the parties which should, and were actually looked upon to constitute the frontline opposition parties in Nigeria, I found myself questioning whether, as a veritable statesman in the polity of Imo State and even Nigeria at large, I could afford to continue paying lip service to being a member of an ineffective, nearly non-existent opposition, whereas I could position myself to actively contribute towards improving the lives of my people,” he added.
He acknowledged Governor Hope Uzodimma’s leadership and his achievements.
“Five years down the road, I have come to the inescapable conviction that the 3R administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma has meant well for the people of Imo State, and has been doing its utmost to effectively and efficiently deliver the dividends of good governance to them.
“The humongous roads and other infrastructural interventions, and the human capacity building initiatives undertaken by the Senator Hope Uzodimma administration are eloquent testimonials to my belief and assertion,” Okewulonu said.
Uzodimma welcomed the defectors, emphasising the significance of their decision.
“APC was seen as a foreign party because of the unfortunate outing in the past. We became victims of mistaken identity. Today, the only party that meant well for Imo citizens is APC,” Uzodimma said.
He described the defection as a testament to APC’s growing influence in the state.
“Genuine members of the political class who want Imo to move forward are joining the winning party. The real state owners are coming back to the party. If we don’t solve the problem of our people, history will not forgive us,” the governor added.
Uzodimma praised Okewulonu and Nnaji’s decision to join APC, likening the development to recruiting elite players in sports.
“Conscience is an open wound that only truth can heal. I thank Okewulonu and Chuma Nnaji for joining our party. We have the Ronaldos and Lionel Messis in our party now,” he remarked.
Politics
Ganduje declares Tony Okocha APC leader in Rivers
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, has affirmed that Chief Tony Okocha is the leader of the party in Rivers State.
According to Ganduje, the executive committee headed by Okocha, an ally of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, is the Rivers State APC leadership structure recognized by the national secretariat of the party.
Ganduje made this declaration on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the newly elected state executive committee of the party.
The APC national chairman congratulated the newly elected members and explained the party’s decision to hold the inauguration in Rivers State instead of at the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.
Ganduje said, “I’d like to congratulate the newly elected members of our state executive.
“Traditionally in APC the inauguration of a state chapter is usually done at the state headquarters of the APC in Abuja.
“But as part of the change that we are introducing, we decided to inaugurate these elected executive members here in Rivers so that our party is rooted to the grassroots; so that there is no dichotomy between the national executive and the state exco.
“We are all working together and we don’t feel reluctant even to go to the ward level and undertake our function that is for APC.
He emphasized that the move signifies the party’s effort to strengthen ties between the national and state leadership, ensuring there is no division between the two structures.
Ganduje charged the state executive committee to prioritize internal democracy, highlighting it as a cornerstone of their responsibilities.
He also underscored the importance of fostering unity and inclusiveness within the party at the state level.
Ganduje added, “Therefore the state is our constituency. We need to embrace the state. We need to be in contact with the state. We need to be in harmony with the state.
“We need to synergise with the state and we need to be in love with the state. That is why we are here.
“As members and leaders of our party in the state, you know your basic responsibilities, your functions as spelt out by the constitution of our great party.
“You have to ensure that there is internal democracy. You’re to ensure that you look for new entrants into the party and look for members into the party.
“Use your political dexterity to ensure that our party moves forward. Strengthen the party in your constituencies. It is absolutely necessary. It is your responsibility to ensure that there is peace and you must ensure an effective conflict resolution mechanism. As leaders of the party, I believe you are equal to the task.”
Commenting on APC’s performance in the South-South geopolitical zone, traditionally dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ganduje noted that the APC has made significant progress, citing its control of Cross River and Edo states.
He further stated that Rivers State is the party’s next strategic target as it continues its expansion efforts in the region.
“You are from the South-South geo-political zone where the zone was dominated by the PDP.
“But you are fully aware that during the Buhari administration, we were able to take one state, Cross River, from the PDP.
“And in present President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration, we were able to win squarely in Edo State. Out of six states in the zone, we have recovered two.
“Rivers State is our target. Rivers, we are here for you. Rivers, you are on the way.”
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