Politics
PDP governors divided over bid to sack party chair Damagum
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.
(The Nation)
All Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives members have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Their defection was made public by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Tuesday.
Details shortly…
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State says the All Progressives Congress, APC, will welcome former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori, into the party’s fold.
Oborevwori who recently defected to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party, made the remarks during the vigil mass held in honour of the former deputy governor of the state, Prof Amos Utuama.
DAILY POST reports that the mass was held on Wednesday at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who stressed the need for unity among the Urhobo political class, highlighted the selfless contributions of the transited former deputy governor.
“I am very happy to be here today, seeing this large gathering for one man. The preaching today is not about the dead, it is about the living.
“There are many things our former deputy governor did while he was alive. I will mention just a few key ones.
“He donated the land allocated to him in Asaba while he was deputy governor to the Catholic Church.
“He also contributed to building of the church. To me, that is a kingdom investment,” he said.
Oborevwori prayed that the passing of the deceased would bring peace and unity to Ughelli South and the entire Urhobo ethnic group.
In his exhortation, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri, Most Rev. Anthony Ewherido, affirmed that the late Prof. Amos Utuama lived an impactful life in both the church and the society.
Ewherido condoled with the family, urging them to uphold the legacies of their father which were: godliness, humility, charity and selflessness.
The bishop described the death of a Christian as a transition to eternal glory and reminded everyone of the need to accept Christ while alive to enjoy eternity after the physical death.
He also called for continued unity among the political class for the peace and development of the state.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Ovie Utuama, son of the deceased, appreciated all for their support and requested prayers for the family during this difficult period.
Politics
PDP would have flushed out APC in 2023 if Okowa was not Atiku’s running mate-Moro confesses
Abba Moro, the senator representing Benue south, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have won the 2023 presidential election if it had not chosen Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Moro said the choice of Okowa, the former governor of Delta state, as the opposition party’s vice-presidential candidate was a “serious mistake“.
This is coming on the heels of a comment by Okowa, who said he regretted being Abubakar’s running mate during the 2023 elections.
Okowa, who spoke on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, said his being the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate was against his people’s will.
On April 23, Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former governor of Delta said his defection to the ruling party was in the “best interest of our people” and the need for the people of the state to “connect to Abuja”.
However, Moro said Okowa’s claim of regret after the PDP failed to win the presidential election in Delta state showed that his “soul” was not in the party.
“Given what we know now, with the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if other candidates, other than Okowa, had been picked as the vice-presidential candidate from the south,” the Benue senator said.
“I think there is an error of judgment on the part of everybody that was involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate.
“How else would you characterise this scenario that a sitting governor, a former senator, and a presidential candidate of a party couldn’t deliver his state even to the presidential candidate?”
“And to think that two out of the senators from that state were from the opposition parties other than the PDP.
“So, I think that picking Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate in 2023 was a very serious mistake.”
Moro added that Okowa’s action showed a lack of commitment to the party.
“As it is now, you can safely conclude that we lost the election because of lack of commitment,” he said.
“Otherwise, how can you explain that shortly after losing his state, that ordinarily should have been a very easy pick for the PDP, instead of rendering an apology to the party and Nigeria, he’s now talking about regretting being on the ticket?
“His soul was not in the PDP. His soul was not in that election, and that is why we performed very miserably in Delta state.”
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