The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will not be taking part in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, the state party Chairman, disclosed this after a stakeholders’ meeting at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt.

He said the party is awaiting the court verdict over the election in the case instituted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to stay away from any activities connected with the election.

“We’ve just risen from a stakeholders meeting and took the following decisions that as a law-abiding party we will not be part of the purported local government election that they have slated for the 5th of October,” he stated.

“A few months ago, there was a suit instituted by the APC, we are not part of that suit. But as a law abiding party, we heard that an order was issued by the court restraining the parties that status quo remains the same. That RSIEC should not go ahead with the election, and we will wait for the court decision.”

This is coming days after both Emeka Beke, the reinstated APC Chairman and Tony Okocha the sacked CTC Chairman held press briefings with conflicting messages on the participation of the party in the election.

By Mario Deepromoter

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has declared outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki “politically dead” following Monday Okpebholo’s victory in the Edo governorship election.

In an interview on Channels TV’s “Politics Today”, which was monitored by TRIBUNE ONLINE, the former APC chairman stated that the people of Edo State have made their choice, and Obaseki’s insistence on a “do-or-die” approach has ultimately led to his downfall.

“We subscribe to President Jonathan’s school which says the election of even a president is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. And you have the PDP national chairman who is acting with all the crises around the status talking about bloodbath for election.

“You have Obaseki, I watched him on Channels insisting it was do-or-die. And when you asked him, he said, if they did, then they would be dead. Now the people have done it. I guess he is politically dead.

“The people have decided that Monday, who was elected last year as a senator, has been elected; and now has been declared the governor-elect,” he said

All appear set for Senator Shehu Sani, social critic and former Senator, Kaduna Central, to join forces with the All Progressive Congress, APC.

Indications to this effect emerged on Monday, September 23, 2024, following the defection of his followers from the PDP to the APC.

It will be recalled that Senator Sani contested the 2023 gubernatorial ticket of the PDP, but lost at the the primary stage.

The decampees ,in their thousands from across the 23 local councils of the State, arrived the APC Campaign Office on Muhammadu Buhari way, singing and hailing the name and praises of the former Senator.

Clutching the portraits of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that of Senator Sani, the decampees were received by some APC chieftains.

Spokesperson for the defectors, Monday Jaji, informed that their efforts in the last few months to convince Senator Sani about their position have, finally, yielded fruits.

According to him, they have finally convinced their leader on the need for them to return to the APC.

Jaji who was the Campaign Director to Sani during their sojourn in the Peoples Redemption Party PRP, noted that for two years, they have been pushing for their mentor and leader to defect to the APC due to his proven track record of performance while he held sway as a Senator between 2015 and 2019.

“When he was a Senator, Comrade Sani built seven hospitals across his constituency.

“He distributed over 200 transformers to communities, assisted the poor masses, and even bought a house for destitutes along Kano road, Kaduna.

Shehu Sani built a hospital in Chikun and built three in Igabi Local Government, Rigachikun and Giwa Local Councils”, Jaji stated.

One of the decampees informed that in a few weeks time, Senator Sani will be formally joining the APC.

However, while he will be crossing over from the PDP to APC, his arch political opponent and immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai will be heading in the opposite direction.

The Source reports that the political disagreement between the two in the countdown to the 2019 election forced Senator Sani out of the APC, as well as led to his replacement at the Senate with Ubah Sani now the State Governor.

An Impeccable source revealed that El-Rufai’s decision to join the PDP anytime soon is at the root of the Senator’s resolve to defect to the APC .

The Kaduna State APC Chairman, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (rtd ), while radiating happiness also expressed the optimism that the coming on board of the defectors will add value to the party in the State.