Politics
Edo 2024: Why we are confident of victory at tribunal – PDP
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has asserted that the party is poised for success at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, attributing this confidence to the robust nature of their petition and the qualifications of their witnesses.
Speaking in Benin yesterday, he noted that the PDP’s petition contesting the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on September 21, 2024, is unparalleled and distinct from the typical petitions seen in Nigeria.
Aziegbemi stated, “I am assured that the tribunal will recognize PDP and its governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, as the legitimate winners of the election, due to the substantial evidence we have provided.”
“In the petition, we did not plead financial inducement or ballot box snatching that will be difficult to prove. We focused on over-voting.
“If the law says where the number of votes cast is more than the number of accredited voters, and such is authenticated by the BVAS extract, it means the unit’s result must be cancelled because of over voting. These are things you can place your fingers on and say if it happened and you can prove that it happened, and you have documents to show that it happened, because INEC certified all the documents for us. That is where our confidence stems from. This is why our petition is unique.
“The only witness by Okpebholo at the tribunal’s sitting on Monday admitted that there was over-voting in his Ovia Southwest Local Government of Edo State. We used him to authenticate what we have been saying that there was over-voting in 133 polling units in the local government.’’
Edo PDP chairman urged the teeming members of the party to remain calm and law-abiding, while being confident of victory at the tribunal.
The sitting of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal will continue today.
Delta state Commissioner of Information, Charles Aniagwu, said that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Delta joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect the state’s interest.
Addressing journalists at Government House, Asaba, Aniagwu, said the move was aimed at preserving unity, deepening development, and safeguarding the wellbeing of Deltans.
His words: “The decision was taken to build the bond of love that have existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and welfare of our people and to a very large extent ensure that development in Delta, because every politics is local, is not truncated.
“And in taking that decision we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very very necessary for us to be able to collaborate with our kith and kin and build that state that every Deltan will be proud of.
The commissioner likened the current state of the PDP to palm wine that has lost its taste.
He said: “We believe that what is happening and the state of the PDP is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed and there was a need for us to change the drinking pattern.
“And that is why this decision has been taken unanimously by leaders and stakeholders of the party.
“By the grace of God, Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement after the fact that we are moving into the APC.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma have hailed the defection of Delta state Governor, Sheriff goes and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa into the ruling APC.
Wike gave the commendation in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Mr Lere Olayinka in Abuja on Wednesday.
Recall Okowa, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election on Wednesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okowa decamped alongside Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and other PDP stalwarts in the state, collapsing the entire PDP structures in the state to the APC.
Wike described the development as another endorsement of the president’s good governance and commitment to the development of the country.
He called on other Nigerians, who were still sitting on the fence to throw in their support for Tinubu.
According to him, Okowa and Oborevwori open endorsement of Tinubu is a vindication of the position I took in 2023, which was based on the interest of a united Nigeria.
“I commend Okowa and Gov. Oborevwori for this heart-warming decision, which must have been informed by good governance and commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the oneness and development of Nigeria.
“That is what I have always told people to come out and say, not to be running up and down when they have problems.
“They have come out at the right time to show support for Mr President so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit more from the government, and I commend them for it.
“I am particularly happy that what I saw before the 2023 presidential election, others are now seeing and are joining the “Renewed Hope train,” the minister said.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has announced a postponement in date of resumption of plenary sittings from April 29 to May 6, 2025.
The announcement was contained in an internal memo dated April 20, 2025, addressed to all senators and signed by the Senate Clerk, Andrew Ogbonna Nwoba.
The memo is reproduced in extenso hereunder:
“Distinguished Senators,
“I am directed to inform you that the resumption of plenary sittings of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday 29th, April 2025, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, 6th May 2025.
“This postponement is made to allow Distinguished Senators, stay with their constituents, during the International Workers’ Day public holiday, in the first week of May, and to further enhance constituency engagements.
“Distinguished Senators are kindly requested to take note of this postponement, while regretting any inconvenience, the change might have caused.”
-
News24 hours agoINSECURITY! Enough is enough, Tinubu tells security chiefs, NSA
-
News24 hours agoJust in: Air Peace suspends all scheduled flights nationwide
-
News23 hours agoINEC moves to legalise voting without PVC
-
Economy15 hours agoSEE current exchange rate of the Dollar to Naira
-
News19 hours agoJust in: PDP can never die over gale of defection -Hon Teejay Yusuf insists
-
Politics24 hours agoFCT minister, Wike, Uzodinma hail Okowa/Oborevwori defection to APC
-
News13 hours agoJUST IN: Rivers Sole Administrator Ibas Shun Reps Panel
-
Opinion21 hours agoCBN under Cardoso and $6.83 Billion balance of payments surplus in 2024 that signals economic resurgence