POLITICS
Protests Trail PDP House of Reps, State Assembly Primaries
*No Votes for Statutory Delegates
* Parallel Primaries Hold in Edo
* Lagos PDP Seeks Cancellation of Polls
* Elumelu Wins Reps Ticket
By Orkula Shaagee and Jude Opara, Abuja
The main opposition – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday conducted its primaries for the House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly primaries, without statutory delegates, including elected councillors, local government chairmen and their deputies, party chairmen in local government areas and six Abuja Area Councils, state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, former Presidents and ex- Vice- Presidents, National Working Committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries, as voters at the primaries.
The primaries were also characterised by protests and disagreement by aspirants and party leaders in some state chapters.
In some f the state chapters, different factions held parallel primaries to signpost disagreement among party faithful.
In Edo State for instance, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday joined its counterparts across the country to conduct primaries to elect candidates for the state assembly as well as the House of Representatives.
However, reports said that parallel primaries were held by the two factions in the party simultaneously at different locations across the state.
From the faction loyal to Gov. Godwin Obaseki, only those who defected with him from the APC to the PDP had continued to emerge as winners.
Similarly, from the camp loyal to Chief Dan Orbih, National Vice Chairman, South-South of the PDP, only the old PDP members emerged winners.
Officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the primaries by the faction loyal to the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, but the same could not be said about the faction loyal to the governor.
A chieftain of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the primaries were not parallel.
According to the chieftain, the party primaries can only be done by the list certified by INEC for the purpose.
“You cannot build something on nothing. Elections were held to elect three adhoc delegates.
“It is only those three delegates that can participate in this election. And those three adhoc delegates elections were monitored by INEC, and they have the names of those who emerged.
“You cannot write names of people in Government House to now want to use to conduct election.
“Those on the list of the governor were never monitored by INEC in the election that led to their emergence. Where INEC is, is where primaries are being held,” the chieftain said.
Similarly, Adaze Ewanta, Edo Commissioner for Information, while commenting from the governor’s faction, dismissed reports of parallel primaries.
Ewanta described the exercise as free and fair.
Meanwhile results have begun to trickle in about candidates who emerged from the governor’s faction for some of the state assembly seats and House of Representatives.
Some of the candidates included Mr. Jimoh Ijegbai, House of Representatives Owan Federal constituency, Mr. Blessing Agbebaku, Owan West, Edo House of Assembly.
Others are Mr. Uyi Omosigho, Oredo East, constituency; Kaycee Osamwonyi, Uhunmwode constituency; Natasha Osawaru, Egor constituency; Mr. Sunny Aguebor, Oredo constituency, and Mr Aminu Okodo-Kadidi, Owan East constituency of the state assembly.
Lagos PDP Seeks Cancellation of Primaries
The Lagos State chapter of the PDP, earlier yesterday urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to cancel the House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries slated for Sunday in Lagos.
The PDP Chairman in Lagos State, Mr Philips Aivoji, made the call at a news conference he addressed alongside other state executives of the party, governorship aspirants and party leaders, in Ikeja.
He alleged the adhoc delegates’ list brought by the electoral committees for both primaries had been compromised.
Uncertainty and apprehension trailed the conduct of the primaries, as delegates and aspirants waited at various venues in local government areas for election officers from PDP national headquarters, who as at the time of filing this report, had yet to be seen at any of the venues.
“The entire executive committee of Lagos State PDP and five of the six gubernatorial aspirants reject in its entirety, the ad-hoc delegates’ list brought by the electoral committee to Lagos State for the purpose of conducting the primaries.
“We are all shocked to see that the list does not reflect the authentic elected ad-hoc delegates as conducted by organs of the party at ward level and supervised by the DSS and INEC.
“It is imperative to state that copies of the ad-hoc list that emanated from the state and submitted to INEC are completely different from the one brought by the committee for the purpose of the exercise.
“We realised that contrary to the provision of our great party and the electoral guidelines of the party, the election committee came to the state with list of venues and already chosen electoral officers,” Aivoji said.
According to him, this is the responsibility of the state executive committee of the party and, therefore, unacceptable.
He added that the chairman and secretary of the election committee meant to conduct the State House of Assembly primary election had not reported to the state chairman or state organ of the party.
“Up till this moment, we cannot reach out to the committee chairman and secretary, their telephones have either been switched off or unreachable.
“As law-abiding members of our great party, we collectively reject this list and we cannot guarantee, free, fair and credible party primaries that we have sworn to conduct.
“The processes have been compromised ab initio and skewed.
“We, therefore, call for outright cancellation of the election.
“Doing otherwise will jeopardise the chances of the party in the 2023 polls,” Aivoji said.
The chairman said that if the exercise would go on, it could lead to litigations.
He said that the process that brought about the authentic delegates’ list was done in consonance with the constitution of the party, as all relevant stakeholders were carried along.
“We want to know the person at the national level that gave them (electoral committee) the order not to consult the state executives in the exercise.
“We want to get this list right because, as we speak, we are toying with the lives of millions of Lagos residents.
“We have been in the valley for so long, this is an opportunity for us to get it right to win the general elections in the state.
“We must douse the tension now,” Aivoji said.
According to him, what the electoral committee intends to do is to cook up a list of candidates at a venue.
He said that if the party missed it now, it would be unfortunate.
Some of the PDP governorship candidates at the conference are Dr Ade Dosunmu and Messrs Olanrewaju Jim- Kamal, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and Adedeji Doherty. (NAN)
Elumelu Wins Reps Ticket
Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, yesterday, secured a return ticket as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a third term to represent Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta.
Elumelu on Sunday polled a total of 80 votes out of the total votes cast by 132 delegates at the House of Representatives primary election held in Asaba.
His closest rival, Princess Pat Ajudua, polled 35 votes while Mr Kanyinebi Mobushi got 17 votes.
The Returning Officer, Chief Funkekeme Solomon, declared Elumelu the winner of the contest for polling the highest number of votes in what he described as free, fair and transparent election.
According to Solomon, at the close of voting, 132 delegates were accredited, no void votes and all the votes were counted.
“At the end, Mr Kanyinebi Mobushi, scored 17 votes; Mrs Pat Ajudua, scored 35 votes while Mr Ndudi Elumelu, scored 80 votes.
” Elumelu, having scored the highest votes, is hereby declared winner and returned as the candidate of the PDP for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the 2023 general election,” Solomon said.
Speaking after his declaration as the winner, Elumelu assured his constituents of more robust representation and dividends of democracy.
He said though he emerged top in the primaries, there was no loser as it was a family affair and not a contest.
Elumelu thanked the governor, the PDP and the people of the constituency for giving him the platform to serve.
He expressed confidence that PDP would win the general elections without hitch in the state and at the centre.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was closely monitored by a combined team of security agencies, the media and other stakeholders. (NAN)
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has inaugurated the state’s Economic and Policy Advisory Team, with a charge on members to use their expertise to drive evidence-based governance and sustainable growth.
Members of the team includes; Nick Agule – Team Lead, Carolyn Okoh Folami – Co-Team Lead, Prof Naomi Onyeje Doki, Dr Andrew Ayabam, Dr Adukwu Emmanuel Ogbole, Patrick Okigbo and Dr Fanen Ade.
Others are; Alex Tarka, Dr Jane Asagh, Basil Jev, Dr Joseph Ogebe, Emmanuel Makeri, Micheal Oglegba, Theresa Nyitse and Prof Jerome Andohol – Secretary.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony today at the Fr. Alia Hall, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, the governor congratulated the appointees and described their selection as a vote of confidence in their competence and experience.
He stated that the Advisory Team is central to his administration’s effort to strengthen strategic planning and speed up economic progress across the state.
“The constitution of this Advisory Team is our administration’s resolve to strengthen evidence-based governance, deepen strategic planning and speed up sustainable economic growth, ” he explained.
The Governor urged members to justify the confidence placed in them by dedicating their knowledge to the advancement of Benue State.
He further outlined high expectations for the body, which include that; members should offer objective, practical and forward-looking advice to help the government craft policies that create jobs, attract investment, boost internally generated revenue, improve public services and expand opportunities for residents.
He stressed recommendations must be rooted in credible data, rigorous analysis and innovation, and delivered with professionalism, integrity, patriotism, and accountability.
He said, “Let your recommendations be guided by credible data, rigorous analysis, innovation and undivided commitment to the welfare of the people of Benue State”.
While acknowledging the state’s challenges, the governor framed them as opportunities for transformation.
He called for collaborative work with stakeholders and creative solutions to build a more diversified, competitive, and resilient economy.
Alia pledged his administration’s support for the team, promising an enabling environment and careful consideration of its findings.
He pointed out the government’s continuing focus on inclusive growth, fiscal discipline, private-sector development, food security, youth empowerment and sustainable development.
By David Torough, Abuja
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has declared the appointment letter presented by the council’s self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as fake, saying its investigation uncovered an extensive network of forged government documents allegedly used to secure official recognition for the council.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed the findings at the close of the panel’s public hearing in Abuja, stating that evidence from the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), and other government institutions established that the appointment letter and other documents presented by Adeyemi were not authentic.
According to Gagdi, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who appeared before the committee for the second time, confirmed that the purported appointment letter and the Establishment Act presented to her office were fake.
He said forensic analysis by the Nigeria Police also revealed that the signature on the disputed appointment letter did not correspond with authentic signatures from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, noting that the document was not even a forgery in the strict sense because there was no attempt to imitate the genuine signature.
The committee further established that the supposed Establishment Act used to facilitate the creation of the council lacked the statutory features of a valid Act of the National Assembly, including citation numbers, Gazette references and other security features, describing it as a mutilated and fabricated document.
Gagdi also alleged that investigations uncovered the creation of a fictitious Directorate of Administration and Support Services within the State House, an office he said does not exist but was referenced in documents submitted to several government agencies to obtain approvals.
According to the committee, no fewer than 19 fake State House documents were allegedly deployed to process official correspondences and secure recognition for the council.
The panel had earlier directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi after describing the establishment and operation of the council as a serious breach. However, Gagdi explained that the suspect could not appear before the committee because he is currently being held in police custody pursuant to a subsisting court order.
He said the committee would conclude the investigation with closed-door sessions involving the remaining agencies to clarify outstanding issues and ensure all parties are accorded a fair hearing before presenting its preliminary findings to the public next week.
The House had constituted the committee following concerns over the legal status, operational framework and budgetary appearance of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, amid allegations that it was established without lawful authority.
Gagdi reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation aimed at safeguarding the integrity of public institutions and ensuring accountability.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has nominated the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Jerry Adams, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.
Sani announced the nomination on Tuesday, describing it as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to inclusion, justice, fairness, equity and equal opportunities for all Kaduna citizens.
He said the choice followed extensive consultations, deep reflection and prayers, stressing that it reflected values that had guided his administration since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
The governor said the nomination went beyond selecting a deputy governorship candidate, adding that it symbolised the determination to strengthen unity and deepen citizens’ sense of belonging.
According to him, Kaduna’s religious, ethnic and cultural diversity remains its greatest strength and should continue to unite, rather than divide the people.
Sani said his administration had spent over three years healing divisions and restoring public confidence through inclusive governance and equitable distribution of development projects.
He said investments in roads, schools, healthcare, water supply, agriculture and social protection had reached all 23 local government areas without discrimination.
The governor added that collaboration with traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youths and community groups had strengthened peace and promoted shared development.
He said improved security had enabled farmers to return to their fields, businesses to expand and investments to grow across many communities.
Sani described Adams as an accomplished public servant and tax administrator who transformed the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service through innovation, transparency and professionalism.
He said Adams’ leadership strengthened the state’s revenue generation, enabling greater investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and other critical sectors.
The governor also described Adams as a man of integrity, humility and competence, committed to peace, reconciliation and inclusive governance.
He said the nomination underscored his administration’s resolve to prioritise merit, competence and character in public leadership.
Sani urged Kaduna residents to embrace the development through the vision of a united states, rather than the lenses of religion, ethnicity or geography.
He pledged to continue building a peaceful, secure, just and prosperous Kaduna, expressing confidence that the administration would leave a stronger foundation for future generations.
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