…Says Defectors to Ruling Party Will Regret

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo has given further insight into why governor Ademola Adeleke chose the Accord Party instead of the APC when he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

All the governors that dumped the PDP had detected to the ruling APC, including governor Simi Fubara of Rivers State who joined the party last week.

Speaking at the weekend, Dr Jackson Ojo said the people of Osun State prevailed on Governor Adeleke not to join the ruling APC when it became apparent that there was no point in remaining in PDP over the festering crisis in the PDP.

According to him, the people of Osun State already have deep hatred for the APC and joining the party was never an option for the governor.

Dr Ojo maintained that the performance and achievements of Governor Adeleke is his biggest selling point ahead of campaign for his reelection and the people of Osun State will troop into the Accord Party with him.

“Governor Adeleke trusted himself. He trusted his performance and achievements as governor of Osun State that is why he crossed over to a relatively unknown political party, the Accord Party. All of us have been talking to our people in Osun State to give him maximum support. I have featured of recent at least three times in Osun Broadcasting Corporation to talk to our people. I have been discussing about this, I have been contributing.

“I was one of the people that told the governor to go to Accord Party. I told my governor you don’t need to go to APC because the people of Osun State already hated the APC. I told him to go to any other political party, go to APGA, go to Accord Party because of your performance it will make everybody follow you. And he is going to win the election.

He added that the PDP is already a dead party and that is the reason gales of defection have been hitting the party.

He, however, warned that politicians who are defecting to the APC will regret it as they will be denied the automatic ticket that was used as bait to lure them into the party.

“I don’t think there is any miracle that can resurrect PDP today because they are already in the grave and it just to cover the earth on them. I don’t blame anybody crossing from the PDP because the party is already factionalized. But why are they all going to the APC, the APC is over saturated now. There are persons in APC before that have been fighting.

“You know I belonged to this party before and I know their modus operandi. This is a party that will tell you to go and queue and wait for your time because some people are already working before you came. APC is not a party you just cross to and they give you ticket the second day.

“When my brother who is a member of the House of A Representatives decamped from the PDP to the APC I told him it is good to decamp from the PDP but for going to the APC you are going to regret it. They promised them that they are going to give them automatic ticket but at the end of the day he went and picked the membership card but they called them and told them that crossing to the APC does not mean you are going to have automatic ticket. I hope it will not happen to Simi Fubara in Rivers State.”

Speaking on cold war in Rivers state between Governor Fubara and Lawmakers in the State, Dr Ojo declared that the loyalty of the Lawmakers should be to the people of Rivers State and not to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

“Former governor Nyesom Wike did not give life to the members of the House of Assembly that are loyal to him. Whatever he must have done for them the governor is there today and he could do better.

“The law is already there in place. Nobody should teach the governor how to settle with these people (Lawmakers). These people are not stones, they are not abstract. They are people you can call on phone, they are people you can meet. You don’t need any other person or intermediary. You have direct access to them and they have direct access to you.

“He should deploy more diplomatic ways and he has to settle with them.

“The members of the House of Assembly don’t need to be loyal to the governor, they just have to do their work according to the dictates of the law. Then the governor too has to do his work according to the dictates of the law. We are greeting or not greeting does not matter.

“What is loyalty? Loyalty of the governor and loyalty of members of the House of Assembly is to Rivers people. Greeting or no greeting, when it is time for the governor to send Bill to them he will send it, they will study it holistically and if it is for the benefit of the people of Rivers State they should approve it.

Reacting to the defection of Governor Fubara, Dr Ojo said: “Fortunately or unfortunately I am not one of his consultants. Possibly he must have consulted with his loyalists. I monitored his statement when he said those of you that suffered with him here and there that now we are going to the APC. He knows the best why he decamped to the APC.

“Decamping to APC does not matter anything to me because a political party is just a vehicle. Every achievement of Fubara in Rivers State today is not because he belonged to the PDP. If all his co-travelers are well contacted and they are well informed that the situation will not boomerang against them, then I say kudos to them, congratulations to them.

“But I hope whatever chased them out of PDP will not chase them out of APC.”

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to slash airport charges by 50 per cent and offer tax breaks to aviation companies to make flights cheaper during the festive season.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Obinna Aguocha (LP-Abia) at plenary on Thursday.

Aguocha had earlier moved the motion, stating that airline ticket prices have skyrocketed, affecting not just travellers but also air ambulance costs and, by extension, people’s lives.

He noted that the steep rise in airline ticket prices is currently affecting millions of Nigerian families.

The lawmaker said the Christmas season is traditionally a time for reunion, reflection and joy, saying this tradition is threatened by the weight of economic challenges that have made travel increasingly prohibitive.

“The soaring costs of domestic air travel have created a barrier preventing many from returning to their ancestral homes where shared laughter and family connections are meant to thrive and improve our self-worth.

“The myriad challenges faced by airline operators, ranging from high JetA fuel prices to excessive currency fluctuations, I implore this House to consider the broader implications of their pricing strategies.

“The insatiable pursuit of profit should not come at the expense of the cultural bonds that define us as Nigerians.

 “By temporarily reducing fares during this critical period would demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and national solidarity.

 “Such an act would reaffirm to all citizens that the journey home is a fundamental right, accessible to every Nigerian, regardless of financial status,” he said.

The lawmaker emphasised that Nigerians are at a critical juncture, requiring urgent intervention.

He appealed to the government to show similar resolve in supporting the aviation sector as it did with road transporters last year.

According to him, the aviation sector plays a critical role in both family reunification and national connectivity.

The House called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to prioritise the allocation of foreign exchange at concessionary rates for airline operators.

Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, ruled that the House Committee on Aviation should meet with airline operators and the Aviation Minister, reporting back within a week for further action.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Works to re-mobilise Setraco Nigeria Ltd. for immediate completion of Iluke-Aiyetoro–Kiri-Abugi–Eggan Road in Kogi.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Salman Idris (APC-Kogi) at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion earlier, Idris said that the strategic socio-economic importance of the road to the country’s economy could not be over-emphasised.

According to Idris, the role is a major link among large-scale farming and agrarian communities.

He recalled that the Federal Executive Council had, on Wednesday, approved the sum of N25.3 billion for the construction of the road.

The lawmaker said that the contract was awarded to Setraco Nigeria Ltd., with the project consistently captured in successive Appropriations Act totalling N2.45 billion.

He said that the construction firm was mobilised to the site and had only completed approximately six kilometres of asphalt work and some earth work at Giro Hill, out of a total of 79.63 kilometres, due to inadequate annual budgetary releases.

“The abandonment of the project has caused severe ecological challenges to adjoining communities, crippling their means of livelihood, while cutting them off from accessing neighbouring towns.

“We are concerned that the deplorable state of the road continues to inflict hardship on commuters, including the loss of productive time and economic opportunities, while also limiting access to essential services such as healthcare;

“We are also concerned that the communities along the corridor have become frequent targets of terrorist attacks, with several lives lost and others injured or kidnapped.

“The current state of the road poses serious safety hazards, as the open excavations and uneven surfaces have become accident-prone areas, leading to avoidable loss of lives.

“The abandonment of this critical infrastructure has stifled grassroots development, hindered the movement of goods and services, discouraged investment and diminished the overall quality of lives of residents in the area,” he said.

The house, therefore, urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure regular patrols along the corridor to curb the activities of criminals.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, mandated the Committee on Appropriation to ensure adequate funding for the project in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

He also mandated the Committee on Works to ensure compliance by the Federal Ministry of Works and oversee the timely completion of the project.