From Ajiya Ayuba, Bauchi

Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir on Wednesday approved the payment of seventy (70,000) minimum wage.

Bala announced that his administration will commence the payment of the new national minimum wage starting at the end of the month of November.

The governor said this during the executive council meeting held at the exco chamber of the state government house.

According to him, “I must express my concern over a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics, which listed Bauchi State among those with high poverty levels”

“This report serves as a wake-up call for us all, underscoring the urgent need to redouble our efforts in delivering meaningful and impactful projects to our people”

He said that he remains committed to addressing the backlog of gratuities owed to the retired civil servants in the state.

He appealed for their continued patience and understanding as they work diligently towards resolving the longstanding issue.

From Samuel James, Ilorin

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chapter in Edu Local Government Area has openly criticized the State party leadership, accusing them of neglecting internal democracy, party cohesion, and equitable resource distribution.

The criticism came in a statement issued after their maiden meeting of the Edu APC Liberation Elders Consultative Meeting recently in Tsaragi, Edu LGA.

The co-signed statement by the group’s chairman, Mohammad Mariam Al-Hassan and Secretary, Abubakar Zubairu Shonga    outlined their grievances and resolutions, while calling for fairness in resource allocation and the support for Kwara North’s governorship bid in 2027, and to adhere to party principles.

The Edu party Elders who expressed dissatisfaction with the state party leadership, said they recognise Governor Abdulrasaq as Party Leader in the State but regrettably, soon after, came to the realisation that the Party Leadership in the State is unconcerned with Party cohesion, internal party democracy, or the overall well-being of the party faithful.

They described the state party leadership approach as “hostile and damaging to the fortunes of our party and the good people of our beloved State.”

The chapter however advocated for Kwara North to be prioritized for the APC governorship ticket in 2027, as they argued that the region has consistently supported the Central and South senatorial districts in achieving governorship positions since 1999.

“Without prejudice to none, the party should follow the zoning and rotation policy for party and public election offices in accordance with the principles of equity, justice, and fairness.

The Kwara North ought to automatically be given the right of first refusal for the 2027 governor’s ticket,” the communiqué read.

They also appealed to Kwarans from other senatorial districts for support, stating: “In order to achieve and maintain the intended goal and aim of ongoing mutual advantages and peaceful coexistence we’ve enjoyed in Kwara State, we are appealing for the understanding, cooperation, and support of Kwarans from other senatorial districts about Kwara North project 2027.”

The statement also criticized the lopsided distribution of state resources, appointments, and infrastructure. “The current uneven, skewed, and concentrated social amenities, appointments, and empowerments are generally not representative or reflective, ” the chapter noted.

The chapter also demanded a fair share of resources to curb rural-urban migration, unemployment, and poverty in Kwara North, adding “The votes that brought the current administration to power were a collective mandate and this is neither reflective, nor representative of the current lopsided, skewed, and concentrated pattern of appointments.

The elders also welcomed the local governments autonomy granted by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, urging citizens to hold local officers accountable.

“Given the autonomy granted to local governments by the President Tinubu-led administration, we have high expectations for significant development and progress in our communities. We therefore implored our citizens to maintain oversight and keep administrative officers legally accountable”.

The statement explained the growing discontent within the state APC and raises questions about the party’s ability to maintain unity ahead of the 2027 elections. The Edu APC Liberation Elders’ demands for zoning, equity, and fair resource distribution could significantly influence political dynamics in the state.

They further said 2027 elections are closer, and all eyes will be on the state party leadership to see whether it addresses these grievances or risks alienating key stakeholders within the party.

By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja

The Forum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Chairmen’s has denied discussing anything about the forthcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) at a meeting on Wednesday with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The Chairman of the Forum and Chairman, Imo State Chapter of the party, Chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, disclosed this to newsmen after Forum’s meeting with the NWC.

Nwachukwu stressed that there was no crisis in the PDP, adding that the meeting was to enable the chairmen, who are mostly new to familiarise themselves with the NWC.

It was gathered that the embattled Acting National Chairman of the PDP had perfected plans to cash in on the meeting to seek the support of the party’s states chairmen ahead of the NEC meeting to continue in office till 2025.

But the Chairman of the Forum of PDP states chairman said, “The meeting is simply to familiarise ourselves with the National Working Committee. Recall that a few months back, a lot of state congresses were held from wards, local government to the state. The NWC deemed it feet to gather all of us in Abuja to enable us know each other.   It is essentially to familiarise ourselves with the NWC and those of them whose tenure are still running and will be running out next year.”

Also when asked if the meeting discussed the upcoming NEC meeting and about a vote of confidence, Nwachukwu said, “Nothing like that was discussed.”

He described the crisis in the party as “just cosmetic”, saying “I don’t see where the crisis you are talking about is coming from. Social media hype is where the problems in the party are being discussed”.

Earlier, before the meeting went into closed door session, the Acting Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagum, described the chairmen as his commanders in the states.

He said, “My chairman, who are my commander in the States, this is not an unusual meeting. We’ve had this kind of meeting before. This is not the first time, for the record, I want to make it very clear that this meeting was to interact with the state chairmen. You can see from the introduction, more than half of the state chairmen here are brand new, for us to know ourselves and also discuss other matters such as the coming Zonal Congresses.

“It has nothing to do, like has been insinuated in the social media about NEC or something of that nature. You can read it. I have not met any of you chairmen, from the time you were invited until in this hall, if I am right. So for the record, I want to set the record straight. There is no such issue.

“Issues of NEC are entirely within the purview of NWC and the chairman. So we are not calling the chairmen here to maybe insinuate anything. So just for the record, it is a normal interactive session to welcome the new chairmen that have just joined us and also to get to know ourselves and to further discuss the ongoing Zonal Congresses.”