POLITICS
Katsina NNPP Sacks Deputy Guber Candidate, Party Executives
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Katsina State, has sacked its deputy gubernatorial candidate, Muttaqa Rabe-Darma, the state party Chairman, Alhaji Sani Liti, and other top executives.
Alhaji Nasiru Usman-Kankia, the Director, media and publicity of the NNPP, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the decision of the party on Friday in Katsina, saying they were sacked for anti-party activities, including Thursday’s endorsement of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Dikko Radda.
“As you are already aware, a section of the state executive leadership of the party convened an unauthorised meeting on Thursday, March 9, the decision of which almost rocked the party.
“An emergency exco meeting comprising 19 out of 29 members was conveyed to discuss the immediate and remote causes of the illegal meeting.
“Facts have emerged that the illegal meeting was unconstitutionally convened without the consent of the state executive committee.
“It was also discovered that even when invitations were sent for the illegal meeting to state and local government exco members and ward chairmen, they were informed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and disburse funds for the settlement of polling unit agents and ward coordinators.
“However, at the illegal meeting, the APC gubernatorial candidate was ushered in and the NNPP state Chairman, Liti, the party’s gubernatorial running mate, Rabe-Darma, and other top executives introduced other members present as decampees to the APC.
“Almost immediately, the entire arena turned chaotic with shouts of NNPP slogans and chants of no, no, no, by the party’s loyalists,” Usman-Kankia narrated.
According to him, the APC candidate, Dr Radda, then immediately stated that what he discussed with the NNPP members was on alliance not defection.
The NNPP spokesperson recalled that the party had on March 5, warned its members, officials, and candidates against forming an alliance with any political party.
“Accordingly, party officers, members and candidates at all levels are not authorised to discuss, negotiate or form any alliance with any political party for the purpose of winning the upcoming gubernatorial and legislative polls.
“Anyone who endorses a candidate of another political party will be sanctioned in line with the NNPP Constitution, ranging from suspension to expulsion.
“Our emergency meeting considered and decided to expel the officials and members involved in the illegal meeting, subject to approval of the national executive committee of the party.
“They are Alhaji Sani Liti, state Chairman, Umar Jibril, state Secretary, Mustapha Basheer, youth leader, Dauda Kurfi, Katsina zonal Chairman, Abdulhadi Mai-Dawa, Funtua Zonal Chairman, Dr Sale Mashi, Daura zonal Chairman, Rabe-Darma deputy gubernatorial candidate and Sen. Audu Yandoma,” according to Usman-Kankia. (NAN)
POLITICS
Rivers: Factional Speaker Accuses Fubara of Planning to Demolish Residential Quarters
Mr Martin Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor 1), the factional Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, has accused Gov. Siminialayi Fubara of planning to demolish the residential quarters of the state House of Assembly.
Amaewhule made the remark in Port Harcourt in reaction to the governor’s recent inspection visit to the assembly residential quarters.
Fubara had told newsmen during the visit that he wanted to acsertain the state of the facility for possible rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Amaewhule described the visit as ‘unannounced and an invasion’ on the residential premises of Rivers assemblymen.
”His plan is to demolish the quarters the way he did to some parts of the state assembly complex in 2023,” he said.
The factional speaker said that the governor’s move was purely political because the Rivers assembly residential quarter was still the best in the country.
”The residential quarters were built by the administration of former Gov. Nyesom Wike in 2022.
”There’s nothing wrong with the buildings. They are in perfect condition. We have not called on the governor for any form of help.
“The governor’s undue interference is one that is unbecoming of a sitting governor who is supposed to uphold the sanctity of the law,” he said
Amaewhule further accused Fubara of always carrying out actions that were against democratic norms and principles.
”His actions show that he had declared war on all politically elected people in the state,” he said.(NAN)
POLITICS
Why Rivers Lawmakers can’t Impeach Fubara – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the 27 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers at the Rivers House of Assembly can’t impeach Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, because they are no longer members of the House.
Mr Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, said this at a new conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ologunagba said that the directive by the state APC chapter for the lawmakers to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor was in vain.
He said that the APC lawmakers had since vacated their seats at the House, by virtue of Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution.
“The lawmakers claiming to be APC members lost their seats after their defection from the PDP, the political party platform on which they were elected into the House.
“For emphasis, Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution provides that: a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.
“It should be noted that Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution is self-executory. The import of this provision is that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who defected, have vacated their seat by reason of that defection,” he said.
Ologunagba advised APC to come to terms with the fact that Rivers was home to PDP and that the people of the state were not ready to leave the party.(NAN)
POLITICS
Complaints Linger over Renovated Chamber as Ndume Describes it as Conference Room
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senators yesterday during plenary continued complaining about their renovated chamber, with the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Ali Ndume at one point describing the reconfigured chamber as a Conference Room.Recall that a week ago, bickerings about sitting arrangements led to a rowdy session which lasted for about 15 minutes, eventually forcing the Senate into executive session.
However, issues over alleged inadequacies in the Chamber once again took center stage yesterday during plenary when Senator Ali Ndume, through Order 42 of the Senate Standing rules pointed out that what was supposed to be a Chamber had been turned into a conference hall, stressing that was unacceptable. ”Mr President, I rise to make disturbing observations on this supposedly renovated chamber through order 42 that deals with personal privileges.”Since day one, precisely last week Tuesday when we moved into this Chamber that is supposed to have been renovated, there have been complaints here and there.”First was on sitting arrangements, followed by the echoing of voices by microphones that are not even audible. No voting device and the required facilities are not yet provided.”We need to correct all these anomalies for the Hallowed Chamber to be what it is supposed to be,” he said.Aligning with Ndume’s observations, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio said the observations were well noted and the point of Order upheld.He however explained to Ndume that complaints on sitting arrangements among Senators have been sorted out 99.9%, reminding him that the contract for the renovation work was not done by the 10th National Assembly.”This is not our contract and not even the National Assembly contract but that of the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA), the landlord of the National Assembly Complex.”Observations on inadequacies in the renovated chamber are welcome from time to time for required perfection but what we should be aiming at in the long run is for us, as federal lawmakers, to have proper autonomy on the National Assembly Complex and not continue as tenants of FCDA,” he said.