POLITICS
Lagos PDP Weak , must be Strengthened to Win Elections —Pearse
Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State ,has attributed the poor outings of the party in recent elections in the state to lack of unity in the chapter.
Pearse, a former chairmanship aspirant of party in the state ,expressed the view in an interview on Thursday in Lagos.
He said the party had also not been functioning well as a political party in the state because its structure had been weakened and that no leader was serving as a rally point in the chapter.
“We have some fundamental problems in this state chapter ,and because of these problems, the party is no more functioning well as a political party in the state .
“For a party to function well , Ward meetings and Local Government Area (LGA) meetings must be organised regularly for members ,so that they can be easily brought together and mobilised for elections.
“We do not have this in Lagos PDP a because we do not have a leader serving as a rallying point.
“When we don’t organise LGA meetings and we don’t organise ward meetings,it is difficult to win elections?”, Pearse said.
Pearse said politics is local ,expressing regret that the party had been crippled at the ward level.
“Everything happens at the ward level, but we do not have this again because there is no leader to coordinate the meetings,” he added.
The party chieftain also said members of the State Executive Committee of party were not also united ,and so could not bring the party together.
Pearse said that the party was strong in the state as a time because there was a leader who served as a rallying point.
He said a lot issues came up in the party during the governorship election in 2023,which affected its performance.
“We are still where we are, until we figure out how we shall resolve these issues. We do not have a party in Lagos State now.
“The 2023 general elections in Lagos State and the handling over of delegates list to the governorship candidate cost us where we are now and we have not recovered from that,” he said.
Speaking on the poor performance of PDP in Feb. 3 0Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election , Pearse said that the party failed because it did not present a strong candidate.
He said the candidate presented for the election was not known to stakeholders in the party.
“Lagos PDP is just filled with wrong people and that is why the party is in trouble,” he said.
Pearse, however ,said that many of the issues threatening the party in the state would be resolved with the emergence a new national leadership.
“Things will change soon,” the party chieftain said.
NAN reports that PDP’s Abdul-Azeez Adediran (aka Jandor) polled 62,449 votes to come a distant third in the 2023 governorship elections in the state,while APC polled 762,134 votes to emerge winner.
Similarly, in the Feb. 3 Surulere Federal Constituency 1 by-election ,PDP polled 278 while APC obtained a total of 11,203 votes of the 11,939 total votes,to record a landslide victory (NAN)
POLITICS
Northern Senators Forum Denies Impeachment Plot against Akpabio
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The Northern Senators Forum; an umbrella body comprising the entire senators from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory yesterday denied orchestrating a plan to impeach the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio together with other principal officers of the Senate.
The Chairman of the Forum, Senator AbdullAziz Yar Adua who dismissed the reports as fake advised Nigerians to focus on issues bothering on national development and not baseless and unfounded reports,such as was yesterday reported by an online platform.
Senator Yar Adua (APC, Katsina Central) while reacting to the reports by northern Senators to impeach at the Senate Press Center, Abuja in company of Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) said the Senate,under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio was conducting it’s proceedings without rancour and division, blaming the reports of Akpabio’s impeachment plot on mischief makers that means no good for the country.
“There’s no such plot,plan or an idea to impeach or topple the leadership of the Senate by anyone or group, especially the Northern Senators Forum who I’m their Chairman. Such reports should not only be discarded as baseless and unfounded but should be seen as the handiwork of mischief makers,who want to bring the name of Northern Senators Forum to disrepute.
“We are solidly behind the leadership of Godswill Akpabio,the Senate President. We have not had any rancour or division within our fold as Senators,so why should anyone think and align us with such information?”, the retired Army Colonel queried.
Speaking in the same vein, the Senate Committee Chairman on Media Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu expressed his displeasure with the online report, which surfaced in the early hours of yesterday claiming that the Northern Senators were aggrieved with the policies of the Federal Government, prompting the senators to move against the impeachment of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other principal officers.
For Senator Adaramodu, ” I came to the Press Center with the Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, my respected colleague, Senator AbdullAziz Yar Adua to tell Nigerians that the report were ill conceived and of no value, considering the fact that all the entire senators are solidly behind the Senate leadership.”
He however advised Nigerians to pray for the government at all levels, saying that its success is not limited to those in power but the entirety of Nigerians.
On the hardship Nigerians are passing through following the federal government petroleum and tax reforms, the Ekiti lawmaker said, ” we, as the people’s representatives, are not unaware and oblivious of the sufferings orchestrated by the recent tax and petroleum reforms. We feel it as well because we are also part of the society. If you recall, the Senate summoned the Chief Tax Officer (the FIRS BOSS) Tuesday to explain the situation to us. We are also engaging the NNPC, together with our colleagues at the House of Representatives. So, very soon we will be through with them. And afterwards, we shall make our position as the legislative arm of government known to Nigerians.
However, a national assembly publication, Order Paper had reported earlier yesterday that security was beefed up yesterday at the National Assembly to avert the possibility of a forceful change of the Senate leadership; attributing the plot to northern senators that were aggrieved by Federal Government policies.
POLITICS
LG Polls: Sen. Karimi Support APC Campaign with N24m
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Sen. Sunday Stephen Karimi, has disbursed over N24 million to support LG electioneering campaign activities across all the seven local government areas in his constituency.The seven local government areas include: Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, Yagba West, Mopamuro, Kontokarfi/Kogi and Lokoja.
According to a statement by the Senator Karimi media team (DSSK), the fund is meant to support all the Chairmanship Candidates and their Vice, as well as all the Councilorship candidates in over 70 wards across the seven LGAs of Kogi west, towards the October 19th LG elections in Kogi State. It said N1 million was disbursed to each of the seven Chairmanship candidates, N500,000 to each of the Vice chairmanship candidates, and N200,000 to each of the over 70 councilorship candidates across the 7 LGAs in Kogi west senatorial district.The DSSK media team described Sen. Karimi as true people-centric Lawmaker who is committed to championing good governance and improving the well-being of his constituents especially at the grassroots.The DSSK Media team said: “Distinguished Senator Sunday Karimi’s generous contributions to the 7 Local Governments in Kogi west are highly commendable, especially in preparation for the forthcoming Local Government elections on October 19th.”These donations demonstrate Senator Karimi’s commitment to empowering local leaders and enhancing community development in Kogi West.”As a lawmaker representing Kogi West, senator Karimi has promised good representation, good roads, good medical facilities, empowerment, and many other dividends of democracy ¹.”His leadership and philanthropy have made a significant impact in the communities, and it is very clear that he is dedicated to serving humanity.”May Almighty God continue to guide and guard Senator Karimi’s path as he serves the people of Kogi West”.It would be recalled that Sen. Karimi handed over a newly built and well equipped military base to the Nigerian Army in Egbe, Yagba West LGA, to address rising kidnapping and banditry, and improve security in Kogi and some areas in Kwara State.The military forward operating base (FOB) was commissioned on Saturday in Egbe, by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.POLITICS
PDP: Governors, BoT Resolve Leadership Crisis
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
The leadership crisis rocking the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been resolved by the party’s Governors Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT).This development was announced by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mohammed, who fielded questions from Journalists at the Private Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on his way to Ondo State for PDP governorship campaign, added that all members of the NWC have been directed to revert to the status quo before the crisis erupted last Friday. According to the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, “The crisis is over. The governors, Board of Trustees, and other organs have resolved that the NWC should revert to the status quo. They are now united.”The governor, accompanied by the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, while travelling to Ondo State for a PDP gubernatorial campaign rally, announced that suspensions from both factions had been lifted.Also speaking, Damagum confirmed that the crisis is over, adding, “The party is united, and no members of the NWC left before.”The mutual suspicion among PDP NWC members over alleged anti-party activities of the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwun boiled over last Thursday when some member almost engage in physical fight during the NWC meeting.Few hours later the National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba announced the suspension of Damagum and his replacement with Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the new Acting National Chairman.Damagum reacted by directing the National Publicity Secretary and the National Legal Advisor to “step aside” and to face a disciplinary panel.Daily Asset gathered on Tuesday that final decision in the leadership logjam in the party will be laid to rest when the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meet on October 24.The camp of the Acting National Chairman is believed within the PDP circle of working to ensure the meeting did not hold over possibility of NEC appointing a substantive National Chairman from the North Central.The PDP BoT at its meeting last Thursday advised the NWC to ensure the October 24 NEC meeting is held as earlier agreed by various organs and leaders of the party.