Politics

48 hrs to NEC meeting, PDP set for make-or-mar session

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Following Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s insistence not to resign his position as National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the planned meeting by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party, slated for Thursday, September 8, 2022, is expected to be a stormy one as forces for and against Ayu in the party’s leadership are set to have an open confrontation at the meeting.

Vanguard was reliably informed that ahead of the NEC meeting, some senior members of the National Working Committee, NWC, were yesterday engaged in a marathon meeting to thwart moves to oust Ayu, as one of the items on the agenda of the meeting.

Credible sources, however, told Vanguard that loyalists of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State are also exploring the option of dragging the party’s National Chairman before the court to challenge the process that brought Ayu into office.

Presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike have been engaged in a cold war over plots to remove Senator Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.

But the PDP chairman has repeatedly dismissed calls for his removal from office, wondering where those championing such calls were when he and other Nigerians came together to form the party.

This came as Governor Wike, yesterday, vowed that no force can separate him from his Abia, Benue, Oyo and Enugu counterparts — Okezie Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom, Seyi Makinde and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, respectively, over their stand on PDP and the 2023 elections.

PDP set for stormy session

Confirming the expected stormy session at the NEC meeting, a reliable source who spoke to Vanguard in confidence, said: “The NEC meeting will hold this Thursday and they will decide on Ayu’s matter. What we know is that some NEC members are saying Ayu must go. Thursday is a big day for the party and it will either make or mar the party.”

Ayu rallies against removal

Another credible source, a former NWC member, confirmed that the meeting will hold, but noted that if Ayu’s removal failed to scale through at the NEC meeting, the Wike camp might explore the court option.

The source said: “I know NEC will meet this week but it has nothing to do with Ayu’s resignation because he has said he is not going to resign. Whatever is going to happen, will happen at that meeting.

“PDP governors will be at the meeting but what I’m hearing is that he (Ayu) is trying to do it in such a way that his resignation will not be on the agenda.

“If it is not on the agenda and anybody raises the matter, he will tell them that it’s not on the agenda. He may also say since it is not on the agenda, he will consider it and if he says that, he may adjourn the meeting there.

“Already I heard they are sponsoring a court case against Ayu, that the convention that brought him in was flawed. They will argue that the process was a selection and not an election. Even if they go to court, they will be thrown off balance and this is all.

“They intend to use any party member or a delegate to the National Convention to take Ayu to court. That is in the pipeline.

‘’Another thing is that they may use internal mechanisms by instigating NWC members to foment trouble for Ayu, just like they did for Uche Secondus.

“So, it’s a two-way thing, they may use the court option or internal mechanism to further divide the party.

“By the time all these things are in play, Atiku may not have the opportunity to set up the campaign council. It’s a real crisis except Atiku decides to mount pressure on Ayu to resign.”

But a source close to Ayu said the push against the National Chairman might not scale through.

The source said: “We are aware of what is going on and there is a limit to how a few people can disrupt what the party is set to achieve.

“It is becoming clearer to those who frowned on the process that threw up our presidential candidate and his running mate. When you look at what has happened since then, some party members have since had a change of disposition, going by the way so-called aggrieved members, particularly the governor, have carried on.

“This is not the first time PDP would be resolving its internal issues. The party will resolve this one too and it will end well.”

PDP, APC crisis blessing in disguise for LP

Another source told Vanguard that the crises rocking both the APC and PDP may be a blessing in disguise for the Labour Party, LP.

The source said: “I know Wike and others are back but I do not think they will meet with Tinubu again. They only went to re-strategise on which presidential candidate to support. They may not declare public support for Obi but they will give him the necessary assistance and be spoilers in PDP.

“Was it the APC that asked the PDP to elect Ayu as chairman? Was it the APC that asked Ayu not to resign? Was it the APC that said Wike should not be picked as Atiku’s running mate? “It is not the APC. The APC may be a beneficiary. Don’t forget, the APC also has its problem, especially with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“So, God may decide to cause confusion in the two big parties and help Peter Obi become the next President. God may be behind the crises in the APC and PDP to favour the Labour Party.”

You can’t separate me, Ikpeazu, Ortom, Makinde — Wike

Meanwhile, Governor Wike, yesterday, explained that he has maintained a long-standing relationship with Ikpeazu and feels proud to associate with the Abia governor because he has changed the narrative about the state of infrastructure in Abia.

Speaking while commissioning the Osisioma-Ngwa flyover built along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway by the Ikpeazu administration, Wike said nobody can understand the ‘modus operandi’ of what he was doing with his colleagues as no force can separate them, no matter the effort.

His words: “I don’t associate myself with those who can’t show anything. Ikpeazu is a man that knows what to do for his people. This is why I said anywhere Ikpeazu is I’ll go with him. Ikpeazu and I have come a long way. No relationship can be bought with money. People don’t understand the modus operandi of what we’re doing. If you like go and meet Seyi, meet Ugwuanyi and Ortom, nothing can change. We’re together. Who will see this flyover and not be happy? They said Abia State governor is a boy, Wike is a boy, Ortom, Ugwuanyi and Seyi are boys, but see what the boys are doing. Let them as men show us what they’re doing.”

We want proper share of our political positions

Besides, he said: “They hate us because we’re standing on an agreement. We’re only asking for a proper share of our political positions and they hate it. Don’t bother about abuse on me. If they like let them abuse me anyhow but we’ll know who’s relevant at the appropriate time. Politics is about delivering at the appropriate time. When the jungle matures, we’ll know those who can say this is where our state will be. Ikpeazu has the capacity.

“Don’t bother yourselves, politics is all about propaganda. When I wake up in the morning and nothing has been said about me, I’m not happy.

“As I was coming, I told my friend, where did you get money? Abia State is not getting huge allocation, but because he is determined to break history after 31 years, (he did this). Your work has brought good luck to all the rest of the PDP candidates in Abia. Don’t relent in doing good works for the people.”

Earlier, Ikpeazu disclosed that the commissioning of the flyover has given him so much joy that he can boldly look at the faces of his opponents and laugh at them.

Ikpeazu said he deliberately chose Wike to commission the project because the Rivers state Governor is the father and mother of flyovers in Nigeria, adding that there is no better person to commission the flyover than Wike, whom he described as Mr Flyover.

2023 is about operation ‘show your work’ — Ikpeazu

In his remarks, Governor Ikpeazu said 2023 elections will be about legacies and competencies, not mere politicking and promises.

Ikpeazu, who said he had shamed his critics with the inauguration of the Osisioma flyover and roads in Aba, said he will not allow any politician use posters on his executed and completed projects.

The Flyover, named “Okezuo Abia Flyover”, was initiated and completed by Ikpeazu to ease traffic on the Osisioma junction, known for its traffic bottlenecks.

Ikpeazusaid the completion of the flyover had given him so much joy that he boldly looked at the faces of his doubters and laughed at them.

He said: “This is the time of politics. If you want to contest an election in Abia, you must show us what you’ve done before. From your family show us your work. Don’t paste posters on my flyover, streetlight and projects. Place your posters on your projects, not on my own projects.

‘’Today is a sad day for those who thought this flyover will never be completed. It is a sad day for those who called it a borehole and called it a centre table.

“This is a sad day for the Sanballat and Tobiah (detractors) those who called this Flyover ‘Centre Table’, this is a sad day for them.

‘’I weep for them as they hide their faces in shame. All those who thought this Flyover will not come true, my word for you is shame on you.”

He said the Osisioma Flyover, despite all doubts, had now solved the traffic congestion problems experienced back then in Aba.

Ikpeazu, who said the essence of governance was to solve problems of the people, congratulated Aba business community and Abians at large on the realization of the project.

He described the day as special for the people of goodwill, adding that for the opposition and those who castigated his government while the construction of the interchange lasted, it was a sad day for them.

According to the governor, he invited Governor Nyesom Wike to inaugurate the projects because he is the father of flyovers in Nigeria and understands the value of an interchange.

VANGUARD

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Appeal Court Sacks Kwankwaso Reinstate Datti in Kano

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday sacked Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency Election.

It was reported that the three-panel led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye allowed an Appeal by Yusuf Datti and averred that the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the Appellant’s resignation on the date of his party’s primary election and that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied.

The appellate court stated that no court has jurisdiction on the issue of membership of the part.

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Hon. Debo Badru Appointed As Member Of Committee On Guideline For Repositioning of APC In Osun state

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Debo Badru

Debo Badru Appointed As Member Of The Committee On The Guideline For Repositioning of APC In Osun state

The Executive Council of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Hon. Debo Badru as part of the 11-member committee on the Guideline for the Repositioning of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Osun State.

Hon Debo Badru, former Special Adviser to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Intergovernmental Political Affairs who is from Iwo Local Government of Osun State is a respected community leader who holds a Diploma from Nigerian Air Force Technical Training School, Kaduna, and served as an Air Force Officer between 1983 and 1990 after which he ventured into politics.

Going forward, the guideline committee which was unveiled on the 16th of October, 2023 also has the Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, the immediate-past Speaker of the state House of Assembly, as its Chairman while the Secretary is Hon Sunday Akere, former state Commissioner for Information.

Other members of the committee are Dr Oyebade Olowogboyega, the immediate-past State Head of Service; Hon Funmi Olaseinde, former member of the state House of Assembly; Dr. Adeniji Adekunle, former Chairman, Ife-Central Local Government Council Area of the state.

Also on the list as members are Hon Hakeem Atanda; Hon Rasaq Adeosun, former Special Adviser to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Hon(Mrs) Ayo Omidiran, former member, House of Representatives who represented Irewole/Isokan/Aiyedaade Federal Constituency; Hon Femi Kujembola, the state Treasurer of the party and one-time Chairman of Atakumosa-East Local Government Council Area of the state and Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji, former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to former Governor Oyetola on Youths and Students’ Affairs.

It would be recalled that the state leader of the party, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyetola, inaugurated the APC repositioning committee in the state sometime ago.

The APC Repositioning Committee under the chairmanship of Prof Adewole submitted the report of the committee with fanfare in Osogbo recently with a pledge by Alhaji Oyetola and the state chairman of the party, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, to implement the recommendations to the letter.

The terms of reference of the guideline committee are:

1) Collation of actionable recommendations from the report of the Repositioning Committee;

2) Development of the framework for implementing the recommendations of the Repositioning Committee’s report;

3) This Committee will liaise with the party organ at the state level in order to kickstart implementation.

4) The Committee should provide a final report in two weeks.

 

e-SIGNED:

 

Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL,

Chairman,
Osun State APC.

 

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PBAT’s Reforms and Nigerian Youths by Amb. Habeeb Whyte Esq.,MBA

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Habeeb Whyte

PBAT’S REFORMS AND NIGERIAN YOUTHS

I remain Habeeb Whyte and I still harbour the responsibility. I believe life placed on me to suggest a path deserving a collective action from Nigerian youths towards the faith of our father’s land and in determining our own future.
I have grown to know that everything that irritates us as Nigerian youths about someone can lead us to understanding the person more. Just like Adlous Hoxley puts it, ‘there are things known and there are things unknown and in between are door of perception’. What we are, is what we have been as youths. What we would be is what we do now. I am aware that wisdom comes from knowing that what others say about you is not your reality. It is their reality. One has not only an ability to perceive the world but an ability to alter one’s perception of it.Simply, one can change things by the manner in which one looks at them. Reality is only a reflection of our own intentions, biases, knacks and desires.

I have always looked with a different lens because I have kept my views informed not by parochial considerations or personal gains but by the solemn embrace of the fate of my realities as a Nigerian Youth. As a person, I have thoroughly taken caution on the realities of the general elections that ushered in President Bola Ahmad Tinubu. I have always known that only weak minds stay at the middle of the road in trying periods like this. I rather I appreciate that I have to painstakingly learn with the willingness to unlearn and relearn the politics of this country. More so, I was not born until the crisis had started. I do not want to join the bandwagon of commentators that make opinions on issues they know close to nothing about. I think this should be the wisest path for anybody that was only a child through the 90’s and beyond. The generational paradigm as it affects our choice of governance differs. Our reasoning often time is shapedby what our parents, teachers and elderly ones told us and not by what we participated in as major players.

We have only participated in the Occupy Nigeria campaign, Not Too Young to Run campaign and the most pronounced is the End Sars campaign. I made bold to say that I partook in all the major phases of this campaign. I made my voice seen and felt by demanding for good governance and importantly, youth involvement in governance. I know that at a point. I am aware that in the past, no place was reserved for members of the youth constituency during policy formulations. We were weathered with policies that seem not to be too friendly to our growth but now the story has changed. There was a progressive call that was obeyed by the people in power. Allahu Akbar!!!

Having fought for what was right, we became enemies to our progression by allowing the fate of governance ushered in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his political opponents to take the spaces where the world is judging us from. Our attitude across our social media platforms on our leaders is not worthy at all. We are distracted while these persons are living their lives – Their dreams. We are allowing men make mockery of our intelligence by sheepishly dragging us into the fate of their own dark hour. Are they better of Mr. President? We should better be concerned on how to help Mr. President achieve his goals. It should interest us that we have a listening leader and someone who prioritizes our constituency before any other constituency. The deliberate reason why some of us supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was because we saw him as that leader that would pave the way for the youths to become real stakeholders in governance.Every time Mr. President speaks to us a Nation, he continually emphasizes our importance. He gives us score cards but we are not really interested in assessing same with good critics. He kept on appointing and giving us key responsibilities at sectors that we would not have imagined any one from our constituency at earliest time like this to be in such position. I am aware that Mr. President is not only fulfilling his election promises but he is carrying the youths along towards achieving a sustainable future for this Nation. There is a steady engagement and participation of young people in the development process. A country we prayed for!

I used to live in fear when discussions that bother on handing over of power to youths is concerned. This is because, I could picture the future as it would unfold should that happen. Why? Because, we Nigerian youths were not prepared for the role and we fail to recognize the fact that there has been deliberate effort to incapacitate us. This is what I mean whenever I talk about bastardization of our youths. Now, we are beginning to have a fair share of our lack of preparedness. What ideas are our representatives across board bringing onboard? Are we still bothered on who won or loss election? Are we still bent on why President Tinubu should not have won the elections while our various State Governors are getting palliatives from Federal Government and we are not seeing the effect in most States. I wish the type of energy deployed to bringing down the person of Mr. President could be extended to demanding for good governance from our Governors. Demanding accountability especially on the proceed of subsidy is concerned would have been true patriotism than the former. We are not even bothered that local governments are been buried in governance by most Governors in Nigeria. Are we not worried about the debt profile of some States and yet there is no evidence of development.  The States that most of us we inherit as Governors, Senators, House of Representative members, House of Assembly members etc. as far as governance is concerned in years to come. What do we tend to make up as leaders of our generation; when our kids start asking questions, what type of answers are we planning to give them. Is it that we would be comfortable telling them that when we had a President with unprecedented electoral results and tribunal verdict, we were busy playing cards of his opponents. Would it not interest you to tell your kids you were part of those that speak and do good for the sake of the Country and not because you are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo. You were a Nigerian before you identify as a Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo. This is us – that have forgotten so soon that most of our Governors are yet to publish the judgements of their respective tribunal of enquiries on the End Sars saga. It is just ridiculous that we are have been soaked into another narrative that would not add any legal value to our corporate existence. Whether bitter or sweet, Mr. President is here to stay.

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW EFCC CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY OF THE COMMISSION

We must accept this reality and not be caught in a web of a divided society. We must give our total support to the social governance policy trust fund of Mr. President. He has tagged it the ‘Renewed Hope’ – we already have a developmental plan as opposed the several documents of plans and agenda intentioned on sentiments and prepared without national interests. We are beginning to see the light that we would be handed a working country with national development agenda under implementation, and enjoy the supervision of patriotic elders whose only consideration is national interest. The fact is this, we have a President that has placed upon himself the responsibility to provide the reference point of discipline, patriotism, humility, and adequate sense of self by extending his limits beyond the average standard that is acceptable to his generation. Mr. President has succeeded in employing his political authority to stimulate hope and pride in the corporate purpose of this Nation. We must not be used as detractors to the birth of a New Nigeria. Interestingly, youths of India, Singapore, Brazil, China and Indonesia compete with the world’s best in Information Technology, Agriculture, Entertainment, Alternative energy, Medicine etc.  Of course, those building our bridges and roads are their own youths. The expatriate doctors in our best hospitals are their youths. Those designing and building the phones we use are their youths. Now, our own youths are already leading spaces more due to the deliberate intervention of Mr. President’s faith in our abilities.

I could remember that one of the assurances of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Southwest APC Youths rally was that Mr. President would give opportunities to youths to flourish in their areas of activities, the Governor said young people would be part of the major drivers of the Tinubu presidency. This is never in doubt again. Mr. President in less than six months of Presidency has the highest number of youths in key and strategic positions in Government. The amazing part is that, Mr. President is not stopping. I would always wish for a productive mindset like that of our President. He is a thorough blend of the mosaictraits – he would lead the path to the New Nigeria. The path he kicks started from his very first appointment in office. It is unprecedented. If he is not the Messiah; he is the Moses.

Thanks.

Amb. Habeeb Whyte Esq., MBA.

(WHYTE is a Lawyer, Author, Advocate of Youth Involvement in Good Governance, United Nations Award winner, Regional Africa International Arbitration Award winner, Coca cola/The Nation Campuslife Award winner, Quill Promasidor runner up for Best Future Writer in Nigeria, Royal Ambassador for the Royal Court of Ife Kingdom, Ecowas Youth Ambassador, Cordinator – BAT Lawyers Ogun State and Secretary – Cityboy Movement Ogun State).

Email: whyte287@gmail.com

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