Politics

Oyo PDP leaders tackle Makinde over Atiku

Published

11 months ago

November 3, 2022

Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State have opposed Governor Seyi Makinde following his declaration not to support the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

They spoke in Ibadan on Wednesday at the emergency meeting of the leaders of the party from the 33 local government areas of the state.

They declared their support for Atiku, who Makinde and four other PDP governors are working against.

Makinde had on Saturday during a live radio programme said he and other aggrieved PDP governors would not work for the presidential candidate of the party for some reasons.

The five governors have not hidden their position and they had vowed not to work for Atiku except for the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu resigned from office for a southerner to occupy the office.

One of the PDP leaders, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Wole Oyelese, said Makinde was not speaking for the party in the state but speaking for himself.

He said PDP leaders would work and deliver the state for the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in 2023.

Oyelese said, “A good politician will not speak like that. It doesn’t mean anything if Makinde says he will not work for Atiku. He is on his own! It is an empty threat! If he said we should not vote for Atiku, who are we voting for? We are too sophisticated for that in Oyo state. Makinde is a newcomer in Oyo State politics but we shall continue to work for our party.

“However, we are working for Atiku in a special way. My advice for any politician who wants to win in Oyo State is to come to the mainstream. Mainstream is the leadership of the party in the state.

“What is the position of Yoruba on this matter that Makinde is talking about? We don’t have a position. Pa Fasoranti is saying something and Baba Adebanjo is saying another thing. We are not having a position in Yorubaland. Our members remain steadfast and committed. This is our party and we cannot allow it to break down.”

Another PDP leader, Femi Babalola said the governor is also guilty of the points he raised against the presidential candidate of the PDP.

“He that comes to equity must come with clean hands. As an Engineer, I analyse issues. The first question I asked myself was is it good for a northerner to take over from a northerner?

“Another question is, is it good for an Ibadan man to take over from Ibadan man that spent eight years? So, for Makinde that benefited from such, why is he now antagonising another person? He didn’t see anything that is wrong in that but when it is Atiku, it is wrong,” he added.

Responding to an inquiry by our correspondent, the Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor, Taiwo Adisa, said Makinde and the other aggrieved governors had never said they would campaign for any other presidential candidate.

He said, “Governor Makinde, and his colleagues including Governors Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, and Okezie Ikpeazu have consistently said they will concentrate their campaigns on the PDP candidates in their states if the PDP system will not do the needful on the issue concerning the national Chairman.

“They have not said they will campaign for any other candidate at the Presidential level.”

Also, the PDP Publicity Secretary in Oyo State, Mr Akeem Olatunji, said in a separate interview with our correspondent that Makinde had never started campaigning for the candidate of another party.

He said, “Governor Seyi Makinde has said it at different fora that all PDP candidates would win in Oyo State. What else does anybody wants again?

“Do we have any other presidential candidate party from Alhaji Atiku Abubakar? There is no ambiguity in that except some people are just trying to seek attention. Probably, they are trying to be mischievous.

“All we know is that all hands are on deck that all our candidates win in Oyo State. Governor Seyi Makinde has never endorsed any other person as his own presidential candidate.”

Politics

Kaduna Governorship Election Declared Inconclusive

Published

6 days ago

September 28, 2023

Yinka Rahman

Tribunal Declares Kaduna Governorship Election Inconclusive

The Kaduna Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has declared the governorship election in the state held on March, 18 as inconclusive.

In a split decision of a ratio of 2:1, the tribunal declared the election inconclusive and directed that a supplementary election should be held by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within 90 days. INEC is to conduct election in 7 wards in 4 Local Government Areas.

LAGOS READY TO DRIVE YOUR PASSION, SANWO-OLU TELLS YOUNG CEOS IN TECH SPACE

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is challenging the election of Uba Sani as the Governor of Kaduna State on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral fraud, saying that its Candidate (Isa Mohammed Ashiru) won the election.

During the hearing of the petition, the PDP and Ashiru called 24 witnesses and presented claims and documents to prove their case.

More details later

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Politics

Lagos Governorship Elections: Rhodes-Vivour Takes Next Step After Tribunal Verdict

Published

7 days ago

September 27, 2023

Yinka Rahman

Lagos Governorship Elections: Rhodes-Vivour Takes Next Step After Tribunal Verdict

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has announced his intention to appeal the verdict of the Lagos Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal.

Rhodes-Vivour stated this in a press release on Tuesday while sharing his stance on the judgement.

He insisted that the essence of democracy not only lies in one’s ability to vote but also the capacity to defend the votes.

The essence of democracy lies not only in our ability to vote but also in our capacity to defend the integrity of that vote.

“Consequently, our laws allow Governorship candidates to challenge the decisions of the electoral tribunals at the Court of Appeal, and up to the Supreme Court. In light of this, my lawyers have been instructed to appeal this judgment, as we remain confident of getting substantial justice at the appellate courts,” he said.

While urging his supporters and Lagosians in general to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding, Rhodes-Vivour expressed the hope of getting substantial justice at the appellate courts.

“In these trying times, your unwavering support means the world to us, we must remain united, vigilant, and hopeful.

The ultimate victory may take time to come our way, but it is, we strongly believe inevitable as we have come to understand that the wheels or justice may sometimes grind slowly but it definitely grinds to a sure end,” the LP candidate added.

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Politics

I’ll continue to fight – Atiku breaks silence on tribunal judgement

Published

4 weeks ago

September 5, 2023

Yinka Rahman

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, has vehemently rejected the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).

We recall that PEPT on Wednesday struck out the petition filed by Atiku and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election.

The tribunal held that the petitions by the candidates and their parties lacked merit, upholding the election of Tinubu.

The judgement was delivered by the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, assisted by other members of the panel, namely justices Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Stephen Adah, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.

Reacting, Atiku, in a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, rejected the verdict, saying the battle to upturn Tinubu’s victory continues.

The former Vice President, who called himself a fighter, said he had instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.

He said:

“I am here today to give my official reaction to the judgement delivered yesterday by the Presidential Election Petition Court on the 2023 presidential elections.

“As you already know, I approached the court following the declaration by the INEC that the APC and its candidate are the winners of the February 25 elections. My decision to go to court was anchored in my belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice.

“Indeed, I am no stranger to legal battles. I can say that I have a fair idea of how the court system works. All through my career as a politician, I have been a fighter, and I will continue to fight.

“Our aim of conducting credible elections in the country was compromised by INEC through the way it managed the presidential election.

“I am afraid that the judgement of the PEPT yesterday failed to restore confidence in our dream of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulation.

“I am here to tell you that though the judgement of the court yesterday is respected, it is a judgement that I refused to accept.

“I refuse to accept it because I believe it is devoid of substantial justice. I have asked my lawyers to constitutionally activate the guaranteed right to appeal in the higher court.”