Politics
Over 500 PDP Members In Ikono LG, Akwa Ibom, Defect To APC
Over 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikono Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom on Sunday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection in Ikono, generally regarded as the cradle of the Ibibio, was the latest defection to hit the PDP in the state in recent times.
Among those that defected were four former councillors, Iboro Akpan, Samuel Etuk, Ndifreke Essien and Jonathan Umana, a former PDP chapter secretary, Dr George Udoh, a former University of Uyo official, Dr Silas Udofia and Mr Victor Etefia, an oil mogul in the state.
In his remarks, the immediate past senator of Akwa Ibom North West in the National Assembly, Sen. Aloysius Etok, expressed joy that all the “real politicians” in the area were together in the APC.
Etok assured the APC in the state of bloc votes in Ikono in the 2019 general elections , adding that the era of writing election results in Government House, Uyo, is over.
He described some of those still in Ikono PDP as “lightweight and violent politicians” with no grassroots support.
The senator dismissed as false the claim by the PDP state government that it had constructed 250 kilometres of roads in the state.
Also speaking, former member of the House of Representatives for Ikono/Ini federal constituency, Mrs Iquo Inyang commended the defectors for choosing to embrace the change that was going on in the country.
Inyang applauded the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, adding that it was the answer to the prayers of Nigerians who were impoverished by the mindless looting of the treasury by the last PDP government.
Receiving the defectors, Obong Uko Umoh, the State APC Vice Chairman for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District who represented the State Chairman Dr Amadu Atai, said that the PDP being heavily factionalized would fade away from Akwa Ibom politics in 2019.
He charged the defectors to return to their wards to join existing APC members to preach the message of change.
Mr Iboro Akpan, a former leader of Ikono Legislative Council, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, assured APC of their total commitment and said he was making history after former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the second former PDP member to publicly shred his membership card.
Politics
Edo PDP opposes suspension of LG bosses by state assembly, says ‘It’s unconstitutional’
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo says the suspension of all the chairpersons and their deputies in the 18 LGAs of the state is “unconstitutional”.
The chairpersons and their deputies were suspended on Tuesday by the Edo state house of assembly for two months over alleged misappropriation of funds.
Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker of the house, said Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, had written a petition to the assembly regarding the chairpersons’ refusal to submit the financial records of their LGs to the state government.
In a statement, Anthony Aziegbemi, chair of the PDP in Edo, said the “illegal” suspension is a disregard to a supreme court decision that affirms the autonomy and independence of local governments.
“How can the governor direct the State Assembly to suspend democratically elected chairmen of the 18 local councils for insubordination when these elected officials enjoy autonomy and independence as enshrined in the constitution and are not subordinates of the governor, the state assembly, or any other arm of government?,” he said.
“We are also aware that the chairmen and their vices were not even given the opportunity to be heard in their detence and were suspended unheard on watery trumped up charges, in total disregard to the constitution.
“We want to restate that the constitution remains supreme, and any attempt to undermine its provisions or disregard the judiciary and its rulings is not only illegal but also a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law.
“The speaker of the Edo state house of assembly and the entire assembly have clearly overstepped their constitutional mandates with this illegal action and we urge them to immediately reverse its decision, in respect to the rule of law and democratic governance.”
Aziegbemi said the suspended officials should report to their councils on Wednesday and carry on with their normal duties.
Also speaking on the issue, Anthony Ehilebo, a PDP chieftain, said Okpebholo has no legal backing to request the financial records of the LGAs.
“In fact, the governor and the assembly members are in contempt of the supreme court,” Ehilebo said when he appeared on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
“The purported suspension of the local government chairmen by the state assembly is as absurd as the president asking the national assembly to suspend state governors because they refused to submit statements of accounts to him.
“This is a witch hunt. The LGA chairmen are all PDP members.”
The lawyer said the suspension “is unknown to law and will be ignored”.
Politics
Ex-sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi resigns from PDP
Bolaji Abdullahi, a former minister of sports and youth development, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He disclosed his intention to resign in a letter dated December 16 and addressed to the PDP ward chairman in Ubadawaki, Kwara state.
Abdullahi confirmed the development to TheCable on Monday.
The ex-minister also said he is yet to decide which political platform to pitch tent with.
“The decision of what to do and where to go will be taken in the future that’s left to God,” he said.
In the resignation letter, Abdullahi said he reached the “difficult” decision after days of reflection and introspection.
“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the letter reads.
“I have had ample time to reflect, and I have come to the difficult conclusion that this is the only tenable option for me at this time.
“Mr. Chairman, please permit me to express, through you, my gratitude to the leadership of the party for the opportunities that I have had to serve the state and the country on its platform, and for the great moments we have shared.”
Abdullahi was the PDP candidate for the Kwara central senatorial district election in 2023. He lost the race to Salihu Mustapha of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Politics
PDP debunks inviting Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not extended an invitation to former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the presidency on its platform in the 2027 election.
Speaking with BBC Hausa, Ibrahim Abdullahi, deputy spokesperson of the country’s main opposition party, said no ticket has been issued to the former president.
Abdullahi said the party has many eligible people who can contest for the presidency on its platform, adding that a recent interview he granted was interpreted to mean that Jonathan he asked to run on the PDP platform.
“The report that PDP has issued its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election is not true,” he said.
“What happened is this, I had an interview with a journalist where we discussed some issues.
“But in the course of the interview, he mentioned President Jonathan, asking about our opinion of him, because there are reports that he is being urged to run for the presidency.
“I responded by saying that he (Jonathan) is eligible to contest the election, because he is a Nigerian and has the right to do that by the provision of the law, and he still has one more term left.
“So, there is nothing wrong about him contesting the presidential election because he is eligible in the face of the law.”
The deputy spokesperson said the ticket would be given to someone who has shown interest in running for the presidency.
Jonathan, then in the PDP, lost the presidential election to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
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