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APC Crisis: Governors, Ministers Plotting More Surprises For Buhari – Galadima

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Two days after some aggrieved chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) launched the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC), its chairman, Buba Galadima, has declared that the mother of all shocks is underway for the ruling party.

This is as he accused some people around President Muhammadu Buhari of reeking in corruption. He claimed that more surprises will follow in the coming days. In an exclusive chat with Saturday Sun, the Yobe-born politician, who is an old ally of President Buhari, said, governors and some serving ministers who are members of APC, will soon join its fold.

He said that the renouncing of the party by some chieftains in Kwara State will be replicated in several states soon. He however did not state the specific day such will take place.

On Wednesday, at a well-attended press conference in Abuja, leaders of the new breakaway party, said they had the support of all the legacy parties that formed APC even as they refused to rule out that Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as well as other aggrieved members will soon join them. At the press conference, Galadima, said some chieftains of the party were compelled to take the new step because the APC has derailed from its original plans and vision.

Speaking with Saturday Sun, he said: “I can tell you that we have more surprises coming. The shocker is such that it will take APC and its leaders by surprise. This is something I can confirm to you. You remember what the leaders of APC in Kwara State told Saraki to lead them out of the party? That will happen in more states. More states will follow suit and it will be like that going forward.

“Some governors and other top government officials in this government are going to be with us at the right time, they will openly align with us. Just wait and see how things will unfold in the coming days and weeks.”

Also speaking on a morning show on African Independent Television (AIT) yesterday, Galadima said he will disprove those who have dismissed his influence.

He said: “I want to make an observation because people on the other side of the divide said that some of us are inconsequential hired machineries who he will not loose sleep over our actions. I want to state unequivocally for the world to know that there is no man with integrity, character and impeccable honesty from the other side more than me.”

Emphasising his incorruptibility, he said, “For those that know me from 1959 when I started school to date, I have never been found with anything even those that tried to destroy me could not destroy my character and integrity.

“I also want to say that we know all those opportunists who live in opulence and who cannot account for some of the palatial palaces they have built through the wealth of the people. May I also add that those who hired them for a particular purpose will live to regret because they have brought in the scenario of Pharaoh and Moses.”

Back to the crisis rocking APC, he declared that the problem within the “APC did not start from the election tussle of the National Assembly because for me that was democracy in action and once legislators are appointed, they put aside their political differences and work as one unit to produce laws for the good governance of the country and also as an arm of government to provide checks and balances to the excess of the government from whatever party the president comes from.

“The real problem of the APC started because those of us who are founding members of this party, those who made life sacrifice, those of us Nigerians with impeccable patriotism that came together because of the slide then and decided to submerge and subsume our interest to form the APC.

“I should boldly say that I was one of the nine signatories that formed the APC and nobody can delete that history. We never see the faces of all these opportunists I am talking about. They never appended their signatures then yet they are reaping from where they did not sow. “Because they have no history of why the APC was formed, what we suffered and what we did to protect entrenched interest, they started doing things that were not envisaged by the founding fathers of the APC.”

He maintained, “The crisis has been on but it took different dimensions when the tenure of the immediate national officers was expiring. Different interests started resurfacing and through to it, all the ideals for which we formed the APC were thrown to the dustbin. Those of us who are patriotic, who have made sacrifices to bring about the formation of this party cannot sit idly and watch them destroy our sweat. “ He argued that the current crisis is the worst the party has experienced . He said “this is the beginning of what you call crisis. I should say that I am glad that Nigerians of all walks of life have shown solidarity with us.

“And for those who could not lose sleep, I wonder why they went cap in hand, kneeling down before the members of National Assembly. I want to say that as at today, if I give directive to the National Assembly to impeach anybody for constitutional infraction, it could be done because I have that majority in the National Assembly.”

On his problem with President Buhari, he explained “I don’t have any problem with Mr President but I assisted him since 2002. I have made more contributions than even himself in becoming the President of Nigeria. Maybe I should tell the world that because of him, I have suffered intimidation, arrests, questioning about 38 times.

“Not only that, I was detained in an underground prison, chained hands and legs and tried for treason because of him. All these people around now were the people fighting us then. Some of these people were receiving money from the government of the time during elections in conducting fake research and using their positions as members of the trade union to say that the election was conducted fairly but today they are Buhari people. I am shocked.

“There is nothing happening except that I just saw him during a world press conference, an elder statesman and former president said that he does not need my vote, my supporters, my families and those that interact with me. He never mentioned any reason and I dare say that I have more integrity and more honest than any person in this country.”

Politics

Ihedioha resigns from PDP, says party no longer a credible opposition

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Emeka Ihedioha, a former governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo, has resigned from the party.

Ihedioha conveyed his resignation from the party in a letter dated April 23 and addressed to the PDP chairman of Mbutu ward, Aboh Mbaise LGA of Imo; and the national chairman.

Ihedioha said the party has failed to offer “credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

The politician said he has contributed his quota to the “development and transformation” of the PDP since 1998.

“All these years, I have taken pride in the fact that the PDP is a party that will always look inward for internal reforms and provide credible leadership for the people, whether in power or outside power.

“I have had the benefit of serving and benefitting from the party at various levels. Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs.

“Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party effective immediately.”

Ihedioha said while the decision to leave the party was “difficult to take”, he believes that it is “the right one”.

He said despite his resignation, he will always be available to offer services “towards the deepening of democracy and good governance” in Nigeria.

Ihedioha was elected governor of Imo in March 2019 on the PDP platform.

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Politics

Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo APC governorship primary election

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Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of Ondo state, has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket for the November 16 election.

Usman Ododo, Kogi state governor and chairman of the election organising committee, declared Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the party’s primary in the early hours of Monday.

Ododo said Aiyedatiwa secured 48,569 votes to defeat his closest challengers — Mayowa Akinfolarin who had 15,343 votes and Olusola Oke who polled 14,915 votes.

Aiyedatiwa won in 16 of the 18 LGAs in the state while Oke won in Ilaje local government area.

The election was cancelled in Ifedore LGA due to issues of violence.

CONTROVERSIAL PRIMARY ELECTION

The APC primary election, which started on Saturday, was marred by allegations of irregularities while there were demands for cancellation by the leading contenders.

Several aspirants alleged that no election took place in most parts of the state.

TheCable reporters who monitored the election in Akure failed to witness voting in several wards in the Ondo state capital.

Olusola Oke, Olugbenga Edema, Wale Akinterinwa, Dayo Faduyile and Jimi Odimayo are among the governorship hopefuls who kicked against the conduct of the exercise.

Folakemi Omogoroye, a female governorship hopeful, described the election as a “complete rape of democracy”.

“I am not going to accept it, and now, I am calling for cancellation and if this is not done, maybe we’ll meet in the court,” Omogoroye said.

Despite the criticism and controversy surrounding the election, the Kogi state governor insisted that the process was transparent.

The primary election took place across 203 wards in the 18 LGAs of the state.

The election was rescheduled in all 13 wards of Okitipupa LGA over the late arrival of materials. The rescheduled election, held on Sunday, recorded a low turnout of voters in some wards.

Members of the party staged a protest in Akure on Sunday evening over the conduct of the governorship election.

Adeniran Oyebade, director-general for Olusola Oke campaign organisation in Ondo central, described the primary as “daylight robbery”.

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Politics

‘You’re not following procedure’ — Drama as Ondo guber hopeful confronts Ododo over APC primary

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Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, and Gbenga Edema, one of the hopefuls for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket in Ondo, engaged in a heated argument on Saturday over the distribution of election material for the party’s primary.

Ododo is the chairman of the seven-member committee overseeing the Ondo APC governorship primary.

The argument started after some members party gathered at the BON Hotel, Akure, where the election materials were scheduled to be distributed.

From the crowd, Edema confronted Ododo, saying that election materials were to be distributed to several wards in the state.

The aspirant added that Ovie Omo-Agege, secretary of the primary election committee, had announced that “accreditation will start by 10 am, to be completed by 1 pm while voting proper will start by 1 pm and end by 2 pm”.

Edema then accused the committee of breaching the protocols for the exercise.

In response, Ododo said election materials have been sent to wards in the north and south senatorial districts in the state.

“I came in this morning as early as past eight for this national assignment to humanity. You claim that there has never been material issued to any of the 203 wards,” the governor said.

“From the brief I have gotten from the secretary of this APC primary election, that of the north and south have been released since morning. And it remains that of the central, which is what we have been trying to sort out.”

Reacting, Edema said his ward is located in the state’s south senatorial district and “the returning officer who ought to collect materials for my ward, Mahin Ward II in Ilaje local government area, is here and unable to collect any materials”.

“I’m from Ilaje LGA. [Voting material] has not been sent there. How did it arrive there? Through what medium? I have been here by 6:30 am,” the governorship aspirant said.

“I am one of the aspirants. The returning officer who ought to collect material for my ward, Mahin Ward II, in the Ilaje local government area, is here and unable to collect any materials. He has been here since seven o’clock. No material was given to him.”

The confrontation then climaxed into shouts and heated exchanges.

A total of 171,922 accredited members for the APC gubernatorial election in the state. The exercise is scheduled to take place across 203 wards in 18 LGAs.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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