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NNPP sacks Katsina deputy guber candidate, Rabe Darma, and exco over anti-party activities

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The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Katsina has sacked Rabe Darma, running mate of Nura Khalil, governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The party also expelled other executives in the state, including Sani Liti, state chairperson; Umar Jibril, secretary; Mustapha Basheer, youth leader; Dauda Kurfi, zonal chairperson; Abdulhadi Mai-Dawa, Funtua zonal chairperson; Sale Mashi, Daura zonal chairperson and Audu Yandoma.

Briefing journalists on Thursday in Katsina, Nasiru Usman-Kankia, NNPP director of media and publicity, said the expelled members were involved in alleged anti-party activities.

TheCable had reported Darma endorsed Dikko Radda, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

Usman-Kankia said the sacked members convened an “illegal meeting” to form an alliance with the APC.

“As you are already aware, a section of the state executive leadership of the party convened an unauthorised meeting on Thursday, March 9, the decision of which almost rocked the party,” he said.

“An emergency exco meeting comprising 19 out of 29 members was conveyed to discuss the immediate and remote causes of the illegal meeting.

“Facts have emerged that the illegal meeting was unconstitutionally convened without the consent of the state executive committee.

“It was also discovered that even when invitations were sent for the illegal meeting to state and local government exco members and ward chairmen, they were informed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and disburse funds for the settlement of polling unit agents and ward coordinators.

“However, at the illegal meeting, the APC gubernatorial candidate was ushered in and the NNPP state chairman, Liti, the party’s gubernatorial running mate, Rabe Darma, and other top executives introduced other members present as decampees to the APC.

“Almost immediately, the entire arena turned chaotic with shouts of NNPP slogans and chants of no, no, no, by the party’s loyalists.”

Usman-Kankia said members of the NNPP had been warned not to endorse or form an alliance with any other party.

“Accordingly, party officers, members and candidates at all levels are not authorised to discuss, negotiate or form any alliance with any political party to win the upcoming gubernatorial and legislative polls,” he said.

“Anyone who endorses a candidate of another political party will be sanctioned in line with the NNPP Constitution, ranging from suspension to expulsion.

“Our emergency meeting considered and decided to expel the officials and members involved in the illegal meeting, subject to the approval of the national executive committee of the party.”

Politics

Edo PDP opposes suspension of LG bosses by state assembly, says ‘It’s unconstitutional’

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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”.

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Politics

Ex-sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi resigns from PDP

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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).

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Politics

PDP debunks inviting Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency

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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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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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