Politics
LP state chairpersons call for Abure’s resignation over funds misappropriation
Some state chairpersons of the Labour Party (LP) have called for the resignation of Julius Abure, national chairman of the party, over alleged misappropriation of funds.
BACKGROUND
On February 12, Oluchi Oparah, national treasurer of the LP, at a press conference in Abuja, accused Abure of allegedly misappropriating N3.5 billion belonging to the party.
She said the N3.5 billion was raised from sales of forms and fundraising activities in the build-up to the 2023 elections.
In reaction, Abure in an interview on Arise Television on Thursday said he would sue Oluchi for defamation of character.
He also said the party did not raise N3.5 billion from the sale of forms as the national treasurer alleged.
The party has also suspended Oluchi for six months.
Speaking with reporters on Monday in Bauchi after a meeting of party chairpersons, Solomon Ndem, Plateau LP chairman, called on Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party in the last elections, to ask Abure to step aside.
“In the spirit of openess and accountablilty, as elected chairmen of the Labour Party in Nigeria, we wish to address certain concerns that have come to our attention,” Ndem said.
“We are appealing to his excellency Peter Obi, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed and other distinguished personalities within the party in requesting Julius Abure to step aside.
“It is imperative for the party and the people of Edo to consider this matter seriously as the actions of one individual should not jeorpadise the efforts of our candidate and the aspirations of our voters in Edo state.”
‘THEY’RE NOT RECONGNISED BY INEC’
Obiora Ifoh, LP national publicity secretary, in a reaction, said the persons calling for Abure’s resignation are not the state chairpersons of the party recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Please disregard the trending story that State Chairmen have passed a vote of no confidence on Abure,” Ifoh said.
“Former National Publicity Secretary of the party Abayomi Arabambi in cohort with his rebel group as usual assembled touts and labeled them state chairmen.
“It is a fake story and one of the sustained propaganda attacks initiated by their sponsors to discredit the party. The INEC recognized state chairmen will very soon address the media.
“Let it be known that the Labour Party is under the worst kind of siege ever but you can be assured that the party will survive them.”
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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