2015: PDP Elders’ Panel Divided Over Jonathan • Tukur Summons State chairmen To Abuja

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The Peoples Democratic Party Elders’ Committee, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has started compiling a report of its meetings with the leaders of the two factions of the PDP in Abuja on Friday.

One of our correspondents gathered in Abuja on Sunday that one issue the committee would find a hard nut to crack is President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

A very reliable source in one of the factions  told The Afric-tv24 on Sunday that while the elders were divided on  Jonathan’s reelection bid, the governors were also in disagreement on the fate of Tukur,  who would on Monday (today) meet with state chairmen of the PDP in Abuja.

Those at the  Friday  meeting, apart from Obasanjo, were  former chairmen of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Senator Barnabas Gemade, the Chairman of Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih   as well as former military President  Ibrahim Babangida.

Another ex-Chairman of the PDP, Solomon Lar and  a former BOT Chairman, Dr.  Alex Ekwueme,  were absent at the meeting as they were said to have travelled outside the country.

The National Chairman of the party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur  led some members of his National Working Committee to the meeting while    Alhaji Abubakar Baraje led the  National Secretary of the New PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja, a former Governor of Gombe State, Sen. Danjuma Goje and an ex-Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki.

Also in the Baraje group were  governors  Sule Lamido (Jigawa),  Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers)  and Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).

Governors, who came on the side of the Tukur-led PDP  included Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Idris Wada (Kogi), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Theordore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

The Afric-tv24 however gathered that during the meeting, two  members of the committee were in agreement that Jonathan should sacrifice his second term ambition while  two  disapproved.

The fifth committee member was   said not to be very committal to any of the positions canvassed by his colleagues.

Our source  said, “The committee is in a fix on whether  to recommend that President Jonathan should forget his second term or not

“Two  of the committee members or elders argued that the President would have done six years by 2015 and doing another four years would amount to third term. They are saying that the constitution stipulates that the President can only be in office for eight years and if he(Jonathan) gets another four years, he would have done 10 years, which to them amounts to third term.”

According to him, two others  were  of the opinion that the President should seek reelection  since the constitution was not against that.

He added that while the governors on the side of the Baraje-faction insisted on Tukur’s sacking,  others  argued that he should be allowed to continue to run the PDP.

It was however  learnt that the committee might recommend that those who formed the New PDP  should return to the party under the chairmanship of Tukur.

Tukur  is expected to meet today  with the 36 state chairmen of the party and their Federal Capital Territory  counterpart  over the crisis rocking the PDP.

 The notice of the meeting, which was sighted by one   of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday evening, indicated that it would hold at the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the party.

“The meeting is aimed at briefing you  (chairmen) on the recent happenings in our great party,” the notice added.

Investigations  indicated that Tukur  would use the opportunity of the meeting to solicit the support of the   chairmen, who are considered as field commanders for the party in their respective states.

At the end of the meeting, the state chairmen may be compelled to issue a statement pledging their loyalty to the Tukur-led faction.

Meanwhile, controversy has continued to surround the closure of the secretariat of the New PDP in Abuja  by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

The Tukur-led PDP, the Police and the Presidency defended the action but  the All Progressives Congress, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties and three Senior Advocates of Nigeria denounced it.

The  National Publicity Secretary of the  PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh,  said the police acted based on the order of a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Metuh  argued   that in ordering that the parties in the dispute should  maintain the  status quo ante bellum, “the court clearly granted the request of the PDP that the group led by Alhaji  Baraje should not operate or be recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the position of the Federal High Court is clear. By ordering that the two parties maintain status quo ante bellum, the court has clearly ordered the Baraje group to stop all its activities, including operating a secretariat while it affirmed the leadership of the PDP under Alhaji   Tukur. The sealing off of the secretariat opened by the Baraje group under the name, colour and flag of the PDP is therefore in order and in line with the law.”

FCT  Police Command Public Relations Officer, Altienne Daniel,  said,”It is true that we deployed policemen to the Maitama office of the PDP and the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party based on a court order which directed the parties to maintain the status quo.

“The police at the two offices did not prevent anyone from entering or leaving the offices, they were just there to prevent a breach of the peace and to enforce the order of the court.”

But the  CNPP  called on   Jonathan to order the Inspector- General of the Police to open the  shut secretariat of the New  PDP.

NPC May Not Take Fresh Census In Lagos

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There are indications that the National Population Commission  may not  comply with the order  of the National  Census Tribunal that a fresh census be conducted  in 14 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.

Dependable sources in the Presidency told The Afric-tv24  on Friday that  the state would have to  wait till  2016 when another  nationwide census  would be carried out.

The source explained that for now, the nation lacked the basic benchmark  and requirements to conduct a census.

The Lagos State Government had through its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye; his  Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Mr.  Obafemi Hamzat,  and the  Commissioner  for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, asked the NPC to conduct a  fresh  census in  the 14 LGAs in line with the the NCT judgment.

Ipaye had stated that  since the tribunal nullified the figures released by the NPC, another headcount was very necessary in the  areas  considering the physical and economic projections of the government.

According to him, the 2006 census was conducted on the basis of 20 LGAs listed in the 1999 Constitution.

He had said, “In the final analysis, the official national census results for 14 old Local Government Councils (now 40 LGAs and LCDAs) in Lagos State have been nullified. This vindicates the resolve of the state government to base its physical and economic plans on a projected population of 17,553,924 in 2006 and over 21,000,000 currently. We now expect that the NPC will urgently announce plans for a recount as ordered by the tribunal.

“Most importantly, a shadow survey carried out by state officials during the exercise showed that Lagos State should have had a population of at least 17,553,924. A good number of residents from various communities within the state protested and, eventually, had petitions filed on their behalf when the census tribunal was established.”

But the  NPC said it had yet to get a copy of the tribunal judgment.

The  commission’s Chairman, Chief Festus Odimegwu, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja,  said, “When a judgment is delivered, it usually takes a while before a Certified True Copy is given. “The tribunal has not served the NPC any paper  that the 2006 census exercise in Lagos State has been nullified.”

 When contacted, a  Presidency source  said, “To conduct a census is a major event and not something you just jump  into  because a  court said you should do so.

“The conditions required to conduct a proper census do not exist in Nigeria as we speak. Nobody can conduct a proper census because the conditions are not there.

“Before a census is conducted, it takes three years for the type of census we want to do and we have not even started the preparation.

“So,   the NPC cannot conduct any census anywhere because the conditions are not okay. Anything we do now will be like a  guesswork. When  the judgment is ready, the NPC will reply and educate the court on what is possible and what is not possible and I am sure they will understand.”

Another   source in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said conducting a fresh census   in Lagos State would be  a misadventure.

He said, “To run a proper census is the biggest challenge of any nation like Nigeria. The only thing that is bigger than it is war.  To  wage war you need to simulate the entire country and in  census, it is exactly the same thing, except that it is on the peace line.

“So it is easy to say ‘conduct census’; but it is not practical to do  so because if we want to do it properly the way we are planning, it won’t be possible. The court is entitled to its judgment. But our duty as professionals is to educate the courts.

“So the whole country should wait until Nigeria conducts another census in 2016. If the nation wants an accurate census, the NPC will deliver it. But we need at least, three years preparation for that; once we deliver it, this country will be delivered from this darkness from people shooting golden arrows into darkness.”

But the Lagos State Government said on Saturday that the Federal Government and the NPC should not hide under any guise to disobey a court order.

The state argued that  since the Federal Government   had been proclaiming the rule of law,  it had no reason not to comply with the tribunal’s judgment.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy told our one of  correspondents in Lagos  that the tribunal’s verdict was a valid one and therefore  should not be disregarded for any reason whatsoever.

He said, “It is a dangerous trend that the Federal Government and the NPC want to start. If the people of Lagos State went to seek refuge in the judiciary and the verdict was that the census should be redone in some places, why would anyone want to look for ways not to implement the verdict?

“The Federal Government and the NPC made representation at the tribunal as well as Lagos State. So they know about the judgement. Nobody should say he had yet to hear of it or get a certified true copy of the judgment. The rule of law must be allowed to prevail. The census should  be retaken in the 14 LGs as ordered by the tribunal.”

When  one of our correspondents visited the Registry of the Census Tribunal in Abuja,  the secretary  was not available to speak on the matter.

But a top source, who did not wish to be named, said that the NPC  had  not officially applied for a copy of the judgment as required by the  rules guiding the tribunal.

According to him, the NPC initially made enquiries, stating its wish to collect the judgment  but  was informed that it had to send in a formal application.

 Meanwhile, a group, the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Congress, has condemned the calls for  the sacking of the NPC chairman  by  Kwakwanso and the Arewa Consultative Forum.

The  Chairman of the congress, Chijioke  Onyekaonywu, in a joint statement  he signed with   a Chieftain of  Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Stanley Okeke , argued that “the nature and intent  for  the calls had  the capacity to create confusion and overheat the polity.

Onyekaonywu and Okeke said, “The need to preventa threat to our national security and avoid  descent into anarchy and mutual distrust, has necessitated our taking this stride to address the dangerous and reckless attack on the person of Chief  Odimegwu by the governor of Kano State.

“The statement credited to Odimegwu has nothing to warrant the call for his head by Kwakwanso. Even in his capacity as just a citizen of Nigeria, Odimegwu has a right to air his views. Odimegwu should be commended for being courageous enough to state the facts as they are.”

Protest Against Olu Of Warri Rages, Uduaghan Intervenes

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The Delta State Governor, Dr.  Emmanuel Uduaghan,   has appealed to thousands of Itsekiri  protesting the bid by their  monarch to jettison their  traditional beliefs  to remain calm, saying he was already meeting with stakeholders   to resolve the matter.

Uduaghan, who arrived the palace at about 3.45pm on Sunday, was met by the surging protesters, who appealed to him to mediate in the crisis.

An online news portal, THE WILL, reported that the   governor, was   allowed into  the palace without  his security aides,  came out after about 15 minutes to address the protesters.

Urging  the protesters  to exercise restraint,  he  said he had discussed with   Atunwase II, the chiefs and the youth  over the issue and expressed  gratitude to the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.

The palace of the Olu of Warri was barricaded for the third day by the protesters who erected canopies in the front gate.

Some women and youths also erected canopies by the side fence of the palace where they cooked and danced.

Itshekiri masquerades were also brought in to spice up  the protest as they banged   the gate of the palace while the protest lasted.

The protest was sparked off by the monarch’s decision to, among others,  abolish the ancient Itshekiri masquerades which are paraded during traditional festivals.

While the monarch was inside the palace as the scene was playing out, only a few chiefs, leaders and youth representatives were allowed to enter the palace by the protesters.

Several meetings were held by groups who adjourned and  reconvened after some hours. The groups were  said to have also met   with the monarch.

Atunwatse II  had few days ago declared in a document titled  “The New Order of Iwere Kingdom,” that the “Ogiame” title which had been in existence for over 500 years would cease to exist following the recent consecration of the kingdom to God.

“Ogiame” means “King of the River,” according to the history behind the Itsekiri throne.

The monarch, in the document, said he had renounced his allegiance to the “Umalokun” (goddess of the sea), land and sky as well as  the “Ogiame” title to which his ancestors had pledged allegiance to “Umalokun” and other deities.

Secretariat Closure: New PDP May Go To Court

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The Abubakar Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that it may seek legal redress for the sealing-off of its secretariat in Abuja.

The Secretary of the faction, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, disclosed this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Osogbo on Sunday.

The police had on Saturday sealed off the secretariat of the New PDP at Plot 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.

Explaining the action the faction would take,  Oyinlola, said the party was exploring internal mechanisms to resolve the crisis which had polarised the PDP.

He, however, stated that the new PDP would be left with no option than to seek legal means of enforcing its right if the efforts failed.

He said, “We are exploring all means to resolve the matter; I mean internal mechanism of resolving the crisis but we will be left with no option than to seek a legal means to address it if all these efforts fail.”

Oyinlola had described the sealing off of the new secretariat as an undisguised impunity on the part of Alhaji Bamaga Tukur, who he claimed, had earlier dished out an imaginary court injunction to the media.

Also, the faction’s Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja, said that  members of the New PDP would soon meet to discuss the way forward, especially as it concerned the sealing-off  of its national secretariat.

The PDP chief, who spoke in a telephone interview with  one of our correspondents,  said, “There is nothing I can tell you now. We are going to meet very soon and a decision would be taken very soon.

“We have spoke through our Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and what he said about the sealing off of our national secretariat is the position of the New PDP.”

Meanwhile, legislators loyal to the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the PDP  are due to meet  today (Monday).

One of our correspondents  gathered in Abuja on Sunday that leading figures among them had started arriving in Abuja for the meeting.

It was learnt that the agenda of the  meeting would include the threat by the Chairman of the old PDP, Dr.Bamanga Tukur, to recall the National Assembly members that were loyal to the Baraje faction.

It was also gathered that the lawmakers would  deliberate on the sealing-off of the secretariat of the New PDP in Abuja.

However, venue for the planned meeting is still being kept a closely guarded secret.

A source privy to the meeting said, “I cannot tell you the venue.” Asked why, he said, “If they can seal off our secretariat even before we start to use it, what do you think they will do if they know the venue of the meeting?”

It was further gathered that the meeting was aimed at preparing a response to the decision by security agencies to seal off their secretariat as well as their next move.

When contacted, a member of the group, who is also the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and Media, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said the internal affairs of the PDP was the focus of its (the new PDP)  activities.

He said “For now, we are talking about the party nobody is talking about impeachment. The Parliament does do work like that, until you come back and sit down.

“The parliament is not a place where my views alone will count; it is about the majority views, such matters cannot be raised unless the Parliament is in session.

“You need to be guided; neither I nor any of my colleagues (in the new PDP) is talking about that.

“We are talking about our party here. The truth of the matter is that some funny characters have taken over our party now and there is a need for us to flush them out and return the party to the right path.

“Politics is about horse trading and interest is the major thing that will bring people together.”

Also speaking on the issue, Senator Danladi Sankara said, “There is no such thing (impeachment).

“Our concern is how to rescue our party from self destruction; we don’t have time for frivolities. We are still loyal members of the PDP.”

Meanwhile, there is confusion over the source of order withdrawing the security personnel attached to the factional chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Kawu Baraje and a member of the breakaway faction, former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki.

It was learnt that the order for the withdrawal of the policemen could only emanate from the Commissioner  in charge of the Special Protection Unit, the FCT Commissioner of Police of the command where the policemen might have been drawn and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

Abortion law: Imo Govt moves against whistle blower

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OWERRI—Imo State government has visited its anger on the Chairman, Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, who blew the whistle on the obnoxious abortion law foisted on the citizenry by Rochas Okorocha’s administration.

Already, Dr. Njemanze’s plot of land meant for the building of a N50 billion modern specialist hospital in Owerri has allegedly been revoked by the state government.

Afric TV24  investigation revealed that the 5.5-hectare piece of land, where construction work started before Okorocha’s administration came on board, has been taken over by the state government.

Confirming this ugly development to Vanguard in Owerri, Dr. Njemanze said the land, which has Certificate of Occupancy Number 46 Page 46, Volume 308, assigned to Chidicon Medical Centre, was situated in Plot C, Parcel B, Naze Road and New Naze Industrial Layout.

“Since I broke the news on the abortion law foisted on Imo people by the state government, the Director of Lands was ordered to revoke the land for the construction of new mega hospital complex,” Njemanze said.

While explaining that the new multi- billion Naira medical establishment was one of the six mega hospitals in Nigeria, Dr. Njemanze also said that the project was to be partially funded by the Federal Government.

“Although I am the coordinator of the project, other doctors from the United Kingdom and the United States of America are involved.

“Fidelity Securities, an affiliate of Fidelity Bank Plc, is providing the fund,” Njemanze said.

He explained that project would initially gulp N5.5 billion, adding that the total cost was worth N50 billion.

He said:  “When completed, the hospital complex will have a helicopter landing pad, which will assist in moving patients in and out of the establishment at the required speed. It will also have state of the art facilities.”

Some concerned citizens who spoke on the issue, pleaded that the abortion law saga should not be used to truncate or damage what ordinarily should be of benefit to the people.

Efforts to get government’s side of the story failed as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Imo State governor, Mr. Chinedu Offor, failed to reply the text message sent to him on the issue before press time.

Students Threaten To Shut Private Varsities Over ASUU Strike

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Ado Ekiti — UNIVERSITY students under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, yesterday, took to the streets in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, calling on the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

They equally threatened to shut down activities in the private universities in the country should the crisis linger on.

The students who displayed several placards with various inscriptions, lambasted the Federal Government for its failure to honour  the agreement it  entered into with ASUU since 2009.

Protest: Polytechnic students protesting against ongoing nationwide strike, on Ikorodu Road, Lagos, yesterday.

File: Protesting students

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues,  Asafon Sunday,  Director of Action and Mobilisation NANS, South–West, claimed between 2000 and 2011 the Nigerian government earned about N48.48 trillion from the sale of oil alone, against N3.10 trillion earned between 1979 and 1999

He said the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in 2012 financial year alone generated N5.12 trillion from tax paid by the masses.

According to him: “With this tremendous upswing in the revenue at the disposal of the Nigerian government, one would have expected such to translate to commensurate improvement in the quality of Nigeria’s public education as well as other social services.”

He condemned the refusal of Federal Government to budget a reasonable amount of money to education sector as recommended by UNESCO which is 26 per cent of the country’s total budget.

Sunday noted that some countries with smaller Gross Domestic Product, GDP, like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco and Botswana had budgetary allocations to education sector as follow, 31 per cent,20 per cent,23 per cent ,17.7 per cent and 19 per cent respectively to 8.5 per cent that Nigeria government had budgeted for education in 2013.

Also speaking, Steven Adara ,a student leader from Ekiti State University,  EKSU , lamented that government officials and prominent Nigerians were not bothered about the crisis in the public universities because their children were in private schools overseas.

According to him: “We will mobilise  and disrupt academic activities in the private universities because it is the sons and daughters of the rich that are in these schools.”

ASUU: Students Protest Alleged Govt Insensitivity

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Some aggrieved students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, on Thursday took to the streets in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, in protest against the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The students, who carried placards with different inscriptions, accused the Federal Government of failure to honour the 2009 agreement with ASUU.

They expressed worries that the strike would further worsen the standard of education.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the Director, Action and Mobilisation, NANS, South-West, Asafon Sunday, noted that between 2000 and 2011, the Nigeria government made close to N48.48tn from the sale of oil, against the N3.10tn earned between 1979 and 1999.

He added that the Federal Inland Revenue Service in the 2012 financial year alone made the sum of N5.12tn from tax.

“With this tremendous upswing in the revenue at the disposal of the Federal Government, one would expect such to translate into commensurate improvement in the quality of education as well as other social services,” he said.

He stressed the need for the government to embark on “reasonable budgeting” to education,in line with the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent of the total budget to education per year.

Edo To Sponsor Teenage Stowaway’s Education

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The Edo State Government has offered to sponsor the educational career of stowaway teenager, Daniel Oikhena, up to the university level.

The Edo offer is coming on the heels of a similar sponsorship promise by Osun State-based voluntary organisation, De Raufs Foundation.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louise Odion, said the promie to sponsor Oikhena’s education was borne out of the determination by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that the JSS  I pupil receive the best education.

The commissioner however expressed Oshiomhole’s regret over the seeming crack in the relationship between the boy’s parents which he said had affected the young boy.

He said, “Edo State government is already taking steps to ensure that Daniel gets not just material but also psychological support to enable him achieve his God-given potentials. As a doting parent himself.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has followed the development closely. As a matter of fact, he personally engaged Daniel.

“From his interaction with him and his parents who unfortunately are separated, it is obvious that there is a deficit in terms of parental care, even though he sounds quite intelligent. We will ensure that

Daniel benefits first of all from the intervention of clinical psychologists. His psyche needs to be weaned off destructive anger.

“Thereafter, Edo State government is ready to assist Daniel to get to university level, consistent with the philosophy of Comrade Oshiomhole that every Edo child gets quality education that not only address the cognitive, but also the affective and psycho-motor domains as well.”

Daniel’s mother, Mrs Evelyn Oikhena, had indicated all was not well between the husband and herself, claiming the man and his family showed up solely because of the offers coming Daniel’s way.

Evelyn had said, “He (Daniel’s father) decided to appear now thinking that money is involved but he abandoned the children all these while, it is shameful.”

PDP’s Impunity In Offa Cannot Stand – APC

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The All Progressive Congress on Thursday said the victory claimed by the Peoples Democratic Party in the election in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State was daylight robbery. It vowed to resist what it described as the ‘PDP’s impunity.’

The APC, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the results of last Saturday’s rerun at the Offa Local Government Area, as announced by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission.

The statement read, “All Progressives Congress has condemned the daylight vote robbery by the PDP in last Saturday’s rerun at the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, saying it shows that the PDP, whether old or new, is irredeemable.

“Rising from its NEC meeting in Abuja, the APC said everyone who witnessed or monitored the election has confirmed that it was won convincingly by the party.

“The impunity perpetrated by the PDP has started hunting it, after its candidate in the Shawo South West Ward, Mr. Afolabi Jimoh Olawole, repudiated his so-called victory, just like one of the presiding officers, Mr. Oyetunji Akeem, said the APC won the Councillorship and Chairmanship in Shawo central ward.

“This is damning evidence that should make it clear to the PDP that its impunity cannot stand, that there are still Nigerians who have conscience and would sacrifice even their political and other careers for their integrity.

“In view of this, the APC calls on the PDP, which has been working in cahoots with the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, to regurgitate the victory it willfully swallowed, and from which it has now become so constipated and uncomfortable.”

The APC hailed both Olawole and Akeem for their decency and honesty, saying what they did was very rare in today’s Nigeria under the watch of the PDP.

The party expressed hope that all other partakers in Saturday’s “monumental electoral heist” would emulate “these rare species of mankind.”

Mohammed said that APC had thought that the ‘New PDP’ would use the Offa election to show that it was different from the old PDP, which it accused of lacking in internal democracy and having disregard for the rule of law.

He said, “It is now clear that the saying that ‘fruit does not fall far from the tree’, is true for the so-called New PDP.

“Presented with a chance to show that it is different from its vote-stealing, violence-peddling and impunity-prone ‘father’, the New PDP failed the test by engaging in bare-faced conversion of defeat to victory in Offa and then daring the party that has been robbed to go to court.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC on Thursday said the protracted crisis rocking the PPD was good for the country.

It said the PDP crisis was a good omen to free the country from the grips of the people that had not run the nation well in the past 15 years.

In a statement by the Interim Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Joe Igbokwe, the party said the disintegration of the PDP was long overdue.

The party said, “What is happening in PDP today is a reflection of the base foundation that has been responsible for the artificial growth of the party. The contradictions in the PDP and its continued manipulation of the country’s electoral process to stay in power is returning horrible results for the party presently and we see this as a natural outcome of a party built on false grounds and grown by intense corruption and brigandage in governance.

“We see the implosion of the PDP as a great necessity for the progress of the country and the present democracy and we restate out belief that this is of tremendous positive impact to the general life of the country and indeed all Nigerians.”

Anambra: Court Strikes Out Uba Brothers’ Motion

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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday struck out an ex parte motion filed by Senator Andy Uba; his brother, Chris; and three others against their suspension from the Peoples Democratic Party by the National Working Committee of the party.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed struck out the ex parte motion that had been slated for hearing after counsel for the plaintiffs and the PDP agreed that the court should ignore their interlocutory applications and instead hear the substantive suit due to the urgent nature of the matter.

Also, PDP lawyer, Chief Joe Kyari-Gadzama, SAN, assured that the party would not take any action against the plaintiffs until the determination of the suit.

Justice Mohammed thereafter fixed September 17, to hear the substantive motion.

The PDP NWC had on August 29, 2013 suspended the Uba brothers, as well as Chief Benji Udeozor, Ejike Oguebego and Mrs. Tonia Nwankwu for conducting a parallel state congress for the nomination of a governorship candidate in Anambra State.

Andy Uba emerged the party’s candidate in the said congress but the PDP national leadership endorsed Mr. Tony Nwoye, who was also elected as the party’s candidate for the governorship election in another congress.

However, the suspension of Uba others was on August 30, 2013, stopped by the Abuja FHC, following an ex parte filed by their lawyer, Mr. Abe Taiwo.

The motion was granted after the PDP failed to comply with the court’s order that it must come before it to explain why the application should not be granted.

As a result, Justice Mohammed granted an interim order “suspending the suspension” pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion.

He gave “an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents (PDP, IG) by themselves of their agents, privies, servants, national officers, disciplinary committee or whatsoever from enforcing or carrying into effect, acting upon or giving effect, or doing anything whatsoever pursuant to the suspension letter issued and signed on all the plaintiffs/applicants by the Acting National Secretary of the 1st defendant/respondent dated 29 August, 2013, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 28 August 28, 2013.”

In the same vein, the judge also made an order of interim injunction “restraining the disciplinary committee constituted by PDP to try the plaintiffs from proceeding to take any actions that may jeopardise the plaintiffs’ membership status at the PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion.”