NRTC Political Roundup

No position deserves anybody’s blood, Fayemi

For this week’s political roundup, I will start in Ekiti State where the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has warned against violence during the governorship election, which is expected to hold in July 2022.

While delivering the state of the state address at the hallowed chambers of the State House, as part of activities marking the third anniversary of his administration.

Fayemi appealed to stakeholders including members of the state executive council, the State Assembly, as well as traditional rulers. Appealed for peace ahead of the 2022 governorship election of his successor in office. Stressing that “no position is worth the blood of anybody.”

Fayemi also called on politicians aspiring to be Governor in next year’s polls to avoid politics of bitterness and be conscious of the fact that “God is the only one that can choose a leader.”

“I urge you all to play by the rules and avoid politics of bitterness. No position is worth the blood of anybody. I implore aspiring Governors to be conscious of the fact that God is the only one that can choose a leader. Therefore, we should put God first in whatever we do. And may the wish of God prevail in our dear State and nation.”

Ex-Cross River commissioner quits PDP, says decision painful

A chieftain of the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Edem Ekong, has resigned from the party.

Ekong announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the state PDP chairman, through the chairman of Idundu/Anyanga-Nse Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Area.

In the letter titled ‘resignation as a member of the PDP’, Ekong, said, “It is with a deep sense of regret that I am constrained to tender my resignation as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Idundu/Anyanga Nse Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Ekong was a one-time Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Lands, and the Director-General of the Department of Public Transportation.

Nigerians are tired of APC, Says Diri

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State said on Saturday that Nigerians were fed up with the All Progressives Congress, and could not wait to vote in the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023.

Duoye boasted that governors elected from PDP across the country were the best performing governors in the country. He spoke at the Mahmud Ribadu Square in Jimeta, Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State as the chairman of the PDP National Electoral Committee for the conduct of the state congress of the party.

He urged party members to remain steadfast and united to ensure PDP returns to power in the next general elections.

He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission whose state Resident Electoral Commissioner and his team were present to observe the exercise.

Two injured as gunshots rock factional APC congress in Osun

There was apprehension at the venue of the state Congress. Organised by a faction of the All Progressives Congress in Osogbo, Osun State last Saturday, following the exchange of gunshots by some yet to identified persons.

The incident happened around 12.50pm after the congress organised by The Osun Progressives, a faction of APC backed by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had commenced the process of electing new executives.

A car with around five occupants, claimed to be armed with guns was seen driving along Osogbo/Gbongan Road towards the entrance to the venue of the Congress and after the incident, two people were discovered to have been injured.

ADP returns to mother party, IPAC

Action Democratic Party has announced its return to the Inter-Party Advisory Council after its 19th NWC meeting in July 2020, on claims of anti-party activities by some of its members

ADP National Secretary, Victor Fingesi, made this known in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, saying that the National Working Committee, having reviewed its earlier decision to suspend its membership of IPAC, has decided to resume its full membership status at IPAC.

Fingesi said; “All National officers and State Chairmen of our great party are by this notice directed to fully participate in the activities of IPAC at their various chapters.

Okeke’s defecting to APC despite all Obiano did for him shocked me –says APGA chairman

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr Victor Oye. Said he was shocked by the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke’s defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress.

Oye said “Obiano was very nice to him. He gave him everything he needed. He had a fleet of cars, lives in a very beautiful home, well equipped office and he gets his allowances regularly, so what else does he want? I was shocked when he left the party, despite all the governor and the party did for him. He got his second term ticket on a platter.”

He stated that there was neither crisis nor disagreement within the ranks of AGPA to warrant the defection by Okeke
and criticised Okeke on the morality of his defection.

Oye said, “It is not a big deal for me; I am being very frank with you. This is my 40th year in politics. We have seen deputy governors abandoning and jumping ship and going to other political parties in the run-off to elections. This is not strange. And we are not even surprised”.

APC plotting to rig 2023 polls with direct primaries

A high ranking member of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives. Mr Ayo Yusuf has hinted that the supreme court may be approached over the restriction of political parties to direct primary in the ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act 2010.

He alleged that the move is part of the plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress to rig the 2023 elections.

He said “there are attempts by the APC to manipulate results during 2023 (general elections). When the election is rigged, they will use the result from the primary to justify the result”.

During the consideration – the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila called for removal of the option to go for either open secret or open ballot.

Gbajabiamila had said, “I will seek an amendment to Section 87. Section 87 provides for either indirect or direct primary.

“In the true ethos of democracy, I would like to amend Section 87, to delete indirect and make direct primary mandatory.”