News
Wike digs in against Atiku *Moves to fortify Damagum
Nyesom Wike: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), seems to be leaving nothing to chances in his alleged determination to take total control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former Nigerian ruling party, now the main opposition.
The PUNCH is reporting that part of the plan being initiated by the former Governor of Rivers State is to fortify Umar Damagum, who has remained the Acting National Chairman of the party since the forceful exit of Iyiochia Ayu, former National Chairman, who supervised the party’s participation in the 2023 general elections.
Ayu, former Senate President and former Minister in the government of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was ousted from his position shortly after the election as a result of pressures from the Wike camp, which moved against him from the moment the former governor failed to secure the presidential ticket of the party at its National Convention in 2022.
Aside ensuring that Damagun consolidated his hold on the leadership of the party, the report, said the FCT Minister would move in the coming days against supporters of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and the PDP presidential candidate, who defeated Wike to the second position to pick the party’s ticket and with whom there has been no loves-lost.
The report, which listed Seyi Makinde, Ahmadu Fintiri, Caleb Mutfwang and Agbu Kefas, governors of Oyo, Adamawa, Plateau and (Taraba), on the sided of Wike in supporting Damagum’s retention, mentioned Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (PDP-PGF) as leading Sim Fubara, Wike’s successor in Rivers and Ademola Adeleke, his Osun State counterpart to oppose the move.
All efforts to remove Damagun, including pushing the arguments that the North Central through which Ayu emerged, had not completed its term, in addition to bring reconciliation within the party, have remained futile.
Since the 98th edition of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, where the first official attempt was scuttled by the Wike camp, other attempts to hold NEC meetings had failed by suffering from one postponement to the other.
From the August 15, date, it was shifted to October 24, 2024, then rescheduled for November 28, 2024, before it was suspended indefinitely, with a fresh proposal by the PDP-PGF that the NEC meeting should now be convened for latest February, 2025.
Amid all the intrigues, including the setting up a committee for reconciliation and another to look into cases of anti-party activities and punishment of erring members, set up by the Board of Trustees (BOT), the Federal High Court, Abuja also barred the PDP from taking actions to either remove Damagun or interfere with his job.
Even the attempt by the BOT headed by Adolphus Wabara, former Senate President, which had traversed the country to troubleshoot the crises, had witnessed its own hiccup including the refusal of Bode George, former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), refusing the disciplinary committee membership on the ground of its headship by Tom Ikimi, was an insult given that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs was his junior in the PDP.
The first indication that the Wike camp meant business came with the sudden expulsion of Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representative for Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, in the House of Representatives and a sworn political enemy of the FCT Minister, who had spared no hard words to attack him.
Ugochinyere, who accused Wike of sponsoring the crises in his home Rivers where an onslaught is threatening Fubara’s job, with 27 members of the state House of Assembly serving him an impeachment notice last year, as well as having a hand in the PDP crisis at Wadata Plaza, was sacked by the PDP executive at his local Umuopia/Umukegwu Ward chapter in Imo State on Saturday.
“There’s a deliberate plan to move against party members and even members of the public who oppose their interests. The Wike camp plans to prevent any opposition from having a voice or influence by February, the paper quoted an insider at the party as saying, adding that even some NWC members had stopped attending meetings regularly due to growing disunity within the party.
A pushback however came from the opposing camp almost immediately with Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesman countering, the lawmaker’s expulsion as a non-event, on the ground that party wards were not invested with powers to expel members of the National Assembly.
For those believing that President Bola Tinubu’s exclusion of Humphrey Nwosu, the late Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), was an error that would be corrected subsequently, their expectation came to naught on Friday, with his non-recognition once again.
In a surprise outing, the President failed once again to name the late Professor of Political Science as one of the Nigerians honoured, on the day Nigerians would be celebrating this year’s anniversary of June 12, designed to mark the historic 1993 presidential election, which has now been designated as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
It was a day Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO), the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), was elected President in a transition programme undertaken by the military government of then President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB).
Expectations are that because the Option A4 model used in achieving the outcome of the election, acknowledged as the freest and fairest election in Nigerian history, the late electoral commission’s boss, would feature prominently in the list of those to be honoured by the government.
But another list contained in the national broadcast by the President, suggested that the position of the treatment meted to the former NEC Chairman, reflected the thinking in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu’s predecessor, under whom June 12 was given national recognition.
The list, populated mainly by names from the South West, which included both civilians and military personnel, did not capture the category of national honours to be bestowed on the recipients, as the government said further information would be released in due course.
Prominent among those recognized, was Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a General and former Chief of Army Staff, Supreme Headquarters between 1976 and 1979, under the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, who died in Abakaliki Prison in 1997, where he was detained for allegedly participation in carrying out a coup against Sani Abacha, then Head of State.
Tinubu, said the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, would now be known as General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology, to honour the General, who later became a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, “for his vision of national partnership.”
Listing the other names, Tinubu said: “I am also pleased to announce national awards to the following Nigerians, who suffered persecution, endured indignities, exile, incarceration, and, at times, solitary confinement, so that we have democracy today.”
The recipients included: Ayoka Lawani, Tunde Fagbenle, Oladele Alake, Olatunji Bello, Louis Odion, Segun Babatope, Sam Omatseye, Ademola Osinubi, Bola Bolawole and the duo of Lade Bonuola, former Managing Director of The Guardian and Femi Kusa, former Editor of the Nigerian foremost newspaper.
Others, were: Debo Adeniran, Ayo Opadokun, Chief Ralph Obiora, Ose Osayande, Osa Director, Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, Arthur Nwankwo (Posthumous) and Osagie Obayuwana, all pro-democracy activists.
The list also included Joe Okei-Odumakin , Titus Mann, Joe Igbokwe, Richard Akinnola, Ben Charles-Obi (Posthumous), George Mbah Niran Malaolu, Ishola Williams, a retired Major-General, Femi Aborisade, Jenkins Alumona, Gbemiga Ogunleye, Muyiwa Adekeye, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju and Ike Okonta.
“We also recognise the soldier-democrats of the June 12 struggle: Major General MA Garba, Brigadier General Lawal Jaafaru Isa, Col Umar Farouk Ahmed; Col Sambo Dasuki;
Col Lawan Gwadabe; Brigadier Jonathan Ndam Temlong, Col Musa Shehu; Major General Chris Eze; Major General Harris Dzarma; Col Isa Jibrin; Maj. General Joseph Oshanupin; Col Olusegun Oloruntoba, Olugbede of Gbede Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel Happy Kefas Bulus, Col J Okai;
Col Emmanuel Ndubueze; Lt Col Yakubu Muazu and Brigadier Yahaya Abubakar, the Current Etsu Nupe, who is already the holder of the CFR title.”
From Godswill Obot Akpabio, Senate President, came a definitive message to Nigerians on Friday – the future is bright, the road is clear and destination is assured under a strong, visionary and purposeful democratic leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
But he also raised a proviso – since democracy is participatory all citizens of the country, must get involved in providing the planks, which when nailed together, would enable the leaders fortify the platform for its growth, to enhance a robust, viable future.
These formed the fulcrum of his admonishment, as he joined other national leaders to celebrate Nigeria’s 27th anniversary of uninterrupted democracy, in which it not only broke the vice grip of military rule, but witnessed seven election circles to choose leaders at both national and other levels of government.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, Nigeria’s lawmaking institution, was particular about the participation of the Nigerian youths in making his admonition come true, reminding them that they actually owned the future being fashioned today.
Conveying his message through Eseme Eyiboh, his spokesman the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and former Minister of Niger Delta, also called on Nigerians to embrace unity, vigilance, and active participation in nation-building, commending them for showcasing resilience and support for democracy despite some low moments.
Noting that democratic experiment remained a testimony of endurance despite years of agitations, he said: “On behalf of the 10th National Assembly, I congratulate every Nigerian for the sustenance of democracy for close to three decades. Mistakes have been made in the course of this journey but we will surely get to the desired destination with your support.”
“Democracy should extend beyond the conduct of elections and be anchored on accountability, justice, compassion and service to the common good.”
Particularly for the Nigerian youths, he was emphatic about their active participation in the nation’s political process stressing that the younger generation forms the fulcrum of leadership succession.
Hear him: “As we commemorate June 12, I wish to encourage the youth not to sit on the fence but be active participants in the nation’s political activities. The youths constitute the fulcrum of those who will succeed us tomorrow.
“Let us therefore rededicate ourselves to the ideals of freedom, transparency and accountable government, social justice, and active citizen participation, especially the youths.”
The Senate President, also spoke the current parlous state of carnage in the country, appealing to Nigerians to unite with one another and cooperate with the government to tame “the monster that has befallen the nation.”
Assuring that Tinubu’s administration remained committed to ending the menace and securing the release of all persons in captivity, he said: “I urge every Nigerian to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in her efforts in fighting terrorism. We understand the pains you are going through but the government is not resting on its oars and hopefully we shall overcome this current challenge and all will be well with Nigeria.”
Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday showcased Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2027 election, but gave a proviso – his importance would not be at the expense of the party.
A guest on Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, now Senator representing West at the National Assembly, maintained that the belief in some quarters that Obi’s entrance into the party was a favour was completely misplaced.
Instead, he argued that the opposite was the case, as it was the party that was doing its candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform in the 2027 elections, a gesture that ought to be returned.
Hear him: “Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is. Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform. If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical.”
Stressing that NDC had demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting Obi as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a vice-presidential candidate without internal disputes, he said it was enough to earn its leadership the gratitude it deserved.
He added: “Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged.
“I could have run. There’s no one more qualified than me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for presidential candidate. None. There is no crisis within the NDC. Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party. On our own, we have made him a presidential candidate. Sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something. We are working well together. There’s no crisis.”
-
News4 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Columns3 weeks agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: Terrorists strike Ibadan again! Abduct ex-Minister’s sister, twin children
-
News4 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: Wait over! Arsenal are CHAMPIONS! Win EPL after 22 years hiatus
-
Columns2 weeks agoSee Tinubu’s terrible damage on Option A4 and its precious memories
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: Jonathan emerges presidential candidate *Gets automatic PDP ticket!