Politics

Ex Alpha-Beta MD Who Once Accused Tinubu Of Corruption Endorses Him For Presidency

A former managing director of Alpha-Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara has endorsed the presidential bid of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In an article published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Sunday, Apara said Tinubu is the “best man” to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as president.

The ex Alpha-Beta Consulting MD said he picked Tinubu as the “most suitable” contestant after a “dispassionate assessment” of all the candidates in the presidential race.

Apara had in 2020 after he was sacked as the managing director of Alpha Beta Consulting in 2018, accused Tinubu of owning the firm by proxy, which led to his dismissal and withholding of his share profit for the period he worked for the firm.

“My choice of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the best man for the job is based on a dispassionate assessment of his previous public office records and superlative antecedents, all writ large in Lagos state — Africa’s fifth largest economy were it to be a country on its own,” Apara said.

“My pick of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the most suitable candidate for President in 2023 is also informed by a direct experience of the phenomenal Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu having worked with him for over twenty (20) years in various capacities, including at a point in my career when I worked at ALPHA-BETA Consulting, which company I eventually led as managing director/chief executive officer and honourably disengaged from in order to pursue other interests.

“I make bold to say that the great successes we recorded at ALPHA-BETA Consulting, especially the exponential increase in the internally generated revenue (IGR) of all our clients — local and international have everything to do with the capacity and competence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a colossus in public revenue generation re-engineering.

“Such was the undeniable results of ALPHA-BETA Consulting as a professional firm that many states in Nigeria across party divides discarded politics to engage ALPHA-BETA Consulting as their IGR consultants, including some West African nations.

“As a humble recipient of a cache of prizes in financial management and intermediation in Nigeria and across the world, I am convinced that at this juncture in our national journey Nigeria needs a president prudent and pragmatic in financial management like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an extraordinary manager of human and material resources. As president, he would fix round pegs in round holes for a rapid socio-economic transformation of Nigeria into the country of our collective dreams.”

He described Tinubu is a “famous and credible name” associated with big businesses on the global stage and as president, Nigerians are poised to see more foreign capital and investment pouring into the country like never before.

Politics

Court Restrains Ayu From Acting As PDP National Chairman

A high court in Benue state has granted an interim order restraining Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

W.I. Kpochi, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday while ruling on a motion ex parte marked MHC/633/2023 filed by Conrad Terhide Utaan.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant Senator Dr. lyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of Motion on Notice already filed,” the judge ruled.

“The application is supported by a fifteen (15) paragraph affidavit to which is annexed three exhibits as Exhibits A1, A2, and B which are the Applicant’s membership card of the 2nd defendant, receipts for payment of dues and a vote of no confidence passed on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by the Igyorov

Council Ward of the 2nd Defendant in Gboko Local Government, Benue State.

“Upon hearing Mr M. T Assoh of Learned Counsel ably move the application and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before me in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by M.T Assoh of Learned Counsel, it is

my candid view that this is a proper case to grant the interim injunction as craved.

“Consequently, this application is hereby granted in terms of the reliefs captured in the motion papers as herein before reproduced.

“It is so ordered.”

The case has been adjourned to April 17 for a hearing.

On Sunday, the executive members of Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA of Benue state, suspended Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.

Politics

Ayu’s Aide Says Only NEC Can Suspend National Chairman

Simon Imobo-Tswam, media adviser to Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says his principal cannot be suspended by his ward.

Executuve members of Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA of Benue state, had on Sunday passed a vote of no confidence on Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.

The party executives claimed that Ayu worked against the success of the PDP in his ward and did not vote in the March 18 governorship and the house of assembly election.

In a statement issued on Monday, Imobo-Tswam said only the national executive committee (NEC), which is the highest decision-making organ of the party, can suspend a national chairman.

Citing section 57(7) of the PDP constitution, Imobo-Tswam said any organ other than the NEC is prohibited from disciplining the national chairman.

He said Ayu’s ”purported suspension” is an “exercise in futility” and should be disregarded.

“Iyorchia Ayu has not been suspended by his ward. Some members of the exco are only being teleguided by political gamblers to cause mischief and nothing more,” the statement reads.

Imobo-Tswam alleged that those whose names appeared on the suspension letter either had their signatures forged or were “coerced” to sign.

“The chairman, his deputy, and legal adviser didn’t sign. The 14th person on the list didn’t sign too. She was at NKST Ambighir for the Holy Communion,” he said.

“Up till now, about nine members of the ward exco are still being held hostage in a location in Makurdi for obvious reasons. And expectedly, their mobile numbers have been switched off. It is instructive.

“The general public is hereby advised to ignore rumours to this heinous effect. Those behind the plot are only investing in expensive illusions.”

Politics

I Support Ayu’s Suspension Over “Failure” As Party Chairman- Wike

Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike has stated that he supports the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP in Benue state suspended Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.

In a television interview on Monday, Wike said he aligns with the suspension because Ayu contributed to the “failure” of the PDP during polls.

“I am in support of the suspension. In fact, if he (Ayu) had left before now, they would have said that was why the PDP failed the election,” Wike said.

“First of all, if you are a member of the party, will you be happy with the way the party is today? It is only in this country that you see someone who has failed woefully and without any conscience would still like to occupy the position.”

Wike said in advanced countries, leaders of political parties don’t need to be told to “turn in the towel” when they fail.

“Before now, Ayu ought to have left that office. People were saying we were pushing for Ayu to leave and that we had a hidden agenda to make PDP fail,” he said.

“Ayu remained and PDP didn’t win. You lost your unit as national chairman, you lost your ward as national chairman, you lost your local government as national chairman of the party. Not only did you(Ayu’s state) take a distant third in the presidential election, you also lost in the state gubernatorial election.”

Wike has been at loggerheads with Ayu since the presidential primary election of the PDP.