Politics

Only Ighodalo has structure to win Edo guber — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in Oredo LG has said that the only candidate and political party with the structure to win the upcoming election are Asue Ighodalo and the PDP.

At a press conference in Benin City on Monday, Crusoe Osagie, Chairman of the Publicity Committee for the Oredo PDP Campaign Council, highlighted that the race will involve the PDP, the All-Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party (LP).

Osagie emphasized that APC’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and LP’s candidate, Olumide Akpata, lack the necessary capability to lead Edo State effectively.

“This leaves us with one viable candidate, Dr. Asuelimen Ighodalo, an accomplished lawyer who established one of the largest law firms in Africa, Banwo and Ighodalo, known for having the largest number of lawyers and paying some of the highest wages in the country.

He has chaired numerous blue-chip companies, successfully managed businesses, and provided pro bono advice and guidance to various governments, from the time of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to the present.

We believe he is the only candidate with the viability to lead. We urge all Edo people to support us in Oredo as we aim to secure a landslide victory for the PDP and Ighodalo. We are confident about our success in Oredo Local Government Area and call on other local government areas to join us in doing the right thing.”

Discussing the deficiencies of other candidates, Osagie criticized LP’s Olumide Akpata, describing him as an “inexperienced private sector practitioner who has never held a government position.”

He also noted Akpata’s lack of political sensitivity for running from Edo South when the people wanted a candidate from Edo Central.

“He lacks political sensitivity; otherwise, he would have considered the interests of the entire senatorial district over his personal ambition.

Edo Central Senatorial District has been excluded from governorship consideration for over twenty years and deserves representation. It’s not just about personal ambition but about equity, fairness, and justice”, he stated.

Regarding APC’s Okpebholo, Osagie stated that Okpebholo lacks the intelligence and capability to govern Edo State.

He said, “Despite being from Edo Central, he lacks the necessary qualities to lead. We expect our leaders to be more intelligent than us because we entrust them with our future. How can we trust someone who cannot distinguish between a zoo and a museum to lead us?

While he may be a successful businessman, he is not suited to be the governor of our state. We cannot place the collective destiny of over four million people in his hands; therefore, he is unqualified to be our governor.”

Politics

NAF begins Edo guber election materials transportation

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced the transportation of election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, ahead of the Sept. 21 Governorship election in Edo.

This is contained in a statement by the Deputy Director Public Relations and Information, NAF, Group Capt. Kabiru Ali, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ali said the move was part of a broader effort to ensure timely and secured delivery of sensitive materials necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections.

He said the transportation operation had demonstrated the collaboration between NAF and INEC, aimed at facilitating logistics and ensuring a peaceful election process in Edo.

According to him, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had recently reiterated NAF’s commitment to provide transportation for the swift movement of electoral materials.

“This is in fulfillment of NAF’s constitutional responsibility of providing Military Aid to Civil Authority,’’ he said.

Politics

Fubara directs all 23 LGA chairmen in Rivers to contest under APP

Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has directed all 23 local government chairmen in the state to contest the forthcoming local government elections under the banner of the All People’s Party (APP).

The decision comes in the wake of Governor Fubara losing control of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) structure in Rivers State to former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The local government elections are scheduled for October 5, 2024.

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Wike has maintained significant control over the PDP structure in the state, causing friction between the two leaders.

The power struggle has culminated in Governor Fubara opting to back the APP, a move many see as a bid to counter Wike’s dominance in the state.

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With the local government elections fast approaching, this move is expected to reshape the political dynamics in Rivers State.

The APP, previously a lesser-known party in the region, now stands to gain considerable traction, backed by the governor and the incumbent local government chairmen.

Politics

Court sets new date for judgment in suit seeking Ganduje’s sack

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, shifted the judgment in a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Sept. 23.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the matter, which was earlier fixed for today, was not on the case list.

NAN gathered that the parties in the suit had earlier been reached by the court registrar for a new date because the judgement was not ready.

“We have already called the parties on phone to inform them of the development. A new date is next week, September 23,” a reliable source said.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on July 5, fixed today (Sept. 18) for the judgment.

Justice Ekwo fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiff, Benjamin Davou; and lawyers to the defence adopted their processes and made their submission for and against the case.

The plaintiff; the North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to queried the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

The plaintiff wants the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

It also prays the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.

The plaintiff is contending among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.

It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo-political zone to replace Sen. Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.

It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 31.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other reliefs.