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2019: Nigeria’s Future Bright With Buhari/Osinbajo – Gbajabiamila

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We Won’t Allow Law Breakdown, Disorder In State Assemblies – Gbajabiamila

House of Representatives Majority Leader, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday said the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remained the best option for the 2019 elections.

Gbajabiamila made the statement in Lagos at the presentation of 350 laptops to students and youths in his Surulere Federal Constituency 1. He said the APC-led administration had set the foundation for the country ‘s progress and urged Nigerians to vote the party for continued progress.

The lawmaker said another term for APC meant a steady progress to a better future for the country. The majority leader said the South West as well as other regions had benefited massively from development projects of the Buhari administration in the last three years.

He, therefore, said the people of the region, particularly Lagos, had resolved to stand with Buhari to emerge in 2019 in appreciation of what he had done in the region and country. He added that the promise of the Peoples Democratic Party for a Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot could not make the region trade away “the development ticket”.

“Do we have any body seated here who actually believes the South West should drop the position of Vice President and go lower down to Secretary of Government of the Federation as recommended by PDP?

“I am sure none. Our resolve in the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo can not be traded away for any condescending offer.

” We stand by the offer to complete Lagos–Ibadan Expressway; We stand by the offer to give us Lagos–Ibadan rail project; we stand by the offer to give us Lagos–Sango–Abeokuta expressway.

“We stand by the offer that just delivered Apapa–Wharf Road; we stand by the offer to deliver Apapa–Oshodi–Oworoshoki-Ojota Expressway; we stand by offer to provide steady solar power to our Lagos markets.

“We stand by offer to support our market women with soft loans; we stand by offer to improve power supply; we stand by the fight against corruption and pillage of public fund.

” We reject the offer to sell NNPC to friends and cronies; we reject the offer to return Nigeria to 16 years of retrogression. We stand solidly by Buhari–Osinbajo,”he said.

Gbajabiamila said the 16 years of PDP rule was a disaster as the country “got no returns on investments from the inefficient managers of the country’s commonwealth”.

He said never should the country be allowed to go back to the hands of PDP which he said had robbed the country of every form of development.

The House Leader said the APC knew the issues and the needs of the country and would continue to work towards a better country for all. He said the presentation of laptops and other ICT equipment to indigent students was in redemption of his electoral promise to impact on the lives of constituents.

Gbajabiamila added that he presented the laptops, particularly indigent students, to assist them to realise their educational goals. He described education as the pathway to success and said he would continue his best to support education and development in the area. Gbajabiamila thanked the constituents for voting overwhelmingly for him as APC candidate in the last primaries.

He said he was not taking the support for granted, promising to do his best in the service of the people, if re-elected. The state Chairman of APC, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, said the party was impressed at the performance of Gbajabiamila, saying he was a model for lawmakers.

He said the party would support him to realise his electoral and political goals. Age of an aircraft does not determine its safety —Aviation experts Newsmen report that prominent politicians, including Rep Rotimi Agunsoye, took turns to commend Gbajabiamila on the distribution of the items. Agunsoye said Gbajabiamila empowerment programmes were worthy of emulation both in Lagos and beyond.

The lawmaker gave out 28 desk top computers, 28 printers and set up five business centres for constituents. All the beneficiaries took turns to thank the lawmaker for the items, promising to put them into good use.

NAN

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PDP, APC Move Close To Alliance In Rivers, As Okpara, Secondus, Sekibo, Others Declare Support For Tinubu, Fubara

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…Wike Behind Crisis In Rivers, Says Pidomson 

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) appear to be moving towards an alliance long canvassed by the immediate Governor of Rivers State and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, following high level pledge of loyalty for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Simi Fubara.

Fubara who is Wike’s successor has rebuffed all attempts at a unification and refused to grant Wike his wishes to control the PDP machinery and have his loyalists take control of the state government.

This brewed a crisis that led to exchange of hot words and set the state on a path of political violence.

But despite the seemingly political differences with Wike, top PDP members in the state including its former National Chairman, Uche Secondus, a man Wike was blamed for his exit from office; and members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party for the 2023 general elections have pledged their support for Tinubu and Fubara on Thursday in Rivers State.

Among them were former Minister of Transportation and the Director-General, PDP-PCC Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara; Celestine Omehia, former deputy governor of the state, Tele Ikuru; Senator Lee Maeba; and former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Gabriel Pidomson. among others.

Speaking during a press conference on behalf of the group, Sekibo explained that, “The elections are since over and the Supreme Court has ruled on the finality of that contest, pronounced His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) as the duly elected President of Nigeria. We stand by that verdict.

“As law-abiding citizens, and responsible leaders of our party in Rivers State, we recognise the elected President of our country and pledge our full support for the success of his administration for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“In effect, we subscribe to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the President’s efforts at strengthening our economy, promoting peace and harmony in our dear country, Nigeria”, he said.

He stressed that Fubara’s emergence as governor and subsequent confirmation by the Supreme Court, “we have no choice but to give our dear Governor our total loyalty and support for the progress of our State.

“In that same vein, we urge our Governor and Mr President to work together for the good of Rivers people. With the elections over, now is the time for real governance for the progress of our nation.”

Speaking on the political crisis in the state, he attacked Wike, whom he called selfish, regarding him as one man’s attempt to control over seven million people.

He said in the last few months, “the peace of our state has been disturbed by the actions of one selfish man who believes that more than 7 million Rivers people are his slaves for electing him as their Governor for 8 years.

“Our people are not a conquered lot and would never subscribe to the mentality of conquest.

“We also refuse to be divided along tribal or ethnic lines. “Unfortunately, he has consistently abused the privilege that God bestowed upon him through the votes of the people, by committing crimes against the interest of the State.

“Lately, he has resorted to insulting our revered leader, and former Governor, His Excellency Sir Dr Peter Odili, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON); and his wife Her Excellency Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili, CFR, JSC, DSSRS because they refused to support him in his failed attempt to impeach the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS).

“We have nothing against Mr. President compensating Nyesom Wike with the office of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. However, we owe the President a duty to explain some facts and advise him on the character and machinations of his appointee.

“We wish to let the President know that this appointee ran a kleptocratic government when he reigned supreme as Governor of Rivers State, and may do the same in the Federal Capital Territory, if the President looks the other way.

“We strongly advise Mr President to keep a close watch on the FCT Administration”.

Blaming Wike, the former secretary to the state government (SSG) warned that “we the Rivers people will not standby while an individual decides that we will not sleep with our two eyes closed,” alleging the FCT minister has threatened publicly to destabilise the state.

He said, “The Holy book says ‘He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind’. if Wike troubles Rivers people, he shall surely inherit the wind”.

While telling the President that Fubara enjoys total support from the people of the state, he further warned that “will not allow an illegal and unconstitutional assembly of any sort, impeach him or disrupt the smooth governance of our dear state to cause a breach of the public peace”.

He noted the economic importance of the state, warning the president that it’s too strategic to be toyed with, especially at a time Nigeria should be looking to maximise her oil production to meet her OPEC quota.

While calling all Nigerians to support the president, he added that “we will collectively overcome these hard economic and security challenges facing us all”.

Also speaking, the former national chairman of the PDP, Secondus said, “We will return our Governor in 2027. Governor Fubara will control the structure of our party 100%. The Governor is the leader of the party in the state.

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Despite NLC’s Opposition, Abure Re-Elected As LP National Chairman

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The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Julius Abure, has been re-elected for a second term by a unanimous affirmation of delegates.

His election took place despite opposition from the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.

The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr Ikechukwu Emetu, declared Abure the winner during the party’s national convention that held on Wednesday in Nnewi, Anambra State.


Abure has been having a running battle with the NLC leadership led by Joe Ajaero.

The NLC has called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

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ThePledge Big Story: Why Can’t Wike Be Expelled By PDP?

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By Augustine Akhilomen

Former Governor of Rivers State and now, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesson Wike never hid his preference on who to support for a few weeks to last year’s presidential election. Rather than being implicit, Wike was loud and clear that he will support the ambition of the All Progressive Congress’s (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.



He indeed called the bluff of the leadership of his party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who had picked former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate and former Delta State governor, Okowa as his running mate. This open defiance by Wike against the PDP establishment did not go unnoticed by political observers. Hence, many of whom were looking forward to the punishment that PDP will give the recalcitrant Rivers political strongman.



Eight months into the administration of Tinubu and the many sins of Wike, the main opposition party and its members still lacked the boldness to call the former governor to order talk-less of punishing him for engaging in anti-party activities. Why is the PDP finding it difficult to punish Wike? Is he bigger than the party and is the party aware that his continued presence in their ranks will be inimical to the growth and future of PDP? Are there no mechanisms for dealing with members like this, who are doing everything to put the party in disrepute? These are some of the pertinent questions that readily come to the minds of observers.



Even as the PDP is trying to put its house in order ahead of the next general elections, Wike has been carrying on as if nothing was amiss. He has indeed made a bold claims that he remains a bonafide member of the opposition party.



Besides, the FCT minister has been absent from major meetings of the party and has not been seen campaigning for them in recent off-cycle elections and he does not show any regret for his actions.



Just last week, Wike again reaffirmed his commitment to the opposition party, to further brush aside any attempt of expelling him from the party. His words: “I am a member of the PDP,” Wike said.



“Have you ever seen me change anything? The one I supported before, what happened? I have decided to take a break. As you see me now, everybody should carry their cross.



“I was in PDP and I did not hide it: I told them I was not going to support their presidential candidate. Is it that I spoke or acted in a way people did not understand? Discipline me for what? That I did what? I am an advocate of the party’s constitution. Assuming we lost the governorship election, will they be talking about Rivers as a PDP state?



“Now is the time for governance. Now is the time to do your assignment. The president has given me an assignment and I am busy carrying out my assignment. When the time for politics comes, we would know who is where and who is not where.”



This is the second time that the outspoken former governor will be making this bold statement. On August 31st, 2023, he asserted that he had yet to see any leader in the PDP who had the authority to expel him from the party.



“Who will discipline me? I should be the one calling for the discipline of these people who violated the party constitution,” the minister said.



In the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, Wike had lost the presidential ticket of the PDP to Atiku and the party’s vice presidential ticket to Okowa of Delta State, and became inconsolable.



He then led a group of five former PDP governors, who rebelled against Atiku. Not a few people were in doubt of the contributions Wike made to the victory of Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the APC. For sure, the rebellion led by Wike was said to have contributed to Atiku’s loss.



Meanwhile, former chairman of the PDP in Lagos State, Capt Tunji Shelle, has given reasons why it’s difficult to suspend or expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike from the PDP.



“The PDP is ready to work together and speak with one voice but the likes of the Federal Capital Territory minister who puts one leg in PDP and the other leg in APC is an issue,” Shelle said.



“How do you reconcile a party in that way? And he is still influencing individuals who are within the PDP. He is still influencing some individuals within the National Working Committee of the PDP.



“These are the things APC is doing, planting bombs inside another party. So some people in the PDP might have compromised somewhere. Some people are working with him even within the party. Until a position is taken to suspend or expel him from the party, nothing will work but I am sure some people are already working on this.”



Again, the Acting Chairman of PDP, Umar Damagum, has said the National Working Committee under his leadership will not suspend or dismiss any ‘disloyal’ member.



“They are always telling you these people are not doing the right thing. But when you are in a position of leadership, you are bound by a set of rules, and these rules, even though they are itching you, you don’t apply them—not because of anything, but so that you don’t destroy the house.



“If I said we should start suspension, I will end up suspending many people because they were involved in anti-party activities. So, please bear with us. We intend to keep this party together and to manage it. This is my mandate.”



Many observers are also of the opinion that PDP’s inability to suspend or expel Wike could be due to his financial power and the large followers he commands, which portend so much strength for the party.



Considering the fact that the ruling party are waiting in the wings to bring the former Rivers Governor into their camp if the expected happens, PDP therefore knows they have lots to lose if they decide to take that bold step.



As it is, PDP may be taking its time not to overreact by expelling Wike, but the party must take a concrete decision on his membership or they will risk losing face. Time is running out for the party to deal with the Wike issue once and for all. That would serve as a warning to others or if they should continue to prevaricate over the matter, it would only be inimical to their chances of reclaiming Aso Villa.



“No person should be bigger than the party. Nigerians are watching and waiting to see how this Wike matter is resolved by the PDP. Because it will make or mar their chances in subsequent elections in the country”, says Demola Olusegun, a Lagos based political analyst.

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