2019: PDP Lists Condition For Presidential Aspirants

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin has said that anyone seeking to be the party’s presidential candidate must have made appreciable contributions to the party.

Jubrin, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday, said there would be no room for aspirants who have not in anyway contributed significantly to the party.

He added that the presidential aspirants would be strictly assessed by their antecedents.

Jubrin said in the 2019 presidential election, the PDP would be looking for a candidate who is committed to its ideals and principles and ready to serve the masses, rather than one pursuing personal ambition. 

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According to him, “Where you have self-seeking individuals fighting to get the party’s ticket, it would not serve the interest of the PDP because even the electorate would be careful before voting for candidates in elections.

“So nobody should destroy the party through personal ambitions, particularly in the contest for presidential ticket. We must see their contributions first”.

The PDP leader said the inability of the BoT to hold a meeting, was as a result of the many court cases occasioned by the leadership crisis rocking the party.

Jubrin, while admonishing PDP members to remain committed to the party, said some of those who left the party would soon rejoin the party. 

The BoT chairman said:”We have received reports that our friends that left the PDP are willing to come back, after we have treated our ailments. We will welcome them and others willing to join the PDP for the progress of Nigeria”.

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Tsunami Hits Gov. Mimiko, PDP As Aide, Hundred Others Dump Party For APC Ahead Governorship Poll

Political calculations, intrigues, and permutations have begun to sway in Ondo State ahead of the gubernatorial election slated to hold later this year as Special Assistant to Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on Political Mobilization, Hon. Mosunmola Awotula, popularly called iron lady has led hundreds of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Irele local Government.

Hon. Mosunmola, While speaking on behalf of the Decampees, according to TodayNG said the PDP is a party of broken promises, which has inflicted pains on the people of the state.

She noted that Governor Mimiko has played his last card and can no longer deceive and cajole the people of the state into voting for the PDP.

“We are the strong leaders of the PDP in Irele, I have been a woman leader in ward 2, after that I became organising secretary before Mimiko came to PDP.

“When Mimiko defect to PDP, he rendered us, the executive members useless and refused to carry us along in the scheme of things, that shows that Mimiko is a selfish leader,” she said.

Also explaining why they left PDP, one of the leaders, Hon. Ikuemelo described the PDP is a dilapidated building, saying they left the party before it will collapse on them.

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He said the PDP in the state will soon become a dead party with no strength within the sunshine state.

The community Chief Said with their exit, there is no PDP in Irele local Government anymore.

He assured that the APC will become Victorious in the coming November 26 governorship election.

Engineer Ade Adetimehin assured the defectors of equal treatment, saying no founder, no joiner.

He enjoined them to preach the gospel of APC and mobilize others into the party.

The APC chieftain said the defector must work together with leaders of the party in the area to ensure that APC win the community in the coming election.

Among the decampees were Ayaki of Irele land, Chief Olorunda Ikuemelo, PDP Vice Chairman in ward Four, Dayo Olajide, Comrade Ademuwagun Fakomogbo, Comrade Soji Olowotimehin and Madam Aderotoye Abike.

Others included Akinbamiro Ojuetimi, Olayinka Moyo and Comrade Adebayo Adegoroye.

They were received into the APC by the deputy chairman of the party in the state, Engineer Ade Adetimehin.

More Trouble Looms In Edo PDP As 3 Candidates Picks Sheriff Form For Another Guber Primary

The national crisis bedeviling the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has crippled itself into Edo State as three candidates have purchased Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party form for another gubernatorial primary election.

Last week, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu emerged as the winner of Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP governorship primary election in Edo State

Two governorship aspirants who lost out in the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship primary, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Solomon Edebiri, have taken another shot at the party’s ticket by purchasing the governorship nomination form from the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction of the party, Ripples Nigeria reports

it was also gathered that the member representing Egor/Ikpoba Okha Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, E.J. Agbonayima has also picked the form.

Edebiri, after the primary election in which Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, emerged as PDP governorship flagbearer, discredited the process of the election, saying that the elders of the party were biased.

He said he is consulting with his members and will take a decision on his next action in the coming weeks.

And just days after the election, factional national chairman of the party, Sheriff at a media briefing claimed that three aspirants have picked his faction’s governorship form, adding that he has fixed a date to conduct the primary election.

Sheriff stated this on Thursday at his residence in Abuja, giving details of his faction’s election thus – governorship primaries slated for Wednesday, June 29, while screening appeal is billed for Friday, July 1.

He has been strongly accused by many of the party members of being planted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), and assiduously working with them to unsettle PDP, especially in the coming Edo and Ondo states elections.

Ahmed Makarfi , chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee on Thursday, described Sheriff as being “desperate to destroy” the party.

A statement by spokesman of the Makarfi faction, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, also claimed that the party leadership has uncovered further plans by Senator Sheriff and his supporters to deceive gullible members of the party, security agencies and the general public to support his ambition to remain as chairman of the party by claiming he has a court order.

“It is now very clear that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is working very hard for the enemies of our great party. First, the Edo Primary Election and all the processes leading to it thereof were properly conducted, monitored and observed by INEC.

Edo PDP chairman has warned Sheriff to stay clear of their affairs as the party in the state is resolutely united behind Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu,” he said

PDP Factional Chairman, Sheriff Held At EFCC For 7 Hours

The embattled factional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was yesterday grilled at Maiduguri office of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the N23 billion said to have been distributed to states, ostensibly to enhance the electoral fortunes of the party during the 2015 presidential election. 

Sheriff, who was interrogated at the Maiduguri office of the anti-graft agency, yesterday, was released on administrative bail reports say

News Punch had yesterday published a report stating that the ant-graft agency had invited the former Borno governor for questioning, an invitation which he has honoured.

Before Sheriff's, the Commission has so far quizzed the following ex-PDP governors: Chief Achike Udenwa (Imo State), Senator Liyel Imoke (Cross River State), as well as Alhaji Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara State) and Sullivan Chime of Enugu State.

Apart from the former state chief executives, operatives had interrogated a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali (Kano), a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Muhammad (Jigawa State), Ntufam John Okon (Cross River State PDP Chairman), and retired Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (Akwa Ibom).

Also quizzed were a former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda (Zamfara), an ex-Minister of Mines and Steel, Arch. Musa Muhammad Sada (Katsina), as well as a former Minister of State for Agriculture, Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger).

Shocking CONFESSION: I Was Part Of Group That RUINED PDP - Mantu

The Union - Former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, has confessed to staffers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that “I was part of the problem” that derailed the party.

He said he played a role in the problems buffeting the lead opposition party in the country.

Mantu, addressed PDP staff at the National Executive Committee (NEC) hall when the Board of Trustees (BoT) met with them, after a week-long closure of the party secretariat by the Police, following the emergence of three groups that laid claims to its leadership recently.

The ex-deputy Senate president said alongside other leaders of the party, he owes the country an apology over impunity that reigned in PDP, and by extension, the national politics.

Mantu, who was a front-line proponent of Olusegun Obasanjo’s failed third term project said being part of government from 1999 till 2007, when he lost election to return to the Senate, he was part of the system of the party that created the problem.

“This is what we call impunity. The first kind of impunity is the one that is ruining our party, and some of us said no! We cannot just fold our arms and see our party sinking deeper and deeper to the grave.

“That is why we rose to the challenge and said no to impunity; no to imposition; no to recklessness; we said no to everything bad that has actually destroyed our party.

“And we decided to pick the bits and pieces and rebuild the PDP. We are not going to say this man is right, that man is wrong.

“Those of us who have been in the system right from 1999, whether I like it or not, I was part of the problem. That is why I say we need to apologize to the Nigerian people. We need to apologize to God in Heaven who gave us power and we misused that power, and I say we are now born again, we are repentant. We are now saying, as born again people we must do things differently, we should be seen to be doing things in accordance to the aspiration of the people”, he said.

Mantu, who said the re-branded PDP would need a contrite heart in its future engagements added that the staff also share in the blame that caused the woes of the party.

According to him: “you too must be born again because some of you served as secretary of our committees that go and write results they don’t have.

“When you go and write results instead of conducting congresses. Not everybody is as guilty but if you are part of a system, you must take responsibility.

“I have worked with many of you as secretaries in conferences. I know many of you. I can name names here. What am saying is that we must be repentant and change our attitude”, he noted.

Earlier, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sen. Jibrin Walid had said the BoT was not out to take over the job of any group but to fill the vacuum which power abhors.

He thanked the Inspector General of Police for his quick intervention through the deployment of personnel to protect the properties of the party from being destroyed as well as the life of the staff who maybe within the complex in the event of any assault.

“BoT remains the only legal body in the whole set up that has no court order against it. We are here to play our role and not take over the secretariat. We are hoping that the problems will be resolved.

“BoT is taking it upon itself to resolve the problems in the party. We have gone very far in resolving the problems. We are making contacts and consultations.

“The BoT has not come to apportion blames. We seek your corporation; we are not here to take over offices of anybody. Your offices are your offices. We will do our best to ensure normalcy in the party.

“We will do that without fearing anybody. We will do that so that our name and role will be fully maintained”, he said.

He added that the PDP was not down but on a sabbatical from which it will rebound.

“We are only on sabbatical leave. When we are done we will return to the center. We are going back in 2019 but we can only do that if we corporate. We have come to play the role of fathers”, he insisted.

PDP Sacks New Chairman, Makarfi Too As Crisis Goes Offhand

The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new dimension Wednesday, with the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT) saying it had taken over the leadership of the party pending the resolution of the leadership tussle in the fold.

The Chairman of the Board, Walid Jibrin, told members of staff of the party at its National Secretariat, Abuja, that both the party’s National Working Committee led by former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and the Interim National Caretaker Committee led by former Governor Ahmed Makarfi had been sacked.

Mr. Jibrin said consequently, the BOT had taken over the running of the party.

He said that the action of the BOT became imperative in order not to allow vacuum in the party’s operations as well as to resolve the leadership crisis within the party.

“Today, the BOT remains the only legal body now in the whole set up and that is why we are here to play our role,” Mr. Jibrin said.

“We are not here to take over the secretariat. We are here to perform our duties as enshrined in the constitution, hoping that our problems will be resolved soon.

“We, the BOT have taken it upon ourselves to ensure we play a great role in resolving the problems.

“We have gone very far in resolving them. We have made some contacts and consultations.

“We are not here to cast blame on anybody. If it means to go to anybody to solve the problem, we will do so.’’

He said the BOT had been receiving great cooperation from elders and leaders of PDP for it to do its job.

Mr. Jibrin, who said that the board would play its role without fair or favour, assured that the BOT would do its best to return normalcy to the party.

“The PDP has come to stay. PDP will never die,” he said. PDP will continue to rule.

“We are only on sabbatical leave and once the sabbatical is over, we are going to take over our leadership because it is our own. We are going back in 2019. But we can only do that if we cooperate and unite.’’

Mr. Jibrin, however, commended the Nigeria Police for securing the party’s secretariat by barricading access into it.

“At this critical moment, what we need is to secure our property, to safeguard your lives, and to allow members of staff of the party to work under a very good atmosphere.

“We, the BOT are entrusted under the constitution of our party to be in charge of the assets and liability of PDP.’’

Mr. expressed optimism that the party would meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline on submission of the party candidate’s nomination form on the forthcoming Edo state governorship election.

“We are putting our heads together with our lawyers,” the BOT chairman said.

“We are rest assured that everything would be in order very soon, with the reconciliation that is going on which will not last long.’’

On his part, the BOT Secretary, Ojo Maduekwe, said the BOT intervened because of litigations surrounding the national caretaker committee set up in Port Harcourt on May 21, at its national convention.

“Concerning the national caretaker committee, the matter is being resolved.

“It will either be resolved by negotiation or by vacating the court orders. We will prefer the matter is resolved internally,’’ Mr. Maduekwe said.

He said that the biggest impunity was for any party member to go to court on any issue without engaging internal mechanism in addressing it.

Members of staff of PDP who were blocked for over a week were allowed access to their offices on Tuesday by the police who had barricaded the secretariat since May 22.

(NAN)

PDP Crisis: Anambra, Benue House of Reps Members Dump Party, Joins APC

The leadership crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP took new twist today as tow of its lawmaker dumped the party and join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Two members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives on Wednesday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The members are Tony Nwoye from Anambra and Udende Emmanuel from Benue.

In separate letters read by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, on the floor of the House, the members cited division in the PDP as the reason for their defection.

They said since the PDP had broken into three factions headed by Ali Modu Sheriff, Ahmed Makarfi and Jerry Gana, respectively, they did not wish to belong to any faction.

However, the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor (Delta-PDP), in a point of order protested the position of the members alleging that the PDP was divided.

He said that no recognised institution such as the courts had ruled that the party had split into factions.

In a remark, Mr. Dogara said there was no need to debate the matter as the issue of the PDP would be handled at the national level.

(NAN)

EDO 2016: Inside Oshiomhole's Untold Secret Plots To Install Obaseki At All Cost, His PDP Connection Revealed

Ripples Nigeria - The two major parties in the country and by extension, Edo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are perfecting strategies to win the governorship contest in that state scheduled for September 10.

Outgoing Governor Adam Oshiomhole is fighting forces within the two major parties to install his preferred successor.

Within the APC, many of his aides are kicking against his preference for Godwin Obaseki, the Head of the State’s Economic Team.

He is also fighting his Deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, who has also indicated interest in the race and has succeeded in mobilising some serving aides against the Comrade-Governor.

But Oshiomhole’s headache is not just within the APC. He is also interested in whoever will pick the ticket of the PDP.

His obsession with the PDP, according to investigations, is to ensure the party does not pick a formidable candidate who can rally round disgruntled elements in the APC and convince voters against the ruling APC.

Oshiomhole, according to close aides, is determined to push through the Obaseki’s candidature at the primary by all means.

While there are unconfirmed allegations that he has doctored the delegates’ list, Oshiomhole is also bent on inducing delegates to pick Obaseki ahead of others.

Other candidates in the APC include: Chris Ogiemwonyi, a former Minister of State for Works under former President Jonathan; a lawyer and philanthropist, Kenneth Imansuangbon; Major General Charles Airhiavbere, former PDP governorship candidate in 2012; Deputy Governor Pius Odubu and Nollywood pioneer, Don Obaseki.

All of them are said to be tinkering with forming a clique against the alleged plans to impose Obaseki by Oshiomhole and the party’s apparatus.

So, the governor’s first battle is to see through the emergence of Obaseki and calm frayed nerves to avoid the PDP benefitting from the conflict of succession.

Within the PDP, most forces are mobilising for former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Lucky Igbinedion, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Ize-Iyamu, who left the APC last year after falling out with Oshiomhole, is a formidable grassroots politician with a wide network across the state.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor, according to investigations, is the only candidate Oshiomhole is desperate must not emerge from the PDP.

Others in the race within the PDP are: Chief Solomon Edebiri, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Earl Osaro Onaiwu.

This is why the governor has reportedly planted moles within the PDP to frustrate the emergence of Ize-Iyamu, who is believed to have sufficient resources and goodwill to give Obaseki a run.

Oshiomhole, according to sources, has reached out to renegades within the PDP to stop Ize-Iyamu at all costs, a development that is causing ripples within the opposition party.

Ize-Iyamu’s major opponent is Iduoriyekemwen, former Majority Leader of Edo Assembly and a former Edo representative in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

His ambition is said to have the backing of former Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolemenmen.

Iduoriyekemwen is seen as a loyal party member having been in the PDP since 1999. But some say he is not fit to govern Edo, a position his supporters contend as untenable having served as a Majority Leader.

Will the Comrade-Governor succeed in appeasing other candidates within the APC to support the candidacy of Obaseki?

Will Obaseki wave the olive branch to aggrieved opponents should he win the race?

Will the plot to stop Ize-Iyamu from being PDP’s standard bearer succeed?

Will Edo voters buy the person of Obaseki and choose him above whoever PDP presents?

The answers will be provided on September 10.

Credit: Ripples Nigeria

TOP SECRET: How APC Plotting PDP Breakup; The Dasukigate, A Media Mogul Connection Fingered

Ripples Nigeria - Though once reputed to be the largest political party in Africa, the fortunes of the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is fast dwindling, as it has split into different factions.

While the party has scheduled its national convention for Port Harcourt this Saturday, another faction has also slated the same day for a parallel convention to be held in Abuja.

This faction is comprised of former ministers and former governors.

So come Saturday, except the issues are resolved, and the members reunited, the PDP may end up with two set of national executive officers, and what happens after that is anybody’s guess.

Ripples Nigeria however, gathered that the crisis within the party is not an internally generated dispute, but fuelled by external forces, from the ruling party bent on retaining power at the centre.

Probes revealed that some forces in the APC are of the view that one sure way to retain power is to decimate the ranks of the PDP, leaving it weak, and unable to offer any meaningful or threatening opposition.

Sources within the PDP unhappy with the development have revealed that a strategic think tank within the APC has held an influential leader of the PDP by the jugular, forcing him to carry out the planned breakup of the opposition party from within.

Feelers reveal that the PDP chieftain who was dragged to court for his alleged involvement in the now infamous Dasukigate by the EFCC, is keen to maintain his freedom, having spent a couple of nights in detention, an issue which is being used as leverage to rein him in to carry out the plan to destabilize the PDP.

Our source, a highly placed PDP chieftain revealed that already, the PDP stalwart, a media mogul has been assured that he would get a breather from the case with the EFCC, as conditions for his cooperation.

The PDP chief has so far reportedly been keeping his end of the bargain by organizing rebellious meetings of PDP and desperately sending out text messages to PDP members to attend the factional national convention in Abuja.

The last meeting of the faction opposed to the chairmanship of Ali Modu Sherriff was held in his company where it was decided to hold a parallel convention.

As the APC plot plays out, it is yet to be seen how the PDP intends to counter it to remain afloat, as a viable opposition party, and beyond.

Credit: Ripples Nigeria