LG Polls: PDP, LP Will Defeat APC In Lagos – Bode George

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has expressed confidence that the party’s strategic alliance with the Labour Party in Saturday’s council polls will produce good results. 

He said in order to perform excellently, the PDP stepped up campaign and grassroots mobilisation after the Supreme Court judgment which favoured the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee,

George told newsmen at the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2, Lagos on Wednesday that the authentic Executive in Lagos State recognised by the Caretaker Committee was the one led by Chief Moshood Salvador, his Deputy, Chief Ola Apena and the Secretary, Prince Muiz Dosunmu.

The chieftain said: ”As part of our strategy of confronting the present challenges, we have decided here in Lagos to implement a PDP and Labour Party Alliance for this Saturday’s local government election.

”It is a necessary recourse which has been authorised and blessed by the National Caretaker Committee.

“My appeal now is to all our loyal members and all the electorate in Lagos State to please go out en masse and vote for our candidates under the Labour Party platform.

“This is the platform of truth and liberation. This is the platform that is people centered. This is the platform that cares about the weak, about the poor, about everyone else who wants a better and improved governance in our state of excellence.

“It is a wonderful time in the life of our great party. The PDP is back. Our long nightmare is over. The good Lord is on the side of the righteous. The truth is back on the saddle.

“We are ready for the Nigerian people. We are prepared to play the assertive role of responsible opposition. We are repositioning ourselves for the new challenges”.

 

By Wale Odunsi

PDP Crisis: Sheriff's South West Faction Decamp to MPN

The Southwest faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has defected to the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN).

The group said the inflammatory statement of Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose and removal of the names of some of the leaders of the party in the region at Abuja meeting yesterday was responsible for their decision to leave the party.

The Southwest chairman of the group and former chairman of PDP in Ondo State, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi who addressed journalists at the regional secretariat of the party in Ibadan yesterday said the Southwest PDP are resolute to leave the party for governor Fayose and his cohorts.

By Jeremiah Oke

PDP Bigwigs Begin Permutations For Post Of National Chairman

A fresh battle for the chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun.

This follows the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which ended the 14-month power tussle between Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff.

Makarfi, who won the legal battle, is expected to organize an elective convention, to usher in a new set of leaders ahead of the 2019 elections.

PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has already approved the zoning of the presidential ticket to the North and the chairmanship to the South.

Some of the contenders for the post of chairman include a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, who is also a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).

Also, a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George; former PDP governorship candidate ‎in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje; Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, are all reportedly in the race.

Prince Uche Secondus, a former acting national chairman of the party is believed to be keen on the role.

Media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was in the race in the last election is another potential candidate.

Makarfi himself has ruled out the possibility of continuing in the position.

By Ifreke Inyang

Sheriff Explains Why He Did Not Attend PDP's National Caucus Meeting

Sacked Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff has given reasons for his absence at the party’s expanded caucus meeting held at the PDP’s secretariat on Monday night.

The meeting attracted prominent members of the party like the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, past and serving state governors, past and current members of the National Assembly as well as the women wings of the party.

Noticeably absent at the meeting was Sheriff, his former deputy, Cairo Ojugboh and others loyal to the sacked PDP Chairman.

However, Sheriff, in a statement by his faction’s spokesperson, Bernard Mikko said he was not in the country, adding that no invitation was extended to him.

The former Borno State Governor also promised to address a world press conference where he will define the way forward for his supporters “nationwide.”

According to the statement, “Senator Modu Sheriff was neither in the country nor invited to the assemblage at Wadata Plaza yesterday evening.

“However, he will address a world press conference to throw light on the way forward after we have received and studied the full judgment of the Supreme Court and analyzed its import on our democracy.

“We therefore appeal to all our loyal supporters nationwide not to defect as we are still committed to bringing the party back to the grassroots. We assure them that we will not only give them a voice, but they will also be heard.

“We will collaborate with global anti-corruption networks to bring all corrupt politicians in Nigeria to book, including PDP members having criminal cases bordering on dishonesty and malfeasance. Never again will corrupt politicians use the platform of our major political institutions to stardom. The party is for all and no one’s enterprise as government is conceived as an administrative state where dishonest politicians bask in democratic corruption.”

By Seun Opejobi

Ex-Jonathan Aide, Doyin Okupe Joins Accord Party

Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has revealed that he is joining the Accord party.

Okupe confirmed this in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

This comes almost three weeks after he announced his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the party had become menopausal.

“Following various consultations with political associates, family and friends I have decided to formally join the Accord party.

“My decision is based on deep reflection on who I am and what I want from politics. To me politics does not begin and end with winning or losing elections. It’s not about big or small parties either. It’s also beyond personal relationships or endearing associations or friendships.

“There exist in our communities several platforms on which such affiliations and sentiments can be sufficiently gratified. To me, politics is about, service to the people, policies and ideologies that will serve the best interests of the greater majority of the society, forthrightness and accountability, honour and Integrity.

“I am not desperate to be anything anymore. But I am desperate to find and work with other Nigerians especially our young and vibrant upcoming politicians, to establish a political incubator to breed a new generation of leaders who will do things right, maintain high ethical standards and abhor greed, avarice, selfishness and impunity.

“Most of our national parties presently and in the past were put together with a false sense of national spread but majorly, irrespective of how they came to power, end up being inequitable and manifestly exists to serve the interests of a minority few and/or that of a tiny section of the country.

“I want to belong to a political party that will be able to publicly state its position on troubling national issues like, requests for self determination by a section of the country, resource control, federalism and restructuring, religious intolerance, atrocities of Fulani Herdsman, unequal standards in national university admission policy, and many more.

“Any political party that does not have an openly stated position on these issues is a mere association of elites coming together only to feather their own nests,” Okupe said in the statement.

By Ifreke Inyang

PDP Caucus Meeting: Our Party Will Attract People Like Magnet - Jonathan

National Expanded Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party​, PDP,​ met in Abuja Monday night​, ​​with an agreement to rebuild the party​ as it prepares for its national convention. 

It was the first gathering of members of the party since the Supreme Court sacked the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led national working committee ​last Wednesday.
​
In attendance were former President Goodluck Jonathan; ​Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Makarfi​ ​and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Ayodele Fayose.
​
Speaking, ​Jonathan told the gathering, which included Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; a former President of the Senate, David Mark; and governors of Rivers, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Gombe states​,​ that a strong party would attract the people.

Jonathan said, “First thing to do is to build the party because a strong party is the key to expansion. A strong party acts like a magnet and will attract all the people. Nigerians still believe in the PDP.
​
”​So many people including non-politicians were happy at the PDP victory in Supreme Court.”

The former President insisted that the PDP remained the largest party that could unite the country.
He ​said​ that his presence was to appreciate members of the PDP, adding that the party passed through some challenges and came out of them peacefully.

In his remarks, Makarfi commended the members of the party for “being unyielding in their faith on the judicial system.”

He said members of other political parties were already planning to defect to the PDP, but said he would not mention their names and where they would be coming from.

“This hall will not contain us by the time they start to come back to the PDP. I will not tell you who they are or where they are,” the former governor of Kaduna State said.
​
In his remark, Fayose said: ​“The APC must die so that the PDP can rise. Old change will give way for a new change. Now the coast is clear, all the party leaders should go home and work for the PDP.

“If this party must win, get Nigerians’ confidence restored, our leaders must go home to boost the party.

“If this party must return to power, we need to get the confidence of Nigerians.”

By Wale Odunsi