Politics
2023: Aggrieved PDP Governors Jet off to London To Deliberate Presidential Candidate’s Choice
The group of five governors (G-5) elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in what could be described as another jamboree, have travelled to the United Kingdom for another strategic meeting.
The group led by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has in continuation of its endless foreign trips, left the country for London in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The group which includes Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) had mobilised other party leaders including Chief Bode George, Prof Jerry Gana, etc. to form the ‘Integrity Group’ against Atiku.
While newsmen could not independently confirm if all five governors made the trip to London, a source close to Government House, Port Harcourt, however said all the governors made the trip.
The source noted that the governors would be back in Nigeria on December 30, for Wike to attend his scheduled meeting with Ogoni Council of Chiefs on December 31.
The Rivers State governor had ordered all traditional rulers in Ogoni, whether dead or alive, to attend the meeting, and that he would not tolerate any reason to be absent from the meeting.
The group of governors it was gathered jetted off from the Port Harcourt International Airport.
A top party chieftain in the state who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the trip yesterday.
“Yes, they left for UK early yesterday morning, but I can’t say the reason for the trip,” the source said.
The G-5 governors have been calling for the resignation of the PDP’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as their minimum condition for peace in the party and to join the presidential campaign council of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike, the leader of the quartet, has refused to accept his defeat at the party’s presidential primary in good faith.
Since he lost the primary and even the vice presidential slot, Wike has utilised the enormous resources at his disposal to mobilise four other governors to fabricate crisis in the party.
The aggrieved governors have insisted that it was unfair for the party to have the national chairman and presidential candidate from the north.
They had maintained that they would not go back on their call for Ayu to step down to pave the way for a Southerner to succeed him as the party’s chairman.
Wike had specifically boasted that Atiku would not win the election if he and his allies do not support his presidential ambition.
A source said Wike and his team would use the opportunity of the London trip discuss the way forward on the crisis rocking the party while in London.
The source added that from London, the group of governors would also visit Madrid, Spain.
Top on the agenda for the meeting is who they would support for president in the 2023 election.
It was gathered baring any last minute change in political permutations, the group may have concluded plans to endorse Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
Obi with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and four of the G5 governors met in London last August.
Last week, Wike said he would reveal the presidential candidate to mobilise votes for in the forthcoming 2023 general elections in January.
Speaking at the inauguration of Rumuokwurusi-Elimgbu Flyover in Rumuokwurusi town in Obio-Akpor on December 22, Wike had said he would undertake a nationwide campaign tour to tell Nigerians the most preferred presidential candidate to cast their votes for in the forthcoming election.
According to him, Nigerians need a reliable candidate they can trust to deliver the needed national transformation.
“So, from January next year, I will campaign to my people on whom to vote for. All of you, who have been in suspense, wait, January is coming. Not only will I tell them where they will vote, I will move from state to state and tell them why they should vote for the people I think they should vote for,” he added.
Journalists gathered that the group may have finally settled for Obi.
A source privy to the discussions said the decision to endorse Obi came after long and exhaustive deliberations.
“One thing is certain. The group will never endorse Atiku. Their differences are irreconcilable. Atiku knows that and has moved on,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.
“It has taken them (G5 governors) this long because there was initially no consensus other than their anti-Atiku stance. Governor Seyi Makinde was walking a tight rope considering the fact that he is only a first term governor who is seeking re-election and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is Yoruba.
“But the other four governors don’t have the same worries and taking a decision was not difficult for them.”
The source also said the coming on board of other leaders of the party like George, Gana, former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, amongst others contributed a lot.
“Beyond the immediate grievance of the G5 governors, some of these other party leaders still hold Atiku and the breakaway faction for the party’s loss of power in 2015. They have still not forgiving him because they believe that his victory will be a reward for treachery and brazen anti-party activities.
“So with people like Bode George who will never support Tinubu still nursing deep grievance against Atiku, the only choice is Obi. That is why he has become the beautiful bride.”
Another reason that may have favoured Obi, it is learnt was the tacit endorsement of Obi by some influential past leaders.
“It is no longer a secret that some of the country’s past leaders including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan have signed onto the Obi presidential project.
“There are also indications that others like Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Theophilus Danjuma are sympathetic.
“The thinking is that Nigeria is in a deep hole and they don’t want people who will continue digging to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. So, there is a near consensus that Obi approximates the kind of leadership that Nigeria needs at the moment.
“Even those that are not talking are working seriously behind the scene, mobilising and reaching out to others who are yet to be fully convinced.
“Most of the G5 governors and even the other party leaders were mentored by these former presidents and they are watching their body language,” our source further said.
On Sunday, Ortom let the cat out of the bag, literally, when he urged Nigerians to vote for Peter Obi in 2023.
According to him, Obi has the capacity to deliver Nigeria from its challenges adding that he would have canvassed for the LP flag-bearer if he was not in the PDP.
He disclosed this during a courtesy visit by Obi to the State Capital, Makurdi, where he spent his Christmas with Internally Displaced Persons (PWDs) in the State.
“Several presidential candidates have come here, and none of them has chosen to visit those IDPs camps and look at their plight to see how they are doing and give them hope that when they win, they will bring them succour, help, and hope.
“For you to have chosen to visit the IDPs on a Christmas day that you should be celebrating with your family, for me as a Christian, I say God will bless you and your aspirations. My prayer is that God will bless your aspiration to be the president of this country.
“Because I have seen capacity, faith, and hope, and I have seen someone who can bring the required equity, justice, and fairness that I have been pursuing since I became governor in 2015.
“If I were not in PDP, I would have been following you all over the place to canvass and vote for you.
“But, because I’m in PDP, I’m telling Nigerians that this man can help deliver this country from its challenges,” Ortom said.
It was a plethora of pleasantries in Osogbo on Thursday, when Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke was named 2024 Governor of the year and endorsed for second tenure in office by the top management of the Leadership Newspaper.
The newspaper’s team was on a courtesy call on Gov Adeleke, Biztellers reports.
Receiving them at the Government House, Gov Adeleke noted that his administration had reduced the infra deficit by over 40 percent.
He added that his administration had also bridged access to primary health care, with an ambition to expand health access at medium and tertiary levels.
He said, “Osun State is constantly getting recognitions for what outsiders and even opposition members regard as our commendable performance.
“In the last one year, our government has been conferred with several awards across the sectors. Aside from reputable newspapers like the leadership stable, we have received accolades from several federal agencies and non-governmental bodies. The consensus from those reviewing our performance and service delivery is that we are true agents of good governance.
“In all these positive ratings, my response has always been to task my team to double their efforts. In the face of overwhelming positive reviews and high approval ratings, I am compelled to drive my team harder. When recently, some opposition figures confessed to our positive ratings, I still believe we have a lot of grounds to cover.
“I am not allowing the praises to enter my head. While it may be true that I have delivered a four-year task in under two years, I am propelled to do more because Osun has been left behind on many fronts. As I have reduced the infra deficit by over 40 percent, my real target Is higher. As I have bridged access to primary health care, my ambition is to also expand health access at medium and tertiary levels. While our records across the sectors are laudable as your newspaper has acknowledged, the ultimate goal is to accelerate infra upgrade alongside the boosting of soft investment for the well-being of our people.
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“I appreciate your candid endorsement of our performance. It is important to note that your yardstick for recognizing us correlates with similar reasons adduced by others. Our huge governance records are undeniable facts especially in workers’ welfare, infrastructure delivery, educational expansion, health care access improvement, solid mineral sector reforms, digital economy initiatives, agricultural mechanisation among others.
“I want to assure the public that our administration is not slowing down. Very soon, I will flag off ongoing remodeling of Osogbo stadium to assume international standard. Prior to the ongoing stadium project, we have engineered the creation of Osun Sport Commission and Osun Sport Fund through appropriate legal and policy framework.
“Very soon, I will be flagging off the dualisation of phase one of Odoori – Post office road at Iwo. The contractor for Iwo -Osogbo road has mobilized to site. We plan to complete the two projects within the life of this administration. Meanwhile, the dualisation project at Ilesa is progressing while the flyover bridge at Ile Ife is ongoing with appreciable progress. 2025 is billed to be a year of further expansion of good governance for the good of man and humanity.
On his part, the Vice Chairman of Leadership Group Mike Okpere, noted that the recognition is in order to give Gov Adeleke an insight and encouragement to do a second term.
“Your excellency you will see that, we didn’t just come down here, we had a meeting before the award and that is why we are here, so this trip is to notify you formally for this award and we personally invite you on the 8th of April at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Asokoro where this award will be handed on over to you.
“Our Reputable Person of the Year is Aliko Dangote, you all are aware of the investment he just concluded, by bringing fuel production into Nigeria, because of that and many other things, we chose him as our person of the year.
“Other person’s that would be sharing the merit are other governors that have touched people’s lives, among them is the Governor from Akwa Ibom State, the Governor of Enugu State, the Governor of Jigawa State and the Governor of Kano State.
“We didn’t call this Leadership Governor of the year, we call it Governor of the year, in other words, what we are saying is that, this recognition will give you an insight and encouragement to do a second term.
“As a newspaper company, we don’t endorse Governors but when we see something we say it, your Excellency sir, I therefore want to present this notification and official invitation”, he added.
Other members of the Leadership Newspaper team includes, Abraham Nda Isaiah, Director, Leadership Group, Ibidiran Ayokunle, Head Southern Operations, Joshua Dada, Osun State.
The Cross River State House of Assembly has initiated the process to amend the Local Government Law 2007, introducing provisions to expand political appointments and enhance local government administration across the state.
The bill, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Davies Etta, representing Abi State Constituency, was debated on Tuesday in Calabar.
It proposes increasing the number of appointees in each Local Government Area (LGA) to 50. Among the new roles are 16 Special Adviser positions and a cadre of officials known as Ward Relation Officers.
According to the bill, “The Chairman of Council may appoint such a number of Special Advisers to assist him in the discharge of his duties, provided that appointments, when added to other statutory appointments, shall not exceed a total number of 50.”
The proposed Ward Relation Officers will hold ranks equivalent to Special Advisers and will report directly to the Chairmen of their respective LGAs.
This move, the Assembly says, is aimed at fostering grassroots engagement and improving governance at the local level.
Another key provision of the bill seeks to elevate the office of the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) to the status of a Permanent Secretary within the state public service.
The amendment stipulates that HOLGAs will enjoy all the rights, privileges, and entitlements of Permanent Secretaries, including pensions.
“The office of the HOLGA shall be equivalent to the office of a Permanent Secretary of the State Public Service and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of the Permanent Secretary, including pensions,” the bill states.
It also specifies that appointments to the HOLGA position must be made exclusively from within the local government service in the state.
The bill, which has passed its first and second readings, has been referred to a joint committee on Local Government Affairs, Judiciary, and Public Accounts for further review and consultations with stakeholders.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, underscored the importance of the proposed amendment, noting that it would strengthen local government administration and improve service delivery to the grassroots.
The Assembly is expected to hold further deliberations before making a final decision on the proposed amendments.
Donald Trump has completed his return to the White House with his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States (POTUS).
Trump’s historic return, on account of adverse weather conditions, happened with a remarkable ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda, on Monday.
In his inaugural address, President Trump outlined a bold agenda for his administration, touching on issues of gender, race, border control, economic reforms, and energy policies.
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President Trump asserted that his administration would recognise only two genders — male and female — effectively dismissing identities such as transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer.
President Trump asserted, “This week, I will end the government policy of engineering race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. Henceforth, it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
He unveiled plans to overhaul the trade system, introducing an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs from foreign countries, promising to shift the economic burden away from U.S. taxpayers.
“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” Trump stated.
The POTUS vowed to make America a “manufacturing nation” again by leveraging the country’s vast oil and gas reserves.
“America will be a manufacturing nation once again. We will use our liquid gold — oil and gas — to bring prices down, fill our reserves, and export energy worldwide. We will end the Green New Deal and revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry,” he said.
On border control, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and announced measures to combat illegal immigration.
“All illegal entry will be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens. The Remain in Mexico policy will be reinstated, and catch-and-release practices will end. Troops will secure our borders to repel this invasion,” he announced.
He also pledged to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to combat criminal networks.
The POTUS announced the formation of a Department of Government Efficiency and outlined measures to tackle inflation and high costs.
He also promised an aggressive crackdown on crime, leveraging federal and state resources to eliminate gang activity.
“As commander-in-chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions,” President Trump added.
He recounted an assassination attempt during his campaign, framing his survival as a divine sign of his purpose to “make America great again.”
In addition, President Trump criticised America’s healthcare and education systems, promising significant reforms to address inadequacies exposed by recent natural disasters.
The event, attended by lawmakers, distinguished guests, and family members, marked the beginning of President Trump’s second term. Vice President JD Vance was also sworn in, taking the oath of office in a ceremony presided over by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
It was gathered that earlier in the day, President Trump and Melania Trump met with outgoing President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, continuing the tradition of a handover meeting between administrations.
At a pre-inauguration rally, President Trump addressed supporters, promising to pardon January 6 defendants and issuing executive orders on his first day in office.
Despite freezing temperatures, the ceremony proceeded with President Trump expressing confidence in his administration’s vision and America’s future.
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