Politics
APC Didn’t Hold Primaries for Anambra Gubernatorial Poll – Ngige
By Edozie Obasi-Eze
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, says that there was no primary election to elect Senator Andy Uba as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the last Anambra State gubernatorial election.
While addressing the media on Sunday in Alor, Ngige claimed that he turned down monetary inducements thrown at him to lend his weight to the lie that the primary election went well.
In his words, “I told them what was going to happen was direct primaries, either by secret ballot or Option A4. The aspirants listened to me and used their hard-earned money to run for the election.
“None of them is a thief or stole money, so they used their hard-earned money and we did a primary election and we said everyone would go to their ward, that voting will take place from 8am to 4pm.
“I even came from Abuja to participate in the process. Somebody of my status could not vote. I didn’t see any electoral materials here in Alor Ward 1. I am from this place.
There were no electoral officials or materials except INEC officials, the only people who came. Our party officials never came.
“By 5pm, I called Governor Dapo Abiodun, who was supposed to coordinate the activities and told him nothing happened. I told him to postpone the election from Saturday to Monday, he said okay, but they ended up announcing result.”
On Uba’s emergence as the leader of the party in Anambra State, Ngige noted, “There is nothing like a leader in APC constitution. If you want to answer leader, you answer, but there is no such thing in the constitution of the APC.”
On the rationale for the intense political maneuvering in the state, he opined that, “2023 is the reason all these people are here moving about, they have gone to collect money from people that they will work for them, but we will not allow them.
“Now, they are going about saying they have written the names of the people who will become the ward, local government and state executives, but do not listen to them.
“It was the same way they wrote election results for Anambra election and were going about, but when they brought it, it was dismissed.
“It is same way they will dismiss the list they are bandying about today. We will hold a very credible congress in Anambra State.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the Ondo State governorship election, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral malpractice, including vote-buying and result manipulation.
This was disclosed during a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State.
READ ALSO: NECO Expands Global Footprints, Accredits Niger, Equatorial Guinea Schools
The forum, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, criticized the conduct of the election, which saw APC’s Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa secure a landslide victory for another four-year term in Alagbaka, Akure.
“We are still reviewing documents from the Ondo election, where the APC openly bought votes and manipulated results,” Mohammed said.
He urged the judiciary to “save Nigerian democracy” and called on the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent what he described as “institutional sabotage of the people’s will.”
The PDP governors also condemned the September governorship election in Edo State, describing it as a “rape of democracy.”
The forum accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with the APC to declare its candidate the winner despite claims that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had secured the majority of lawful votes.
“INEC blatantly manipulated the results in favor of the APC candidate. This undermines the credibility of our electoral process,” Mohammed said.
Beyond electoral grievances, the governors urged the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by February 2025.
They emphasized the need for broader consultations with stakeholders to resolve the party’s internal leadership crisis and strengthen its position as the main opposition party.
The forum reiterated its commitment to democratic values and vowed to push for electoral reforms that would restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The Ondo governorship election has sparked a renewed call for transparency in the country’s electoral system, with the PDP vowing to challenge what it views as a subversion of democracy.
Following his observations that ‘the momentum was strong’ Matt Gaetz whom 47th POTUS elect, Donald Trump nominated for Attorney General has withdrawn.
Biztellers reports that this follows his meeting with Senate and the feedback, which included two women, represented by their attorneys, who accused him of having paid for sex.
Consequently, Gaetz placed on record his full commitment to seeing “that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history.”
His withdrawal according his statement on micro-blogging site, X, was based on his conviction that “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.
ALSO READ: Trump Taps 27-Year-Old Karoline Leavitt As New White House Spokesperson
In is view, “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1”.
Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.
“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
His backers have promptly encouraged to take his seat in the House of Representatives, having been elected to the house under the flag of the Republicans to represent Florida.
The Executive Governors from Nigeria’s South West have unanimously nominated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the chairman of the zone on the National Economic Council (NEC).
Adeleke is the Executive Governor of Osun State, southwest, Nigeria.
This, according to the Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, transpired on Thursday, at a meeting of the NEC.
ALSO READ: Adeleke Flaunts Local Content Records, Industrialisation Progress
He noted that the meeting reviewed the state of Nigeria’s electricity sector and resolved to engage subnational structures to address current challenges in the sector.
“The meeting particularly sought to build on the devolution of the electricity sector and its movement into the concurrent legislative list which empowers state governments to regulate the sector in their respective areas,” he stated.
Consequently, the NEC, therefore set up an ad hoc committee to review actions in the sector by state governments and explore ways to ramp up activities through coordination, Rasheed highlighted.
The full list of members of NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on National Electrification:
- Governor of Cross Rivers State, Bassey Out – Chairman, South-South
- Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda – Chairman, North-West
- Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya – Chairman, North-East
- Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke – Chairman, South-West
- Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma – Chairman, South-East
- Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang – Chairman, North-Central
- Hon. Minister of Finance, Wale Edun
- Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu
- Special Adviser, NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai
- Special Adviser, Power Minister, Hon. Bolaji Tunji
- MD/CEO Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu
- MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije
- Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak
- NEC Secretariat
National Assembly In Top Gear For Tinubu’s 2025 Budget Presentation
Edo: Gov Okpebholo Launches Probe Into Obaseki Administration
PDP Governors Probe Ondo Polls, Criticizes Edo Result
NDLEA Nabs Businessman For Using Ingestion To Smuggle Cocaine
Entertainment Made Africa Look Good Despite Bad Leaders — Davido
NECO Expands Global Footprints, Accredits Niger, Equatorial Guinea Schools
OSSG Raises Alarm Over Murder Plot By APC Chieftain
NCC, SMEDAN, NAICOM, SEC, Others Set for SUPERNEWS SMEs Conf June 13
Sahara’s Tonye Cole resigns from GPHCDA
Oando opens ultra-modern petrol station in Lagos
Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari Reads riot Act …considers the carrot and stick option
