PDP Chairman tasks Ekiti caretaker committee members on unity, victory

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has harped on the need for its members and supporters in Ekiti State to come together and work assiduously for the benefit of winning the forthcoming general election in the State.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu gave the charge on Wednesday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja during the inauguration of the state caretaker committee headed by Architect Sadiq Obanoyen.

Represented by the Party’s Deputy National Chairman North, Amb. Umar Damagun, Ayu declared that the party is ready and working together to reclaim Ekiti state from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The National Chairman, who recalled that the Ekiti State chapter of the party has been in crises, pointed out that the task of the new caretaker committee is to ensure that all stakeholders are under the umbrella to deliver the state to PDP on February 25.

According to him, “If you notice recently, we had an election in Ekiti state, the state chapter of the party has always been bedeviled by crisis. As a result of that, we had one of our worst outings in the election in Ekiti state.

“Ekiti has always been a PDP state, you have been resilient, and from what we see during the presidential campaign, we know that Ekiti is still PDP. That gave us the courage to sit down and say we have to get things right.

“How do we do this thing? It is to be able to dissolve that executive that has always been in one crisis or the other and give a new life to the party by constituting a caretaker Committee, which will give us a brand-new executive, that will be all inclusive.

“First of all, I believe you must have been selected from wherever you come from, because you have distinguished yourselves in the activities of this party and we know you have the capacity and the capability to drive this party to where we are expecting.

“Mind you, we are in an election year. In the next few days, we’ll have our first election which is the election of the president and National Assembly members, followed by the State Assembly election because you don’t have gubernatorial election in Ekiti.

“I will want to urge you to bring all and sundry to come together to work assiduously for the benefit of winning this election in Ekiti and I believe, if you do the right thing, we’ll be able to come out victorious. So you have a daunting task before you”, he said.

Responding on behalf of the committee, its chairman Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen thanked the party for the responsibility reposed on them.

While acknowledging that the task before the committee is enormous, he pledged that members will work together to deliver Atiku Abubakar in the state.

His words, “Distinguished leaders of our party, we take this as a challenge and we believe that we have an enormous task on our hands, we also believe that by the Grace of God, with your support, we have what it takes to reconcile and unite our people ahead of the coming all important election.

“I believe that with your support, galvanizing all the resources that we have within the tenets of all the people that you have put together, we believe that Ekiti state will be delivered. Be rest assured that you have sent us on an errand and we will deliver”.

The committee has Barr. Dosu Babatunde as Secretary while other members include: Hon. Ojoade Fajana, Adijat Eniola Balogun, Hon. Oladimeji Joshua Ayodele and Chief Boboye Adekunle.

Others are Hajia Lawal Idayat Tosin, Comrade Waliu Olawole Oladipupo, Erelu Toyin Olumilua Mark, Dr. Alade Beatrice Modupe, Aare Temitope Amerijoye, Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye, Olugbenga Adewole, Hon Ajibola Samuel and Barr. Dosu Babatunde.

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

Theforum of Labour Party (LP) candidates in Kano has reacted to the claims made by the gubernatorial candidate of the party Bashir I. Bashir that, he and all other candidates were not involved in the preparation of Peter Obi’s campaign rally in Kano.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued to news men by the chairman of the forum and also candidate of Labour Party in Bagwai/Shanono constituency, comrade Abubakar Ali Ado. He said said, “we are fully involved in the whole process.

“Our attention has been drawn to purported disgusting and undesirrable media program organised by a respected personality and member of our great party (LP),Engr. Bashir I Bashir, saying that he, and some candidates were not consulted in the preparation and conduct of LP Presidential rally in Kano which he said was the reason for boycotting the rally and party activities in the state.”

The statement said, Engr.Bashir I Bashir was part of all the process and was fully consulted but repelled it and said, he was out of town and will not beable to attend.”

APGA unveils Hadiza Mohammed as Vice-Presidential Candidate

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Wednesday unveiled

Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed as its Vice-Presidential Candidate for the Feb. 25 general election.

Edozie Njoku, National Chairman, APGA, unveiled Mohammed at a ceremony on Wednesday in Abuja, naming Jonathan Elendu as DirectorGeneral, of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

Njoku commended the judiciary for finally resolving the party’s crisis, lauding the party loyalists that stood by the party.

He alleged that he was accused of so many things including forging a supreme court judgment and expressed happiness that truth had prevailed.

Njoku said that with the court judgement, it was left for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful by recognising authentic APGA candidates, ahead of the general election.

“So I am pleading with the hierarchy of INEC to address this ,because if the right thing is not done, I assure you that after the election, there will be more suits on the basis of exclusion,” he said.

Njoku said that the party was ready to launch its campaign to win the 2023 election and called for support from Nigerians to make the nation better.

He expressed confidence in the party’s candidates and in its ability to serve justice to Nigerians and unify all.

Dr Chekwas Okorie, APGA, Presidential Candidate,said he consulted with the National Working Committee (NWC) and it was unanimously agreed that no person was better suited to pair him on the presidential ticket as VP than Mohammed.

Okorie said that Mohammed hailed from Borno and had a rich and impeccable profile and she was an accomplished personality with sound education and varied academic exposure.

“I am confident that as l march side by side with Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed to campaign across Nigeria our strong and progressive message shall resonate and introduce fresh and exciting narratives to our proposed governance agenda.

“This is if by the special grace of God Nigerians give us their mandate to preside over the affairs of our great country as President and Vice President, come May 29.

“It is also my singular pleasure to unveil at this occasion the Director General of our Presidential Campaign Organisation who prefers to be referred to as simply Jonathan Elendu.

” His rich profile that shows his wide experience and knowledge as a publisher, an author, poet and public affairs analyst both in Nigeria and many countries abroad has also been read to this distinguished audience,” he said.

Okorie said it was neither by design our desire that APGA was stepping into the campaign arena somehow late.

He said that it was public knowledge that on May 9 2022, the Supreme Court corrected a judgment it had delivered on Oct. 14 2021, which erroneously referred to the former National Chairman of the Party, Chief Victor Oye as National Chairman instead of Chief Edozie Njoku.

“Unfortunately, the parties adversely affected by the wellconsidered correction effected by the Supreme Court engaged in all manner of blackmail, subterfuge and malicious allegations. (NAN)