Nigerian Newspapers
8 PDP governors float new party
* Aliyu, Wamakko, Nyako, Kwankwaso, Amaechi, others involved
* PDM, Anenih disagree over party status
The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is far from being over as eight governors elected on the party’s platform are set to dump the party for a new political party to be known as the Voice of the People, VOP.
The new political organisation is already awaiting registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It was learnt that the arrowheads of the new party are Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Aliyu Babangida (Niger) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).
The factional chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State are said to be part of those floating the new party.
The identity of the eighth PDP governor is still being shielded.
The source added that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, is also being speculated to be part of the plot.
The PDP currently has 23 governors in its fold.
“We have filed our papers with INEC and we are only awaiting the registration as a political party. I can tell you that we will soon pull out of the PDP, which has made life unbearable for our leaders,” a source familiar with the registration process told National Mirror.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, told National Mirror that there is nothing strange in an application for registration as a political party before the commission.
He noted that INEC receives applications for party registration on weekly basis. He, however, said he had no information about the VOP and those behind it.
“Honestly, I don’t have that information about VOP; who they are and what they represent. I have tried to reach the person in charge, but to no avail. And I can’t guarantee that I can get the information today (yesterday). But application for party registration comes to INEC every week. It is a routine exercise,” Idowu stated.
National Mirror reliably learnt that the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan to effect the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is one of the reasons why the governors are leaving the party.
The partisan stance of the Presidency in the NGF crisis is another reason for the development.
Already, most of the political associates of Nyako in Adamawa State had dumped PDP for the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, before its collapse into the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Five of the governors, Kwankwaso, Nyako, Wammako, Aliyu and Lamido have demanded the removal of Tukur for peace to reign in the party.
But some of the aides of the governors who spoke with National Mirror yesterday denied knowledge of the new party.
Governor Aliyu’s spokesman, Danladi Ndayebo, told National Mirror that his principal remains in the PDP. “We are going nowhere. Governor Aliyu remains member of the PDP. He is not leaving the party,” he said.
Dr. Femi Akorede, the Senior Special Assistant on Communications to Governor Ahmed also denied that the governor was part of the plot. “I’m not aware of the new party. Governor Ahmed has nothing to do with the new party. It is not true,” Akorede said.
Also, the Director of Press and Publicity of Kano State, Baba Dantiye, also denied the involvement of Kwanwaso in the plot. “He is in PDP,” Dantiye said in text message in response to National Mirror enquiry.
But an aide of one of the governors confirmed the development. “The floating of the new party is true. I can confirm the involvement of my principal in the arrangement. That is all I can say for now,” the source said.
It was learnt that Governors Kwankwaso, Nyako, Wammako and Lamido during their recent visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed their frustration with the PDP and their game plan.
They later visited former leaders, including Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Dr. Alex Ekwueme.
The governors are political associates of Obasanjo.
“The governors told Obasanjo that they are no longer comfortable in the PDP. They said as a mark of honour they have come to inform Obasanjo about their plan to move out of the PDP. They didn’t want the former ruler to hear about the plan outside without due consultation,” a source at that meeting said.
Obasanjo was said to have told the governors to allow peace to reign, promising to mediate in the crisis.
National Mirror had exclusively reported that the plan of the governors was to allow the crisis in the PDP to fester towards the elections in 2015.
“There is no doubt that President Jonathan will get the PDP ticket for the 2015 presidential election, but the North is keen about power returning to them. For the South-South, President Jonathan’s re-election is a necessity while power coming back to the North is a survival battle.
“We are not contesting the PDP ticket with Jonathan because we know the party will hand over the ticket to him. But the game plan is to weaken the PDP and reduce the party to nothing before the 2015 elections.
“Our governors won’t join the APC but will float a new party that will form an alliance with the people of the South-West. Don’t forget that the North has the numerical voting strength to decide who wins the Presidency,” a source privy to the arrangement had told National Mirror when the five governors visited Obasanjo.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, yesterday described the recent registration of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, by INEC as a political trickery that would not survive the test of time.
Anenih, in a statement made available to National Mirror, said leaders of the movement did not intend that it should transform into a political party, insisting that the group envisioned under the leadership of the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, remains an integral part of the PDP.
He said: “Reports about the registration of Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have inundated the polity; and because of my leading role in the formation and nurturing of the movement, concerned members of the movement have contacted me to confirm if it was our PDM that has witnessed the transformation.
“After in-depth investigations and extensive consultations with a wide spectrum of the membership and leadership of the PDM, which is just like a pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party, I consider it moral to use this medium to clarify that the PDM, which some persons, purporting to be interim leaders, secretly and mischievously promoted and succeeded in registering with INEC to operate as a political party, is not our PDM that worked with other political associations to form the PDP in 1998.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDM, which we collectively envisioned under the leadership of the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, remains an integral part of the PDP, whose Board of Trustees, I currently chair by the grace of God and the consensus of founding fathers and leaders of our great party.
“I hereby wish to urge those who look up to me for guidance in this circumstance to remain steadfast with me in the task of building a much more united and formidable PDP and to discountenance the registration and treat it as a political trickery, which will not survive the test of time.
But the Media Adviser to PDM Chairman, Alaba Yusuf, decried Anenih’s outbursts.
Yusuf said: “The masquerade behind the anti- PDM propaganda has been unmasked. Chief Anenih’s statement is a positive advertisement for PDM and what it stands for. There is no turning back the hands of time. PDM is an idea whose time has come.
“We are not going to waste our time exchanging words with those who want to live in the past, and continue to impoverish the ordinary Nigerian.
“Let the PDP BoT chairman resolve the crises tearing his party and the country apart; before dabbling into the affairs of another party over which he has no control.
“Sadly, Chief Anenih’s description of PDM’s registration as “a political trickery” is nothing but an insult to the electoral laws and the credibility of INEC. The beauty of democracy lives on the principles of freedom of speech, association and the right to exist politically.”
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: National Mirror Newspaper
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Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Kamaru Usman has raked in a mammoth £1.1million, about N584.2 million after his impressive knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday night, Sportivation.com.ng reports.
The Nigerian Nightmare has been handsomely rewarded for his stunning performance and he was the best-paid fighter on the card which was witnessed by 15, 000 fans in Florida.
According to Daily Mail, Usman earned £538,000 to show up, £459,000 pay-per-view bonus, a £43,000 sponsorship bonus and a well deserved £35,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Jorge Masvidal also earned £358,000 to show, £186,000 in pay-per-view money and a £28,000 sponsorship bonus.
This is the biggest payday of Usman’s career so far and the Welterweight champion also benefited from the fact that Masvidal is also a top draw for the fans.
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler.
Sourced From: Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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