Nigerian Newspapers
PDP crises: When will Tukur’s respite come?
As part of moves aimed at resolving the crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have met with the PDP governors in the early hours of last Monday. One of the grouse expressed unanimously by the governors at the parley was the high handedness of the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the major cause of disaffection within the party.
In raising their resentment of the party under its present leadership, some of the governors expressed disenchantment with the National Working Committee, NWC dissolution of the state’s party structures without consultation with the governors.
The governors were also said to have raised their opposition to the proposal of automatic ticket as recently mooted for the president and governors by some party elders including the Board of Trustees, BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.
It would be recalled that Tukur emergence as the national chairman of the PDP in March 2012 was achieved under controversial circumstance . To many, he did not emerge as PDP national chairman through due process as they believed that the presidency had to force more qualified and experienced candidates to withdraw for him.
Since then the embattled national chairman has been moving from one crisis to the other and there has been no respite for him.
Under him, what was hitherto considered unthinkable and impractical within the party happened, as he carried out the suspension from the PDP of two sitting governors- Governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state, though Wamako’s suspension has since been lifted.
Governor Amaechi’s offence started from his spurning the party’s directive to reinstate the sacked chairman and councilors of Obio/ Akpor council of the state while Wamakko on his part got ‘punished’ for alleged serial disregard to summons issued him by the national leadership of the party. But following PDP governors’ intervention, Wamakko’s suspension was lifted a week after, but governor Amaechi has remained suspended.
Tukur with full backing of the presidency has not shied away from meting out punishment to any governor who ‘misbehaves’ as he vowed to maintain discipline in the party . He has been telling those that are not ready to defer to party supremacy or abide by the party’s rules to take a walk from the party: For instance he has told the five northern governors who are critical of his way of management of the party in clear terms that they are free to leave the party
Currently, five northern governors–Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, Tukur’s home state, are not supporters of the PDP National Chairman. The other governors are Babangida Muazu Aliyu (Niger state), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto). In recent weeks, war of words between the governors and Tukur had been raging unabated. In their views, Tukur is the greatest problem confronting the PDP. Wamakko said : “He (Tukur) has been running the PDP as a personal business from his private home.”
The governor then called for the PDP National Chairman’s sack because according to him, he (Tukur) is not competent to hold the position. Nyako, the Adamawa state governor also has no kind words for Tukur, his kinsman. He too shares Wamakko’s sentiments. According to Nyako, Tukur is not competent to run the party. The Adamawa state governor believes Tukur does not deserve any respect as long as he is unable to prove his competence, capacity and ability as the PDP National Chairman.
Nyako said: “The issue at stake is his competence, capacity and ability as the National Chairman of the PDP. Is he running the PDP competently enough? Is he providing level playing field? Is he fair and just to everybody concerned?”
Tukur’s ‘enemies’ had accused him of using his position as the national chairman of the party to pursue personal political agenda . They cited the crisis in Adamawa PDP where the party is currently polarised between two factions one loyal to Nyako and the other to Tukur to buttress their point. The Nyako faction is led by Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama while the faction loyal to Tukur has Joel Madaki as chairman. Kugama was the chairman of Adamawa chapter of the PDP prior to Tukur’s assumption of office as the party National Chairman.
But no sooner had he emerged than he dissolved the Kugama executive thus dismantling the party’s structure in the state. The Madaki group is currently enjoying recognition from the Tukur-led PDP national leadership and this has pitched him in fierce battle with Nyako. Now that the governors are picking on Tukur as the problem of the party and are mostly calling for his removal, will he survived this new plot? Will he be sacrificed as an atonement for the crisis in the party?
Does he still receives the support of the presidency as in the past? Will, he like a cat with nine lives survive this new plot against him? These are the questions to which nobody can authoritatively answer. And as the search for peace in the ruling party continues, Tukur’s fate is hanging in the balance, of course, this is not a new phenomenon for the embattled chairman.
In June, Tukur faced a more serious situation when there was a demand for him to resign from office and after much intense lobbying and permutations, he survived the threat. President Jonathan had on June 8, 2013 set up a committee, with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, as Chairman, and the Chi
ef of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe; governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom; Ibrahim Shema of Katsina; Theodore Orji of Abia; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Gabriel Suswam of Benue and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and the Political Adviser to the President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak as members to recommend ways of arresting the worsening crisis in the PDP.
Anyim’s report had recommended that though Tukur and former National Secretary and National Auditor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Elder Bolaji Anani and Bode Mustapha respectively were the only officers duly elected, it called for Tukur’s resignation on the grounds that it would be untidy to allow him remain in office.
Besides the National Chairman, other members of the NWC whose resignation were suggested were Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; the Acting National Secretary, Solomon Onwe; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh; National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe; National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani; National Youth leader, Garba Umar Chiza; and National Treasurer, Bala Kaoje However the PDP governors who had since been elevated to being members of the national caucus ensured soft- landing for the embattled Tukur at the meeting of the party caucus.
Among the group of pro-Jonathan governors who made passionate appeal for the embattled National Chairman, were the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum Chief Godswill Akpabio, Uduaghan and Suswam.
The vote-of-no-confidence on Tukur which was mooted by certain governors, particularly from the North-West, who are disenchanted with his style of leadership, were warded off by Governor Akpabio, who met with members of the G-84, and secured their support for Tukur.
The G-84 is a forum for state chairmen and secretaries of the party across the 36 states. They are members of National Executive Committee, (NEC) of the PDP Also in May 2012 with less than three months in office , Tukur ran into a problem which led to the power that be in the country including the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN to again call for his removal as the PDP national chairman.
Concerned by the persistent attacks on Northern states by Boko Haram, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur aired his views about the insecurity crisis in the country especially in the northern party and described the Boko Haram as people who feel aggrieved and are seeking for justice. While receiving members of the PDP from Gombe State in Abuja, Tukur stated, “We can’t even travel again because of the insecurity in the region. Boko Haram is fighting for justice. Boko Haram is another name for justice. People feel aggrieved. They are angry because they are hungry. Unless we remove the hunger, we too may not be able to rest”.
In response to Tukur’s statement, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) expressed their dismay at Tukur’s choice of words in describing the religious sect. The National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, stated, “I am surprise none of you journalist has picked him up to explain to Nigeria whose justice he is talking about, because in a sense he is a spokesman for Boko Haram. The Chairman of PDP, the largest party in Africa, he is a spokesman for Boko Haram.
“What justice is Bamanga Tukur talking about, 1000 of people who have been killed so far in Maiduguri, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Jos, Kano, who is showing the family of those killed justice”.
Reacting to the CAN President’s statements, the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, clarified Tukur’s position on the insecurity issue and reassured that Tukur is indeed a patriot of Nigeria. Metuh stated, “Over the decades, he has built bridges of friendship across religions and regions of Nigeria, etching his name as an African statesman. It is on record also, that since he was elected the national chairman of our great Party, his message has been consistent on the imperative of unity, equity and justice for every Nigerian.
“He has never hidden his resolve and determination to use the historic opportunity offered by his leadership of the nation’s ruling party to champion the ideals of the founding fathers of the country that irrespective of our tongue, tribe and creed, Nigerians are one and that our diversity is our greatest strength”. But despite this defence put up by Metuh, many powerful Christians in the country were still very critical of Tukur’s utterances
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: National Mirror Newspaper
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•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
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
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
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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