Politics
LP Forum of State chairmen averts violent clash between 2 factions at party secretariat

**Advises waring factions to explore internal mechanism to resolve issues
What would have resulted in a violent clash between two opposing factions of the Labour Party (LP)at its secretariat in Abuja on Thursday was averted by the leadership of the Forum of the 36 State chairmen of the party.
The faction loyal to Julius Abure and that loyal to Lamidi Apapa were locked up in a supremacy tussle at the secretariat as both claimed to have come to screen governorship aspirants of the party for Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo off season elections.
However, the chairman, Forum of State Chairmen of the party, Comrade Rotimi Kehinde and others waded in.
Chief Kehinde said the Labour party remained the property of the people and cannot be hijacked by any person or interest that does not represent the struggle of the Labour Union.
He said while the court may have prevented the National Chairman, Barr Julius Abure and others from accessing the secretariat, the court order does not affect the council of Chairmen who are integral part of the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC).
Therefore, the council of Chairmen can access the secretariat at any time pointing out that only the National Executive Council can decide the fate of Abure.
He said the Party has internal mechanism to solve the issue and the aggrieved group have not exploited it, thus they should wait for the outcome of the court before they come to the secretariat.
He pointed out that Abure and the other three persons barred from the Secretariat were not given fair hearing.
His words: “They have not been heard by the court or given the opportunity to defend themselves, the next thing we are hearing is that they should not parade themselves as officers of the Labour party.
“We as the critical member of NEC, that is the National Council of Chairmen of the Labour Party, we are an integral part of NEC, which has the right authority to ratify any decision taken by the Party, we have not met.
“We have told them, go and wait for the court to decide, you have taken matter to the court, they do not want to do that. They are taking the law into their hands.
“When they heard that we have travelled for an assignment in the south South, they came here to the national Secretariat to come and cause this trouble that they are causing. As you can see, we are not fomenting trouble.
“All the chairmen here are not with any of their personal staff. We did not come here to thugs, I am wondering what those ones are doing here.
“Let us look at it. We were not barred from the Secretariat. The chairmen and three others were not barred from the secretariat, The Forum of Chairmen were not barred, so we have the right to enter the Secretariat and should have access to the Secretariat.
“So that means these people have some other ulterior motive. They have been calling out chairmen to come and support them but we refused. We said no, this is not right.
“Someone who raised the hand of another candidate of another party in his state, how can that person have the moral right to come to the Labour Party Secretariat to say he is a member of the Labour Party.
“We have pictorial evidence and all that. We told them that what you have done is wrong. You have case against the national Chairman, submit your petition to NEC, let NEC investigate.
“If they are guilty, we will ask them to leave our party, nobody is an island. In this case nothing has been done. This people have not exploited the internal machinery in our Labour Party Constitution on how you can settle internally.
“They did not avail themselves of that privilege. They are telling us that one man is the Acting National Chairman. Where?
“It is only the national Executive Council (NEC), that has the right to ratify decision made by the NWC,” High Chief Kehinde stated.
He appealed to all the security agencies to allow us to move our party along.
The Chairmen who assembled at the Party Secretariat where they addressed the media said it is clear that the crisis brewing from the party are fuelled by the crises ridden All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party.
Abia State, Chairman of the Labour Party, Comrade, Ceekay Igara, said the whole scheme was to deny Nigerians of the benwfir of justice and development.
His words: “PDP is in shambles, APC is in total Disarray, now some elements from these failed organisations decided to use suspended members of the party to come and destabilize the party.
“Let me tell you the truth, we are talking about bringing back Nigeria. If we must take back Nigeria we must stand on the truth. We must stand on equity, stand in justice and fairness.
“There is no fairness in this, I do not know when last Apapa came to the Party Secretariat.
Even the suspended youth leader, engaged me for more than three hours on the phone talking to me. Telling me the reason why I should resign my stand.
“I told him, listen, you are just a new person in the party, just about three months or so, you have not studied the constitution.
“They said they suspended you based on some of the things you did, for which you did not take permission from the authorities and when that happens. It is just proper, that a disciplinary action be taken
and that they did.
“It is now left for you to push that they bring the matter to NEC if NEC ratifies that, it stands but if NEC says no and Over rules them, you are back.
“Why bring down the roof of the house? That is to tell you that there is an ulterior motive. If not, you cannot destroy a house which you built. A house that will provide you protection and cover during the storm.?
“As party chairmen, if there is going to be any convention all the delegates are going to come from us. Those people do not have any delegates. Why are they causing this trouble when they know that if all of us can agree we bring them back. It is not destroying the structure.” Igara stated.
Present at the Secreteriate were the Rivers state Chairman of the Party, Hilda Dokubo, Edo state Chairman of the Party, Kelly Ogbaloi among others.
Politics
Blackmail of Judiciary through protest in London won’t help, APC group tells NNPP

***insists, Appeal Court will rule on merit
National Coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Progressives Stakeholders has condemned a protest staged in London on Sunday against the Nigerian judiciary, accusing the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano of blackmail.
The APC group who accused Kano state governor Abba Yusuf and the state leadership of the NNPP of sponsoring the protest, described the London outing as shameful.
Kano State Governorship election petition tribunal judgement had sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP due to irrigularities where over 165,000 votes were tumprinted and stuffed into the ballot boxes unlawfully without the official stamp nor signature of the presiding officers.
Addressing a press conference Monday in Abuja, the group’s National secretary, Barr. Isabella Odunayo, called on the Inspector General of Police and the department of State Service to commence investigation of the sacked Kano state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the leadership of the NNPP over the development.
Barrister Odunayo said: “After failed attempts to discredit the tribunal ruling, the NNPP desperation took them to London where it sponsored a protest to blackmail the Federal Government and discredit the tribunal judgement.
“Unknown to the organizers, Nigerians in diaspora had watch clips of the jubilation that trailed the APC victory at the tribunal and hence Nigerians in London ignored the sponsored protest.
“It is shameful that Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Kwankwasiyya Movement only got eight persons for a protest which targeted about one thousand (1000) people, a sign that Nigerians both home and in diaspora accepted the judgement in good faith.
“The NNPP should be aware that, the judiciary can not be intimidated by its threat as security agencies in Nigeria are fully prepared to secure the Country. The eight people led by Dr Aminu Bello who embarrassed themselves yesterday in London does not represent the interest of Nigerians.
“It is barbaric and indeed archaic for the NNPP to toll the part of blackmail calling for justice in far away London when justice has already been served with the judgment of the tribunal.
“It is unpalatable to speak ill of the judiciary because your stealing antics were uncovered. Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf has no shame that is why he is still sponsoring Campaign against the judiciary.
“We advocate special trial for electoral offenders like Governor Abba Yusuf where he will be may be committed to jail for election theft.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police and the department of state service to commence investigation of the out-going Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the leadership of the NNPP ahead of their prosecution.
“It is by such actions that some desperate politicians may desist from rigging and instilling violence during elections.
“We are optimistic that the Apeal Court judges shall also deliver judgement on it merit.”
Politics
Group tells NNPP to Stop intimidating judges, prepare for another election in 4 years

A group under the aegis of Stand Up Nigeria (SUN) has asked the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the sacked government of Kano state to prepare for another election in the next four years instead of intimidating the judiciary.
It made the called on Saturday at a press conference in Abuja, following the recent attacks on the judiciary before and after the verdict by the Tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf in Kano state.
National Coordinator of the group, Patriot Sunday Attah applauded the Honourable Justices of the Kano State Governorship election petition tribunal who delivered what he described as “a bold and sound judgement that sacked Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf and declared Dr. Nasir Gawuna as the elected Governor of Kano State.”
The group made up of patriotic Nigerian youths across political parties and ethnic groups who believe in peaceful co-existence, rule of law and institutional governance.
According to Attah, the judgement serves as deterrent to politicians who float electoral laws and make elections do or die affair. We had warn politicians severally to discourage their supporters from rigging and violence during elections as democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people.
He said: “You don’t have to intimidate the judiciary or cause war because you loose an election. The tenure is four years after which a fresh elections would be conducted.
“You may prepare yourself to contest again instead of sponsoring people to blackmail highly respected Justices of the election petition tribunal and intimidate the Appeal Court Judges all in a bid to reverse a sound judgement already delivered.
“We understand that, Kano has an International market which makes it a home to all Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe. Kano indigenes are also scattered in other States of the Federation without fear of molestation. No one has monopoly of violence.
“The Judges must be encourage and supported by all Nigerians as they deliver more critical judgements that would strengthen our democracy.
“The NNPP and it’s government must come out openly to retract its violent threat being issued by its supporters including a Commissioner under Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“Here is a man ordinarily referred to as Honourable Commissioner, so, where is the Honourable? . It shows how deep the NNPP must have gone in term of intimidation of judicial officers in secret before it was made public.
“We believe that the intimidation and threat being mounted are targeted towards the Apeal Court judges in order to bully them.
“We urged our Honourable Justices of the Appeal Court to to scumble to their antic but always stand on the part of justice. We have offered to stand by the judiciary and help protect the institution once it continue to maintains the part of justice.”
While recalling similar judgement in the case of Edo State election petition tribunal tat nullified the election of Senator Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party and declared Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, winner, Attah said: “We condenm the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP who have being threatening the judges and general peace of Kano State using its supporters, to understand that, trying to intimidate the judiciary in order to force the Judges to their side would amount to miscarriage of justice.”
The group thanked President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing enabling environment for the judiciary to operate without interference.p2
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Politics
1,000 PDP Members Join APC In Bassa As Adakeke lauds Bello

By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
A Frontline member of PDP in Bassa local government area of Kogi state, from Kpata Ward, Alhaji Alhassan Seidu Agbem, an Abuja-based business man and philanthropist, has led 1,000 PDP members and followers to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area.
The philanthropist, a top notcher of the PDP in Bassa local government area, Seidu Agbem, announced the defection of over 1,000 members and supporters of the PDP to APC at a defection ceremony held at Gboloko, under the influence of Hon. Alhassan Salisu Adakeke.
I what seemed like a last-minute drive for a sweeping electoral victory there an aggressive mobilization of PDP members in Bassa local government for the APC.
Agbem, disclosed that he was moving into APC to complement the campaign efforts of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello who in his words, “runs a youth inclusive government with gender sensitive policy direction.
Agbem said Governor Bello’s effort at promotion of youth inclusiveness and enhanced women participation in governance was commendable and should be encouraged for sustainability, progress and development.
The maverick politician said he and his supporters were desirous of APC victory and ready to put in all resources to insure victory for the APC.
Receiving the defectors, the Bassa local government party chairman of APC, Hon. Abdulmumin Umar, expressed happiness on the decision of the PDP members to join the APC. Abdulmumin said the APC as a party was opened to all Nigerians as every citizen is free to come into the party with hope and higher prospect of achieving self-esteem, personal development, Community transformation as well as prosperity and good governance. Umar said the decampees now have equal rights and opportunities in political participation in all the activities of the party.
In his contribution, the Special adviser to the Governor on Primary health care services, Hon. Adakeke, commended the wisdom of the defectors he described as game changers and influencers whose political movement to APC means a lot to the APC family in Bassa and the state at large.
He added that the defectors had swiftly collapsed the PDP structure into the winning structure of the APC. He also commended the decampees for appreciating and associating with the good work of governor Bello in the state.
He appealed to the youth of Bassa LGA and Kogi state to key into the development agenda for a consolidated democracy in the state.
The special adviser further indicated that APC had won the presidential, national assembly and state house of assembly elections on a clean slate and is obviously prepared to win the November 11 Governorship elections with convincing victory.
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