Politics

Benue 2023: Heavier defeat awaits you – PDP tells APC

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2022

Admin

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Benue State chapter, has said the “campaign of calumny” being orchestrated against the party and its Tiv consensus governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Titus Tyoapine Uba, by the All Progressives Congress (APC), shows that the opposition is afraid of defeat in 2023.

The PDP in a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, on Wednesday, said heavier defeat awaits Benue APC in 2023 than they suffered in 2019, stressing that the APC stooping to “fabrication of fairytale and lies” only reflects fear and outright panic going into the coming polls.

The umbrella party urged APC to come to terms with the hard fact that the Benue electorate, in making choices in 2023, will not be fooled by smokescreens of lies and insults on opponents, but would be led to those choices by a combination of antecedents of candidates and track-record of political platforms sponsoring them.

“In this light, the latest round of allegations by APC that the N38 billion loan approved by the State Assembly for the administration of Governor Samuel Ortom when obtained will be used as campaign finances for the Speaker is just another whiff in the opposition smokescreen of lies which the electorate will ignore.

“Detailed clarifications already made by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Hon. Terver Akase, shows that the N38bn so approved by the Assembly is the balance of an earlier N69bn loan request made by the administration to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2015, alongside other states, for purpose of offsetting inherited arrears of salaries and pensions to workers.

“Out of that request which was tagged Bailout Loan, the sum of N28 billion was granted by CBN leaving a balance of N41 billion, which is the component covered by the latest approval granted by the State Assembly, for which purpose remains ab initio the offsetting of outstanding salaries and pensions to workers in the local and state tiers of government,” it explained.

The PDP continued: “APC must also come to terms with the fact that the Benue electorate will appraise the debt profile of the Ortom administration against the highly visible backdrop of infrastructure projects and social amenities it has provided across the state in the face of crippling insecurity.

“The people understand that with the shrunken monthly allocation from Federal coffers, the administration has been constrained largely to rely on borrowing to meet its obligations, same way it has been with other states and as well the ‘almighty’ Federal Government.

“They are also well aware that while other states have enjoyed preferential support from the federal government in the forms of grants and interventions all along, Benue has remained marginalised, a fact evident in the lateness of the outstanding N38 billion package coming when other APC controlled states like Kogi received theirs and numerous other interventions years back.

“Regarding APC fairy tales of disunity in the ranks of our great party, the facts stand tall that Benue PDP under Governor Ortom is arguably the most cohesive and robust state chapter of the party, with all members, high and lowly, fused together in common stakeholding.

“Under the governor, the party has adopted ingenious measures in conducting its internal processes and arriving at difficult decisions with unparalleled success, such as the consensus option of nominating candidates.
“These are feats the opposition APC vainly tries to criticise, yet at the same time, attempts to copy, but with poor results owing to their unsuitable character as a party run by an individual for his benefit, that of his family members and selected cronies.

“APC in Benue State as things stand once again is dodging the trail of issues and facts based campaigning, as it did in 2019, and is desperately hoping lies, insults, propaganda and possibly external forces will catapult it to victory in 2023”.

Politics

APRIL 20: GOV AIYEDATIWA ROUNDS OFF LG CAMPAIGN TOUR

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

JRan

Politics

GUBER POLL: WE’LL REWARD YOU FOR YOUR LOYALTY, LOVE FOR OWO, OLOWO TELLS GOV AIYEDATIWA

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

JRan

– Ogunmolasuyi joins Gov’s campaign in Owo

– Akoko South West leaders pledge 80 percent votes for Gov

“Since your tenure as Deputy Governor of Ondo State, you have shown your love for Owo. You did not only show loyalty to your former principal, you have been sustaining his legacies. The people of Owo have no option than to support you to continue as Governor of Ondo State.”

Those were the words of the Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, as he endorsed the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing him as an astute administrator who has been running a seamless governance since becoming Governor.

Governor Aiyedatiwa was at the palace of the Olowo of Owo on Wednesday to pay homage to the traditional rulers in the community ahead of meeting party stakeholders in Owo local government.

The Governor visited Owo, Ose and Akoko South West in continuation of his tour of the local government areas of the state ahead of Saturday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Addressing crowd of supporters in Owo, Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked them for their show of love, describing Owo as his second home and promising to sustain the ongoing developmental projects in the community.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami, hosted the Governor’s campaign team at his residence in Owo after the rally, which was attended by many party leaders, including the Majority Leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi.

The Governor had earlier visited Ifon, headquarters of Ose local government area, where a large crowd of party leaders and members welcomed the Governor’s campaign train.

Governor Aiyedatiwa promised increased developmental projects, emphasizing his commitment to enhancing security, healthcare, agriculture, and road infrastructure in the State.

The tour on Wednesday had started at Oka Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South West local government area, with the Governor first paying a visit to traditional rulers in the area at the palace of the Olubaka of Oka, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

The traditional rulers hailed the leadership style of the Governor and gave him their prayers and royal blessings to emerge as the candidate of the APC and win the governorship election in November.

The Governor later addressed a crowd of party members in the local government, urging them to come out enmase on Saturday to vote for continuity of good governance in the State.

The leaders of the party in the local government, including Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, Rt. Hon Victor Olabimtan, Hon. Ade Adeogun and Dr. Victor Ategbole, promised to deliver 80 percent of the votes in the local government to the Governor on Saturday.

Governor Aiyedatiwa also inaugurated his campaign office in Oka Akoko, which was donated by his Special Adviser on Transportation, Hon. Gbenga Omole.

Politics

Court Okays Ganduje’s Suspension From APC

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

JRan

The Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order suspending the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from the party.

The order, issued by Justice Usman Malam Na’abba on Tuesday, also barred Ganduje from presiding over any activity of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The decision stemmed from an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad, representing members of the executive committee of APC in Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State.

The Ward Exco members were part of a group of nine ward executives who earlier announced Ganduje’s suspension from the party on Monday.

The court, therefore, gave an interim injunction directing all parties involved, including the APC, its NWC, Kano State Working Committee of the party, and Ganduje himself, to maintain the status quo as of April 15, 2024, pending a full hearing on the matter set for April 30.

Justice Na’abba further ordered the Kano State Working Committee of the APC to refrain from interfering with the decision of the Ganduje Ward executives of the party, which was endorsed by a two-third majority as stipulated by the party’s constitution.

The ward executives acted on a petition submitted by a party member from Ganduje’s polling unit, urging them to investigate the accusations bribery and corruption against the APC national chairman, to protect the party’s image and President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption efforts.

While the ward chairman and secretary reportedly failed to act on the petition filed on April 8, nine members, led by the legal adviser, went ahead to pronounce Ganduje’s suspension.

Their decision was immediately rebutted by the state working committee of the party, who accused the ward executives of anti-party activities and suspended them for six months.