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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the appointment of coordinators for North-East states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Naija News reports that the appointees were revealed in a press release by the ruling party on Monday evening.

The press release contained names and numbers of appointed coordinators for the North-central states that will be saddled with the responsibilities, including mobilizations of electorates for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima presidential ticket as the party prepares for the 2023 general elections.

See the names of the state coordinators for the North-East Geopolitical Zone below:

Naija News reports that the party had earlier announced coordinators for the South-West and North-West zones.

2023: We Didn’t Endorse Atiku – Anambra Traditional Rulers

Some traditional rulers from the Idemili North and South Local Government Areas (LGA) of the Anambra state on Monday, debunked rumours that they endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, for the 2023 general election.

According to the Anambra monarchs, speculation that they endorsed Atiku was not true, adding that it is a mix-up.

Naija News reports that the traditional rulers, in a statement signed by the chairman of their forum, Igwe Chuma Agbala, and the vice chairman, Igwe Nick Obi, alleged that they had only attended a meeting in Ogidi called by one of their illustrious sons Dr Obiora Okonkwo.

The latter told them about his new position in the PDP and nothing more, the traditional rulers claimed.

The statement disclosed that the trending reports that the traditional rulers endorsed Atiku during their quarterly meeting were not true, so it was surprising to see twisted reports of the meeting’s account.

The monarchs, who advanced that the rumours have embarrassed them, said, “The publication or information circulating in the news media of the purported endorsement of a PDP Presidential candidate is not true.

“The fact is that the Idemili North and South Traditional Rulers Forum held its quarterly meeting at the Idemili North Local Government Headquarters, Ogidi where Chief Obiora Okonkwo came and said that he was appointed as one of the PDP Anambra State coordinators.

“That was it, and there was nothing like the endorsement of any political party or her flag bearer.

“We, the traditional Rulers of Idemili North and South, do not indulge in partisan politics and as such, would not dump or endorse or move to endorse any political party’s candidate. We are royal fathers and hence are fathers to all,” the traditional rulers said.

This article was originally published on Naija News

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state will win its Governorship, House of Reps, Senate and State Assembly election in 2023.

According to him, he is not hiding the fact that the Rivers PDP governorship candidate, all the House of Representatives, Senate and House of Assembly candidates would win in the 2023 general elections as far as the state is concerned.

Naija News reports that the governor at the inauguration of 319 wards and 32 constituency liaison officers in Port Harcourt today said “PDP will win our State. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Reps, Senate and State Assembly are concerned. The other one we have not decided until the right thing is done.”

Wike, however, revealed that the state was yet to determine what to do concerning the presidential election, adding that it is yet to decide who it will support for the presidency in 2023.

The governor also slammed the Rivers Director of Atiku Supporters, Dr Abiye Sekibo, saying he lacks the capacity to speak for the people of the state.

He said that Sekibo is a self-seeking politician, who was unable to attract democratic dividends of any kind to the state and his Okirika hometown when he served as a Minister.

Wike advanced that people like Dr Sekibo are not always satisfied with the fortunes of life they had enjoyed, or else he would have been quiet in the public space considering his failed leadership capabilities.

The governor said: “I watched a video when one Dr Abiye Sekibo, while he was addressing people in his house on Sunday, said he is the director of Atiku’s Supporters in Rivers. I have no problem with that. But he does not have the capacity to speak on behalf of Rivers State.

“In that video, he said that River State has been having a close relationship with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that Rivers State has always benefitted from Atiku Abubakar. I want to correct one impression, Dr Abiye Sekibo has a personal relationship with Alhaji Atiku, not Rivers State.

“Dr Abiye Sekibo was Minister of Transport when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the Vice-President of Nigeria. Can you people mention one project in Okrika, I don’t even want to talk about Rivers State, in Ogu/Bolo, one project that he brought down to Rivers State. Is there anyone?” Wike added.

Sekibo, who is a former Minister of Transport was reported to have said in the video that “I was a Minister, junior Minister in that matter. But I am proud to say anywhere I go in this state (Rivers), I brought dividends of democracy to Rivers state.

“As a junior Minister, I brought the Oil and Gas Polytechnic to Rivers State which is sited in Bonny. There was no Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt since the creation of that institution, but I brought it.

“As a Minister, I made sure Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, even if they are state institutions. I made sure they got a grant of N500 million each.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers has slammed a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu,  over his comment on the ongoing crisis in the party.

Wike was reacting to the comment made by Momodu warning the Rivers governor and his allies “not to cross the lines” in their call for the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Naija News reports that Momodu, in an interview with Vanguard, asked Wike and his allies not to malign the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over their insistence not to work with him in the 2023 general elections.

Reacting to Momodu’s comment in a media chat, Wike mocked the Ovation magazine publisher, saying that he moved from becoming a presidential aspirant to a spokesperson.

The Rivers governor said Momodu contested in the PDP presidential primary for the sake of recognition, stressing that he scored zero votes during the election.

Wike said he will not allow anybody to use him to gain “relevance”, adding that he has not left the PDP since 1999 unlike some of his critics.

He said: “I have also read where some people say we should not cross the lines. Ordinarily, I should not have responded to this. I read they said it is one Dele Momodu. These are the things I’m talking about. Ask him. When did he join the party?

“He came into PDP two weeks before the presidential primary. He is from Edo state. He did not even get one vote, not even from his own state.

“When you just want them to recognise you — from presidential aspirant to becoming spokesperson — somebody who wants to rule Nigeria has become a spokesperson of a presidential aspirant.

“All of you know how many times Dele Momodu had been in Port Harcourt, from one project commissioning to another.

“I’m not going to be a party to anybody using me to be relevant. If you don’t have a job, say you don’t have any job, I have a job and I will continue to do my job.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

Some traditional rulers from the Idemili North and South Local Government Areas (LGA) of the Anambra state have debunked rumours that they endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, for the 2023 general election.

According to the Anambra monarchs, speculation that they endorsed Atiku was not true, adding that it is a mix-up.

Naija News reports that the traditional rulers in a statement signed by the chairman of their forum, Igwe Chuma Agbala, and the vice chairman, Igwe Nick Obi, alleged that they had only attended a meeting in Ogidi called by one of their illustrious sons Dr Obiora Okonkwo, who told them about his new position in the PDP and nothing more.

The statement disclosed that the trending reports that the traditional rulers endorsed Atiku during their quarterly meeting were not true, so it was surprising to see twisted reports of the meeting’s account.

The monarchs,  who advanced that the rumours have embarrassed them, said “The publication or information circulating in the news media of the purported endorsement of a PDP Presidential candidate is not true.

“The fact is that the Idemili North and South Traditional Rulers Forum held its quarterly meeting at the Idemili North Local Government Headquarters, Ogidi where Chief Obiora Okonkwo came and said that he was appointed as one of the PDP Anambra State coordinators.

“That was it, and there was nothing like the endorsement of any political party or her flag bearer.

“We, the traditional Rulers of Idemili North and South, do not indulge in partisan politics and as such would not dump or endorse or move to endorse any political party’s candidate. We are royal fathers and hence are fathers to all.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

The Director of Strategic Communications of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has warned Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his allies against maligning the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard on Monday, Momodu said it was wrong for Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state to label Atiku as an agent of Miyetti Allah.

The PDP chieftain stated that the former Vice President is a Pan-African leader and not an ethnic bigot, stating that labeling Atiku is taking things too far.

He said: “Calling him an agent of Meyitti Allah is to the extreme. Anybody who has followed the trajectory of Atiku will know that he is detribalized, and has friends in every part of Nigeria. I currently work in his office, where a lot of young men and women from every part of Nigeria are doing their work. Atiku Abubakar cannot be an agent of Miyetti Allah, I think that is carrying it too far.

“Wike is carrying it too far. He is a man I like so much. Of course it is wrong to label him (Atiku) an agent of Miyetti Allah. You can say anything about Atiku Abubakar but calling him an agent of Miyetti Allah, I disagree vehemently with that. It is wrong.

“If you don’t want to support a man, it is very easy to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, but it is wrong to disparage a man who has served his country meritoriously, who has done everything he could for every part of this country; but because you are playing politics, disagree with him, you will use such weighty words against him? Well, there is always another time.”

Momodu commended Governor Wike for not attacking Atiku and asked him not to turn the fight for justice and equity into a personal vendetta.

He added: “That is what I am telling you, even Governor Wike, who is supposed to be the angriest of them all because he participated in our primary, has not used such words against Atiku.

“I give him credit. In getting angry, in trying not to work for him, if that is their decision, let us conduct ourselves well. People get angry, there is nothing wrong with that, they have every reason to be angry, but they should not cross certain lines.

“I have written in the last couple of months to Governor Wike, the closest to me among them, because I call him the ‘poster boy in PDP’, great guy, doing very well, advising him not to cross certain lines.

“That night, he called, we spoke briefly and we continued to respect his opinion but I will continue to appeal, don’t destroy the bridge you crossed because you don’t know whether you will need that bridge again, if you don’t need it, a member of your family might need it.“

This article was originally published on Naija News

The Osun State Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the incumbent Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola of planning to appoint 15 of his loyalists as Permanent Secretaries.

Naija News understands that Adeleke had alleged that Oyetola was already compiling names set to make the list of appointments, which he said would soon be announced.

According to him, it’s barely a month to the end of Oyetola’s tenure, and he doesn’t understand his plans to appoint 15 PS when he will leave office soon.

Adeleke, who revealed this in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, noted that “when he assumed reign, he would re-assess the state of the bureaucracy in the state, with a view to enforce due process and ensure appropriate placement of senior personnel into various positions through an open and merit-based process.”

On this premise, Oyetola was advised to forget his plan, adding that his action now is like exercising appointive power not only at the wrong time but at a time the electorate had anointed a new leader.

The statement partly read: “We note that Oyetola has been running the government with just about nine permanent secretaries for the past three and half years. How he came about the idea of increasing the number at the twilight of his administration’s tenure is still not clear.

“As an outgoing Governor, it cannot be good intentioned for you to appoint critical officials like permanent secretaries when a new leader is about to take over the administration of the state. The incoming governor has the right to determine the team he will work with. It should be clear that predetermining the makeup of the incoming government is an effort in futility.

“The outgoing Governor’s decision is therefore in bad taste and a continuation of current efforts to destabilise the incoming administration.

“We also call on senior bureaucrats not to accept any Greek gift that may end up hurting their career. To be forewarned is to be careful,” Rasheed pointed out.

However, Naija News gathered that in defence of Oyetola, his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Sunday Akere, had said Oyetola’s first tenure would only end at midnight of November 26, so whatever action is taken before then was within the law.

He said “It is unfortunate that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems not to know what is right to what is wrong. For goodness sake, the first term of Gov Gboyega Oyetola ends on midnight of November 26, 2022.

“Whatever action or decision taken by the governor is covered by the laws of the land. PDP should wait for their turn, if any and allow us to deliver on the mandate given to us by the people of Osun State.”

This article was originally published on Naija News

A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday dismissed the bid by a factional group in the Action Alliance (AA) to stop the certificate forgery suit filed against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The Federal High Court rejected the suit by the group loyal to Tinubu led by Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje.

The group had wanted to join the suit to defend Tinubu in the certificate forgery suit filed against Tinubu by the AA party.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu in his ruling said the conditions precedent for such a joinder to be granted was not placed before the court.

The presiding Judge further stated that Omo-Aje did not establish his claim as National Chairman of the AA and also did not disclose how his interest would be jeopardized if not joined as a defendant in the suit.

Justice Egwuatu while dismissing the joinder request held that the group remains a meddlesome interloper and busybody until their interests likely to be affected are clearly established.

In the ruling, Justice Egwuatu said both Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje and Ambassador Suleiman Abdumalik who filed the joinder application on behalf of their faction failed to satisfy the conditions on why they should be joined.

The Judge held that they also failed to make a case in any form, to sway the court to join them.

The factional group in the joinder application sought for dismissal of the suit against Tinubu on the ground that they did not authorize the suit to be filed in the name or on behalf of the party (as party officials).

The Judge thereafter ordered the plaintiff (AA) to open its case of certificate forgery allegations against Tinubu on Friday, November 4, 2022.

Justice Egwuatu specifically ordered that witnesses in the suit must be brought before the court to enable it to determine the suit within the time stipulated by law.

Action Alliance Party in the suit is seeking the disqualification of Tinubu from the 2023 election on alleged certificate Forgery.

The party had on June 21, asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from including the name of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ballot of the 2023 presidential election.

The party in the Writ of Summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/954/2022, predicated its request on the claim that both the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu are not qualified to participate in the 2023 presidential election on alleged forgery committed by Tinubu in 1999.

The suit filed on behalf of the plaintiff by its lawyer, Mr Upkai Ukairo, claimed that Tinubu forged the university of Chicago certificate he submitted in 1999 in aid of his qualification for the 1999 governorship election in Lagos State, which was won by Tinubu.

The suit, dated and filed on June 21, has the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Bola Tinubu as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

This article was originally published on Naija News