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SDP Youths Give Party 24 Hours to Present Jerry Gana as Presidential Candidate

Published

5 years ago

January 22, 2019

Eric

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) youth have given the leadership of the party 24 hours to send the name of Jerry Gana to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate.

The national youth leader, Nwanka Stanley, made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

This is coming a day after the Director-General of the Jerry Gana campaign organisation, Ike Neliaku, accused the party of conspiracy against the candidature of Mr Gana.

Mr Gana, a former Minister of Information, is in dispute with a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, for the presidential ticket of the party. Mr Duke won the primary but a court ruled that he should not have contested, citing the stipulation of a zoning arrangement in the constitution of the party.
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja December 14 declared Mr Gana as the rightful candidate.

The national chairman of the party, Olu Falae, despite the acceptance of Mr Gana by party members and some party officials, has, however, refused to officially recognise Mr Gana pending the determination of an appeal against the judgment.

Noting SDP prides itself as a civil and democratic party, Mr Falae said it would not flout court orders.

But the youth wing of the party said it is not impressed with Mr Falae’s position.

“The National Chairman should as a matter of urgency submit the name of Prof. Jerry Gana to INEC, pending an alternative judgment by a higher court,” Mr Stanley said at the press conference.

“This we expect to be done within the next 24 hours, considering the fact that this has lingered since December.

“As youth leaders in the party, we have quietly observed the turnout of events, particularly as it concerns the presidential candidacy of our party, and general.”

He said the ultimatum was necessary because as youth, it is their duty to rise to the occasion and protect the house they have long labored for.

“It has become necessary that we would rise to rescue our party from the edge of the precipice, where it now stands or keep quiet and watch it fade away ingloriously,” the youth leader said.

Other demands of the youth are that the party’s National Secretary, Shehu Gabam, who was the running mate of Mr Duke, should within the next 24 hours, vacate his office as the scribe of the party.

In line with Article 24; Section 3, Subsection i and ii of the party’s constitution which states that: ‘Any party official, who wishes to contest election into public office, shall notify the Party in writing of his intention and be granted leave of absence by the Party.

“This leave is supposed to commence not later than thirty (30) days before the Party Primary for the said election but in this case, Gabam replaced Mohammed Junaid who stepped down.”

The youth also demanded that the Delta State chairman of the party step down.

“The Delta State Chairman, who parades himself as the Chairman of Chairmen, with his cohort Dogara, having lost the followership of his co-chairmen and should henceforth desist from fomenting further troubles for the party. They should go and man their various states and ensure they deliver the Party in the fought coming general elections,” he said.

The youth leader said SDP remains the credible alternative for Nigerians and should be seen doing the right thing.
He called on the members to rise up and join hands with the youth to rescue the party.

Asked if the youth had made efforts to resolve this within the party before this and what would happen when the ultimatum expires, Mr Stanley said several letters had been written to the party.

He said if nothing was done before the ultimatum expires they would take an “alternative” which he refused to disclose.

After the briefing, the youth leaders marched to the national secretariat of the party to protest.

Premium Times

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Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

7 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

6 days ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”