PDP’ll sack Ajimobi in 2015 –Makinde

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

A governorship aspirant in Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has said that the opposition party would win the 2015 governorship election in the state.

He stated this in Abuja on Wednesday when he submitted his expression of interest form to contest the governorship primaries on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo state.

Makinde said, “The PDP will sack Governor Abiola Ajimobi from office next year.”

While welcoming Makinde’s delegation to his office in Abuja, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, on Wednesday, described Makinde as a man of the people.

Abaubakar noted that the presence of the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and other chieftains of the PDP on the entourage of Makinde showed that the aspirant has notable connections.

Makinde explained that the process of taking Oyo from the All Progressives Congress had begun with his submission of the expression of interest form.

He said, “I am proud of the quality of the state executive. I only demand a level playing field during the primary so that the most popular aspirant could emerge as candidate. I know that I will emerge as the Oyo PDP governorship candidate in a free and fair primary.

“All over the world, age, intelligence, vibrancy, passion, integrity and dedication are qualities of great leaders. 

I have these qualities and I want to offer myself for service of the my people.”

Polling units: Afenifere asks Jega to resign

 

A pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has kicked against giving autonomy to local government administration in the country in the recently concluded amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

The group also called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to resign over his planned creation of additional 30,000 polling units across the country.

The group reached these conclusions after its meeting held in Akure on Tuesday at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasaranti.

Addressing journalists at the event, the Chairman of Afenifere, Ondo State Chapter, Chief Korede Duyile, said Afenifere had lost confidence in Jega’s capacity to conduct credible elections in 2015.

“Jega is pursuing a course that will affect the credibility of the next general election if he insists on going ahead with the creation of the additional polling units,” he said.

According to him, the creation of the units was totally against the interest of the southern part of the country, given that over 20,000 of the new units would be located in the north.

“We believe that Jega is acting on this based on uninformed issues. His actions are against the interest of those in the southern part of this country,” Duyile said.

On local government autonomy, he said the group had called on the Federal Government to come out clear on the recommendations of the National Conference before the report is eroded by actions by the National Assembly.

He noted that the granting of autonomy to local governments contradicted the position of the confab on local councils.

According to Afenifere, the recommendation was for the scrapping of the local government system from the constitution, so that states would be responsible for the creation and administration of local governments.

He also said the Afenifere was undergoing reorganisation to allow for an expansion of its membership given renewed interest from young elements from the Yoruba speaking communities to join the group.

Tambuwal: Jonathan calls emergency PDP meeting

 

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday engaged some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in a meeting aimed at taking a common position on the Tuesday defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

The meeting took place hours after the House said the PDP, individuals and groups condemning the defection of   the speaker to the All Progressives Congress should not dictate to it on how to conduct its affairs.

Tambuwal had announced his defection from the PDP before he adjourned sitting till December 3.

The situation made the President to summon the National Chairman of the PDP,   Adamu Mu’azu, to the meeting which had the Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha; the Deputy Leader of the House, Mr. Leo Ogor; and a member from Delta State, Ndudi Elumelu, in attendance.

Some PDP governors such as Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa): Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) were also part of the meeting.

Top government officials who attended the parley   included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; the National Security Adviser,   Sambo Dasuki; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Muhammed Adoke (SAN).

One of those in attendance told one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity that the meeting centered on how to make Tambuwal vacate his seat as speaker.

“The issue of the Speaker and his exit was one of the fundamental issues discussed at the meeting,” he   said.

The source however did not disclose the decision reached at the meeting.

Another source said that Ihedioha “took the heat at the meeting.”

He did not explain further.

The presence of Adoke and Dasuki at the meeting suggested that they might have reviewed the legal and security implications of the options available to them with the two government officials.

Earlier, Mu’azu had at another meeting   the President had   with a delegation of the Federal Capital Territory Council of Chiefs,   dropped the hint that Jonathan summoned him.

“The President had summoned me for a meeting. I was with him when he wanted to come and receive you and he told me to follow you. I only did follow follow,” he had told members of the delegation.

The PDP had shortly after Tambuwal announced his defection called on him to do the needful by resigning as speaker.

The party, argued through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, that since Tambuwal became the speaker on the ticket of the “majority party (PDP), he had no right to continue to occupy the seat.

But the House said on Tuesday that   the PDP and most of the commentators on the issue were “ignorant” of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the House Standing Orders.

The   Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs,   Victor Ogene, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues,   said Tambuwal did not breach any law in defecting to the APC.

He also noted that there was no provision in the constitution prescribing that the speaker must be elected from among the majority party members.

Ogene cited Section 50 (1)(b) of the constitution to buttress his argument.

He said, “The clear provisions of Section 50(1) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution easily settle the worries regarding the continued speakership of Tambuwal – ‘There shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.’’’

He also noted that the speaker was elected as the representative of the “generality of Nigerians” and not necessarily because he belonged to a particular political party.

On the views of some “commentators” that Tambuwal should have vacated his office by virtue of the provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution, he replied that the matter was still awaiting judicial decision.

Ogene added, “It is common knowledge that following the defection of 37 members of the House in December 2013, from the PDP to APC, there has been multiple court cases on the matter, thus rendering it subjudice to discuss any likely outcome.

“Everyone is thus enjoined to await the final judicial pronouncement on the issue of defection, which has afflicted virtually all political parties in the land.”

He warned the PDP   against interfering with the lawmakers’ “privilege” and constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to choose their leaders.

Ogene stated, “Additionally, Order 1, Rule 1 (2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives states: ‘ In all cases not provided for hereinafter, or by sectional or other Orders, precedents or practices of the House, the House shall by resolution regulate its procedure.’

“It is in the light of the foregoing that the House wishes to appeal to those who seek to regulate its procedure from outside its hallowed chambers to have a rethink, as the nation’s Constitution, the Standing Orders of the House and precedent – as in the Speakership of the late Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in the Second Republic on a minority platform – have all provided answers to what would have otherwise been a knotty political issue.”

But as Ogene spoke, the PDP through its National Vice-Chairman of the party in the South-South, Dr. Cairo 

Ojougboh,   vowed to do everything within its powers to regain   the speakership of the House.

Ojougboh told journalists at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja that there was no way Tambuwal and other defectors from the party would be allowed to go away with the party’s mandate.

He said, “PDP is a very disciplined party. If you come and steal in the PDP and use the PDP to elevate yourself and get into office when the time comes, God will get you out like the issue of Tambuwal.

“You can see how God has exposed him. PDP will do everything within the law to regain its seat and that is what we are going to do in Edo and Rivers states as well. We are going back to the South-South to regain our seats.”

 

Jonathan receives N100.5m donations to buy PDP form

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday said he had received a total of N100.5m donations and pledges from persons, groups and communities who offered to assist him to pay for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination fee.

The PDP’s Presidential Nomination Fee is N20m and its Expression of Interest Form is N2m, making a total of N22m.

Jonathan said he would pick the nomination form on Thursday (today).

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President thanked all Nigerians who he said had been urging him to seek re-election based on his administration’s achievement in the last four years.

The statement read in part, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will tomorrow, Thursday, October 30 pick up the PDP nomination form for the 2015 Presidential elections.

“President Jonathan thanks all Nigerians, members of the PDP, friends, associates, and all groups who in sincere appreciation of the achievements of the administration in the last four years, have been urging him to seek a second term in office.

“President Jonathan is greatly encouraged by the overwhelming outpouring of goodwill and support, as well as the confidence of the generality of Nigerians in his ability to continue to transform the country for the good of its entire people.

“The President is also grateful to all the persons, groups and communities who have sent donations, and made pledges to assist him to pay the required N22m for the PDP Presidential Nomination Fee and Expression of Interest Form.”

Abati said 36 groups and communities donated to the buy-form-for-Jonathan fund.

According to the breakdown of the donations and pledges received by the President, the highest donors are the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria that donated N22m each.

Jonathan assured the donors that he would continue to do his best to justify the confidence they reposed in his leadership.

 

Health of boy attacked by dogs worsens

It appears the condition of four-year-old Omonigho Abraham, who was attacked by two dogs in the Igando area of Lagos State about a month ago, has worsened in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja where he is currently receiving treatment.

Rev4mation's world learnt from his father, Odia, that Omonigho’s scalp which was torn off by the German shepherd dogs during the gruesome attack, had not healed and had been giving off an offensive odour.

He said this had given the family serious concern.

Odia told our correspondent on Wednesday that attempts to get the medical report of his condition had also been frustrated by some medical officers in the hospital.

He said, “My boy still complains of pains in different parts of his body. Also, when they open the bandage on his head, you will see that there is no much difference. It’s still like the first time the incident happened.

“In fact, for up to two weeks no consultant or doctor attended to him, and his head started smelling.

“We have been told he may still have to be admitted for six months or up to one year, for the doctors to do a skin-grafting surgery on his open skull. They will cut skin from parts of his body, to cover up the skull.”

He added that he had also continued to foot the bills of the boy, despite the instruction of the state government to the hospital management not to collect any money for his expenses.

Our correspondent gathered that a non-governmental organisation had to raise money for Omonigho’s drugs and over N100, 000 had been purportedly spent in buying drugs, among other expenses.

The report of a fundraising for Omonigho’s medical expenses was said to have angered the management of LASUTH who allegedly accused Odia of making money off his son’s predicament.

The father of three told our correspondent he was called into a meeting on Tuesday in which the management of the hospital promised to start implementing the state government’s pledge to the Abrahams.

He said, “The Lagos State Government, through its Ministry of Health, has already played its part by writing a letter to LASUTH that it would foot all the bills for which we are grateful.

“But when the letter got to them, they did not implement it. I was still buying the drugs till yesterday (Tuesday) that I was exhausted and I cried out that I did not have any money to buy drugs again.

“That was when the management of the hospital led by the Chief Medical Director, apologised and promised to start implementing the state government’s order.

“I have decided to wait for at least a week and see if they will change, like they promised.”

Odia said the Delta State Government and a few other people were interested in the medical report which had not been issued to him.

“The real issue I have now is that they (LASUTH) have not released the medical report which I asked for since October 16. They (LASUTH) have been directing me from one person to another and I am getting tired. If I see the report, I will know what exactly to do about this issue.”

Attempts to get the reaction of the management of LASUTH proved abortive as its Public Relations Officer, Dele Johnson, neither picked his call nor responded to a text message sent to his phone.