Connect with us

Politics

It’s payback time: How Atiku humiliated Jonathan, rejected his pleas in 2015 – Wike

Published

on

 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said former President Goodluck Jonathan pleaded with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to support his re-election bid in 2015, but the Adamawa-born politician rejected the entreaties of the former Bayelsa governor.

Wike stated this when Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State commissioned the Akpabu-Itu-Umudiogha road in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers.

According to him, Jonathan travelled to the Dorchester Hotel in London in 2015 to meet Atiku, but rather, the former VP “embarrassed” Jonathan and told him to relinquish his ticket to him.

Wike, who contested the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won by Atiku in May, said he is not asking Atiku to step down as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. He said, instead, Atiku should ensure the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as PDP national chairman for a southern replacement.

The Rivers governor said, “We forget history. In 2015 when Jonathan as a sitting President, I am not talking as a presidential candidate but as a sitting President, when he had won his primary, Jonathan went to London to Dorchester Hotel, he went to plead with Atiku Abubakar to come back to the party and support him.

READ  Supreme Court affirms Umahi as APC candidate for Ebonyi south

“You know the condition he (Atiku) gave Jonathan? He should relinquish his ticket not to run as the President of Nigeria. That was the presidential candidate of a ruling party. He gave him a condition, telling him to relinquish that ticket.

“Today, we are not saying the presidential candidate should relinquish his ticket; we are not being selfish, we are saying since you are now the presidential candidate, let our people take chairmanship.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu Needs Rivers Votes, Not Logistics Support, Umahi Woos Wike

Jonathan, the PDP presidential candidate in 2015, had lost his re-election to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Atiku and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, had visited Jonathan at his Abuja residence on November 17 to resolve the crisis within the PDP but nothing has been heard of the former President.

With the 2023 presidential poll about three months, there are fears that the intra-party squabbles between Wike and Atiku over the chairmanship of Ayu would affect the chances of the Adamawa-born politician at the polls next February.

READ  UPDATED: Supreme court reserves judgment in Atiku, Obi’s appeal, trashes APM’s appeal

Wike and four other PDP governors known as the G5 or the Integrity Group want Benue-born Ayu to step down for a southerner over what they called the dominance of the north within the party.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Politics

NLC kicks against Abure’s re-election as LP chairman, says ‘it’s an illegality’

Published

on

By

 

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Wedenesday, said Julius Abure’s re-election as chairman of the Labour Party (LP) is “an illegality”.

Abure was re-elected LP chairman on Wednesday at the party’s national convention which was held in Nnewi, Anambra state.

Ikechukwu Emetu, deputy governor of Abia state and chairman of the convention, declared Abure as the winner.

 

The convention was attended by party chairmen from the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory (FCT), members of states and national assemblies as well as representatives from LGAs.

 

The re-election of Abure came a week after members of the NLC picketed the LP secretariat in Abuja.

 

The protesting NLC members demanded the postponement of the party’s national convention.

 

The labour body accused Abure of “financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of NLC”, and of “unilaterally trying to hold a national convention in contravention of the constitution of the party”.

READ  Supreme Court affirms Umahi as APC candidate for Ebonyi south

 

Reacting to Abure’s re-election, Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said “the whole exercise was a charade”.

 

“It is an illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade! Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity,” The Punch quoted Upah as saying.

Continue Reading

Politics

LP re-elects Abure as national chairman amid NLC opposition

Published

on

By

 

Julius Abure has been re-elected as the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

 

Abure was re-elected on Wednesday at the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra state.

 

Ikechukwu Emetu, deputy governor of Abia state and chairman of the convention, declared Abure as the winner.

 

The convention was attended by party chairmen from the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory (FCT), members of states and national assemblies as well as representatives from LGAs.

 

The re-election of Abure came a week after members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) pocketed the LP secretariat in Abuja.

 

The protesting NLC members demanded the postponement of the party’s national convention.

 

The labour body accused Abure of “financial rascality and contempt for the leadership of NLC”, and of “unilaterally trying to hold a national convention in contravention of the constitution of the party”.

 

READ  Presidency: Tinubu best Muslim candidate – MURIC

The election of a new chairman to elect a new chairman was part of the convention’s agenda.

 

Others are the amendment of the party’s constitution and the dissolution of the national working committee (NWC).

 

Continue Reading

Politics

APC constitutes nine-man committee for Ondo governorship primary

Published

on

By

 

The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress has set up a nine-man committee to oversee the primary election for Ondo governorship aspirants.

 

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

 

The development comes barely a day after 15 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, endorsed the governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to clinch the party ticket and win the November 2024 governorship election.

 

The APC statement partly read, “By a resolution adopted at its 144th meeting held on March 6, 2024, the National Working Committee of our great party constituted a governorship primary election committee of its members for the smooth running of election processes in Ondo State.”

 

However, the primary election committee members comprised only the APC NWC members.

 

They include Emma Eneukwu (Chairman), Festus Fuanter, Victor Giadom, Prof. Abdulkarim Kana, Sulaiman M. Argungu, Dr. Mary Alile Idele, Aare Durotolu Bankole, Nze Chidi Duru and Morka.

READ  Major News Headlines In The Papers Today: Senate to debate CBN money withdrawal limit policy Tuesday

 

Continue Reading

Trending News