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PDP crisis: Ayu won’t resign as chairman, says aide

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2022

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Simon Imobo-Tswana, special adviser on media and communications to Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said his principal has no plan to resign from his position.

Imobo-Tswam said this in a statement issued on Monday.

There have been calls for Ayu to resign on the grounds that the party’s presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot be from the same region.

Also, some members of the PDP in Delta recently held a protest at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, calling for Ayu’s resignation over his alleged failure to comply with a court order on the PDP governorship primary in Delta state.

Earlier on Monday, there were claims that the PDP national chairman had written a letter indicating his interest in resigning from his position.

However, according to Imobo-Tswam, there was no basis for the claim as Ayu isn’t planning to resign.

“We restate, therefore, that the PDP National Chairman has not resigned and has no plan of resigning. For clarity and emphasis, he was elected for a tenure of four years,” the statement reads.

READ 2023: Saraki declares intention to run for president

“Sections 45 and 47 of the PDP Constitution are clear on the removal and/or resignation of the National Chairman. Those who don’t know this should get copies of the party’s Constitution for more information on the matter.

“PDP members and the general public are advised to ignore any story of such a phantom resignation.”

The media aide added that the reports claiming that Ayu had submitted his resignation letter to David Mark, former senate president, are “false, baseless, reckless, inaccurate and complete work of fiction”.

“If there is such a resignation, it exists only in the imagination of those who have made themselves available for hatchet jobs,” he said.

Imobo-Tswam also said if Ayu would resign, the letter would be given to the party’s deputy chairman (north) and not the former senate president, in line with section 45(i and ii) of the party’s constitution.

“So, where does Mark comes in here, being that he is not even a member of the party’s national working committee (NWC)? It appears that those who have been procured to blackmail the national chairman out of office are not even aware of what the party’s Constitution says about the matter,” he said.

READ Publish sources of your campaign funding, SERAP tells Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, others

“We are shocked that such reckless, vicious, mischievous and fabricated falsehood can find prime space in the mainstream media.

“But even more shocking is the fact that otherwise respected media houses have made themselves easy platforms for unscrupulous people to peddle falsehood and run smear campaigns.”

The media aide added that Ayu remains committed to his “crucial assignment to lead the PDP on a historic rescue mission come February 2023, and he will not be deterred or distracted by media terrorism or political blackmail”.

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Ekiti LG chairman swears in advisers, supervisors with cutlass

Published

3 hours ago

May 7, 2024

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Olu Adamolekun, chairman of Ikere-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has sworn in his advisers and supervisors of wards in the LGA with a cutlass.

In a video making the rounds on social media on Tuesday, the appointees are seen taking turns wielding a cutlass (a totem believed to be for the god of iron) in one hand and either Quran or Bible in the other.

Ògún is a deity in African (Yoruba) traditional religion. It is often regarded as the “god of iron.”

The swearing-in ceremony coordinated by Adamolekun took place on May 2 at the chairman’s office’s conference hall.

While administering the oath, Adamolekun of the All Progressives Congress asked the appointees to repeat the following in Yoruba, “From today, I will be loyal and truthful to BAO (Ekiti State governor), and Monisade (deputy governor), APC and its leaders.

“I will take instructions from the leaders. If I refuse to do so, Ogun or the Quran should kill me. For this, I will be truthful,.”

READ PDP crisis: Wike’s group tips Arapaja as interim national chairman

Speaking, the LG boss congratulated the newly sworn-in supervisors and advisers while urging them to see their appointment as a call to service.

He further charged them to be guided by the document of the oath of swearing-in and discharge their duties diligently and accordingly.

The supervisors were identified as Femi Ayeni representing Are/Aramomi/Ayetoro Ward, Olu Ogundipe (Okeruku Ward), Idowu Ojo Omowumi (Atiba/Aafin Ward), and Ajayi Mathew Oladele (Ogbonjana Ward).

Others are Sola Alonge of Odose Ward, Boluwaji Daramola (llapetu/ljao Ward), Toyin Owolabi (Agbado/Oyo Ward), Akojiyan Olamilekan Rasaq (Oke Osun Ward) and Filani Motunrayo (Afao/Kajola Ward) sworn in as advisers.

Before this video surfaced, political officeholders usually swear an oath of office using the Quran or Bible while pledging allegiance to the country’s Constitution.

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BREAKING: Ladoja withdraws suit against Olubadan-in-Council

Published

5 hours ago

May 7, 2024

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The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rasidi Ladoja, on Tuesday, finally withdrew the suit filed against members of Olubadan-in-Council.

High Chief Ladoja instituted a suit against the members of the Council over the beaded crown worn before the demise of the late 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun.

The coast is now clear for the enthronement of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

More to follow…

READ Publish sources of your campaign funding, SERAP tells Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, others

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State Police: Your Position unacceptable, Lagos Assembly slams IGP Egbetokun

Published

10 hours ago

May 7, 2024

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The Lagos State House of Assembly has kicked against the position of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olukayode Egbetokun, that Nigeria is not ripe for the establishment of state police.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to write the Inspector-General and the National Assembly stating that the state lawmakers reject Egbetokun’s position.

Recall that the IGP, represented at a recently held one-day dialogue on state policing, themed, ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,’ opposed the establishment of state police, arguing that it would increase ethnic tension and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation.

The IGP also suggested that the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps be merged with the police force.

However, speaking at plenary on Monday, Obasa, who noted that the FRSC and the NSCDC have not been able to solve the problems of accidents on roads and pipeline vandalism respectively, wondered how effective they would be if they are merged with the police force.

READ Ayu must go: It would be foolish to ask chairman to resign after presidential election, say Wike

“In Lagos State, we have the Security Trust Fund through which successive administrations starting from that of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have provided enormous support to the police command in Lagos State. Yet, crime of different dimensions has continued.

“This shows that no matter what Egbetokun has proffered as solution, such won’t solve our problem. The position of the IGP is unacceptable.

“We strongly believe that if we have state police, we would be able to solve the issues of crime in our nation or reduce it to the minimum.

“As we have seen in other climes, the United Kingdom has different levels of policing just like the United States of America. So why should ours be different?

“The lives of our people are very important and we must do everything possible to make sure we protect lives and property. We want to state categorically that we believe in state police and we want to urge the National Assembly to continue with its intendment to establish state police through the process of constitutional amendment,” Obasa said while praising President Tinubu for his resolve to end insecurity in the country.

READ PDP zones national chairmanship to North

Commending the Speaker for his stand on the issue of state police, the lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency 1, argued that with its current structure, it would be difficult for the Nigeria Police Force to effectively secure the country.

Also declaring his support for state police, another lawmaker, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh (Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1), said each Nigerian state currently has a local security outfit in the semblance of state police.

“Today, which state does not have state police one way or the other? This is a cause that should be supported. For the IG to come out and say state police is not in the interest of Nigeria shows he is not considering the reality of insecurity on Nigerians,” he said.