[dropcap]S[/dropcap]everal politicians on Wednesday decamped from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Delta State Government has said. The exact number of defectors is unknown but Delta State officials said they were up to 5000.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the PDP in the state, Kingsley Esiso, while receiving the defectors, said the PDP would have a smooth sail to victory in the 2019 general elections.

The decampees, who were from different local government areas that made up Delta Central Senatorial District peopled largely by the Urhobos, were received at a mega political rally held at the Ughelli Township Stadium, Ughelli North local government area of the state.

Notable politicians, including Morrison Ideh, Edward Ofomona, Ochuko Johnson, Reuben Oteri, and Samuel Umunedi, were among those who led their followers to join the PDP.

According to Governor Okowa, “It is a thing of joy that those who we described as big fish in the opposition have come to join us in the PDP.”

“With these persons that have joined us today, it is a smooth victory for PDP in 2019,” the governor continued, adding, “we are with God, we are with the people, we are not deceiving people, we tell our people the truth, we are working with our people.

“For the 2019 elections, we will hold on to our units and wards, we will not allow anybody to intimidate us, we will win the next election clearly with the massive support we have.”

Governor Okowa commended the defectors, saying with the work his administration was doing in the state, those remaining in opposition political parties would join the PDP before the 2019 general elections.

The Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Esiso, said, “Governor Okowa is working, we believe in the principle of rotation of the governorship seat, Governor Okowa will complete his eight years, we cannot be intimidated.

Nigerians are tired of APC government, they are tired of hunger, we must have a President of PDP extraction in Aso Rock in 2019, today is to tell the world that the people of Delta Central are fully in support of Governor Okowa in 2019,” he said, emphasising, “we cannot follow a political rascal that will come to us every four years to deceive us, we will never accept those who will go to Abuja to disgrace us.”

Messrs Ideh, Ofomona, Johnson, Oteri, and Umunedi, in their separate speeches, disclosed that they were attracted to the PDP by the leadership style of Governor Okowa’s administration, especially in the delivery of democratic dividends across the state.

They said their movement to the PDP signaled the death of opposition political parties in the state.

They also pleaded with Deltans to rally round Governor Okowa to give him 100 per cent votes in the 2019 governorship election, in appreciation of good his leadership.

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]agos State Governor  Akinwunmi Ambode , on Wednesday played down reports of rift with the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

Addressing party faithful in Epe during the election of delegates for the presidential primary election and national convention of the party, Ambode said the reports indicating a fight between him and Tinubu are out of place.

“I want you to know that there is no fight anywhere. The National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and my good self, we are not in any fight; we are not in any controversy,” he said.

“We are praying to God that the best is yet to come and the best will be what Lagos State deserves and I want you to just continue with your prayers that at this time, God will show His hand and make sure that everything that is of blessing to Lagos State and also blessing of Epe will come to pass.”

According to a statement by Habib Haruna, his Chief Press Secretary, Ambode specifically commended all the leaders and party faithful who contributed to the success of the delegates’ election in Epe, saying APC remains the party to beat in Lagos and Nigeria.

“We have just concluded our Delegates’e election in Epe Local Government and by consensus, we have picked our three delegates who will be going to the National Convention come October 6 for the presidential direct primaries and the convention for all other people,” he was quoted as saying.

“I want to say a very big thank you to all our delegates who are present here; I want to say a big thank you to all our leaders who have also supported us to make sure that this event has come and is done very successfully.

“I want to reiterate once again that our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), remains the party to beat; we are the party at the national level and we are going to remain the party in the state.”

At the event, held at the APC secretariat in Aiyetoro, Epe, Alhaji Shakiru Seriki (Bamu), Otunba Bode Alausa and Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, were elected as national delegates from Epe division, which comprises one Local Government Area (Epe) and two Local Council Development Areas (Eredo and Ikosi-Ejirin).

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]mo State Governor Rochas Okorocha,  has relieved 13 of his appointees contesting in the 2019 general election of their respective positions.

According to a statement by Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, among those who were fired are Chief of Staff to the Governor, Uche Nwosu, who is a gubernatorial aspirant; Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Sir George Eche, who is also aspiring for the office of the governor, and the Commissioner of Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiareri, who is contesting the Imo North Senatorial seat.

Others are: Principal Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Engr. Kingsley Uju, Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Commerce, Chief Emma Ojinero, Commissioner for Gender and Social Development, Ngozi Njoku, among others.

Okorocha thanked them for their services and wished them success in their future endeavours.

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnor Ayodele Fayose of EFCC has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes COmmission [EFCC], saying he will make himself available to the commission on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 1p.m. “to clarify issues or answer questions on issues within his knowledge.”

See copy of the letter below:

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]il magnate Femi Otedola, has reportedly accepted to become the torchbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Lagos State governorship race in 2019.  PDP offered Otedola, who is currently on vacation the governorship ticket and he has accepted it.

Otedola had earlier refuted reports of his intention to fly as Lagos State Governor

On his Instagram page, Otedola shared a video of himself enjoying a ride in a miniature vehicle. He captioned the video: “Never too old to catch some fun 🏎… F.Ote💲”

The businessman’s declaration to run came when it was clear that incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode wont be given second term ticket. Jide Sanwo-Olu, a trusted protégé of former governor and godfather, Bola Tinubu.

Ambode’s fate was sealed Monday night when the mandate group loyal to Tinubu and local government chairmen and other party leaders rallied Sanwo-Olu and jointly adopted him as the candidate of the party.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as the sole presidential candidate for the 2019 elections.

The party secretary Maimala Buni  disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

Buni however added that APC scribe also said that interested party members in the presidential position were free to pick the nomination form but the National Executive Council, NEC, of the party has already endorsed the President.

He stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a group under the auspices of National Consolidation Ambassadors Network, NCAN, presented Expression of Interest, Nomination Form for the 2019 election to the President at the New Banquet Hall Presidential Villa Abuja.

The APC National Secretary flanked by the Director-General of Buhari’s Campaign Committee and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Chairman Buhari’s Campaign Media Committee, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said the NEC of the party had since endorsed the President and by extension, all members of the party have done so.

He said, “Once the National executive Committee NEC of the party passes a vote of confidence on the President, that President stands accepted because the NEC is the highest organ of the party and it met to take the decision, where every interest was represented so the National Executive Committee of the APC has passed a vote of confidence on our President and that means every APC member has endorsed him.”

The APC Secretary said Nigeria’s case was not exceptional because the same scenario obtains in advanced democracies. “In advance democracy, ones the NEC of a party passes vote of confidence on the President, nobody contest against the President. The President has been accepted.” He said that the President will be given the choice of first refusal and that as he had accepted the nomination form it meant that he was the party’s candidate in next year’s election.

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ederal Government has set conditions for states to access fresh $2.689b Paris Club Refund disbursement. Repayment  Budget Support Loans granted in 2016,payment of workers’ salary arrears top conditions.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday that the government will pay the approved cash to the states in tranches. Other conditions that must be met by states include: clearing of amounts due to the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) and commitment to clear matching grants (counterpart funds) from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to improve basic education.

The statement provided some clarifications on the Paris Club Refund approved for the 36 states.

Signed by the ministry’s Information Director Hassan Dodo, the statement reads: “Tthe issue of Paris Club loan over-deduction had been a long standing dispute between the Federal Government and the state governments which dated back to the period of 1995 to 2002.

“In response to the dispute, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that the claims of over-deduction should be formally and individually reconciled by the Debt Management Office (DMO). This reconciliation commenced in November 2016.

“As an interim measure to alleviate the financial challenges of the states during the 2016 recession, President Buhari, had approved that fifty per cent (50%) of the amounts claimed by States be paid to enable the states to clear salary and pension arrears.”

Dodo said this was released between December 1, 2016 and September 29, 2017. This refund was part of the government’s fiscal stimulus to ensure the financial health of sub-national governments.

The DMO led the reconciliation under the supervision of the Finance ministry.