[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n aspirant in the just-concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Osun, Akin Ogunbiyi, had urged the party’s leadership to declare him winner of the Saturday exercise.

Mr Ogunbiyi told journalists on Monday in Abuja that he was at the party’s national secretariat to petition the leadership over the primary that produced Sen. Ademola Adeleke as the flag-bearer for the September 22 poll.

Mr Ogunbiyi narrowly lost to Mr Adeleke, polling 1,562 votes as against 1,569 votes by the latter.

In a petition addressed to the Chairman, Gubernatorial Electoral Appeal Panel of the PDP, the aspirant said that 42 voided votes and 128 unaccounted votes were for him.

He added that the total votes he garnered at the poll were 1,732.

“I, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, having polled the highest number of votes in the primary election of July 21, be declared the validly nominated/ elected PDP governorship candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun.”

He also called for the disqualification of Adeleke based on the faulted process of the primary.

“Contrary to Section 30, Sub-Section `E’ of the Electoral Guidelines for primary election 2018, the total number of delegates accredited was not announced before the commencement of voting.”

Mr Ogunbiyi alleged that document submitted by Adeleke as evidence of his educational qualification up to school certificate level did not meet the basic qualification stipulated by the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.

“The Principal of Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Mr Khalid Abbas, who purportedly signed the testimonial had not been posted to the school in question as at the date indicated on the document.

The principal has denied ever issuing or signing it and the denial is very well on record.”

In his reaction, Mr Adeleke described the primary poll as “a brotherly and family contest’’.

He urged all aggrieved aspirants to join hands with him to reclaim the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He particularly urged Mr Ogunbiyi to “come on board,”, and congratulated him for “his hard-fighting team and for running a good and impressive campaign’’.

“It was a brotherly contest in our collective strive to redeem our state. It is therefore no gainsaying that we are all winners.

“My emergence as the governorship candidate of our great party marks the beginning of divine liberation of our dear people from repression and oppression.”

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rof. Pat Utomi has debunked a statement credited to him in the social media conveying a very erroneous impression that President Muhammadu Buhari was responsible for the 1983 coup that toppled the Shehu Shagari’s civilian administration in 1983.

Utomi expressed shock that the social media post had insinuated that Buhari prevented Dr. Alex Ekwueme from becoming President.

Speaking to journalists in Warri shortly after a programme organized by the Warri Diocese of Catholic Youths Organisation (CYON), tagged: “28th Annual Leadership Symposium and Summit,” where he gave a keynote address, Utomi stressed that his thoughts on the subject was obviously taken out of context.

To be clear, he stated that “it was younger military officers of the time that carried out the December 1983 coup and Major General Muhammadu Buhari, as he was at the time, being a more senior officer was only called upon to head the government.

“Buhari, himself, has at various times denied any inferences that he was involved; and not been the mastermind means he could not have harboured any thoughts of preventing late former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme from becoming the country’s president”, as was alluded to in a section of the media.

He further stressed that under the present Buhari-led democratic administration, the nation has begun to experience some steady progression in growth parameters.

According to him, “if the level of renewed growth is sustained, Nigeria will soon be in the league of prosperous nations, as the government continues to block loopholes.

“One thing that this administration is doing is changing our orientation as a people; it is making progress by giving Nigeria a new sense of direction and though we are not there yet, if we continue on this path, we would sooner be out of the woods,” he added.

[dropcap] C[/dropcap]omrade Adams Oshiomhole ,the National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reiterated that he is not losing sleep over the breakaway Reformed-APC faction. The former governor of Edo State expressed that he has defeated powerful godfathers, stressing that “I will not miss my sleep because a lot of these guys cannot on a good day deliver their unit”.

Oshiomhole said this in reaction to a statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he is licking his vomit after his ‘no loss of sleep’ comment.

Earlier, the PDP had said the APC chairman was making moves to woo the members of R-APC back into the ruling party. while he was speaking on Monday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole said: “You have seen me. Do I look like I’m losing sleep?”

He also stated that he is willing to “negotiate and persuade” but does not deal with “permanent political mercenaries”.

Oshiomhole said: “No, I am not losing sleep. I am sleeping very well. I still maintain that I don’t see any man of honour, who with his eyes open left PDP on the account of their gross mismanagement, abuse of the treasury and all of the crime that the PDP committed, I don’t see them whatever their irritations.

“That cannot be a justification to return a house that all we need to do is to play back their own tape about what PDP represents and why they left.

“I still hold the view that you can’t vomit in the morning and convert it to lunch in the afternoon if you have honour. And that position still remains the same. Number two is that yes, I have made this point clear that we can distinguish the mercenaries from those who genuinely have complaints.

“Our business as party leaders is to try and manage, listen and find solutions to those who have verifiable complaintss. But those who are permanent mercenaries and are in this business for personal reasons, there is not much we can do about that and we are not going to change the core values of the party in order to retain them.

“So, let me reinstate, we remain committed and I have said so from the word go in my acceptance speech when I was elected that we acknowledge the fact that there are people with genuine complains. For such people, we are ready to listen. We are ready to act on the basis of justice, fairness, no arrogance and inclusion. I remain committed to those.

“However, on principle, I do not deal with political mercenaries, that remains my position. I will not miss my sleep because a lot of these guys cannot on a good day deliver their unit. And we have the records that tell us who won elections and where. And I am a tested fighter, I fought them in Edo from zero – zero and I overcame their most powerful godfathers. So, I know what I am talking about, I speak from experience and I will talk, negotiate and persuade but there are core principles that are not negotiable.”

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Imo chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday elected new officials to run its affairs following a court order which nullified an earlier exercise. The ward and Local government congresses were held under heavy security on Friday and Saturday respectively while the state congress held on Monday to elect new state officers.

The Federal High Court in Owerri on July 6 ordered the conduct of fresh congresses after Gov. Rochas Okorocha’s faction of the party kicked against the exercises conducted by the immediate past leadership of the party.

The party’s National Organizing Secretary, Mr Emma Ibediro, had ordered the conduct of fresh congresses in Imo state following the court judgment.

Mr Daniel Nwafor emerged as the new State Chairman, while Mr Ireagwu Obioma was elected Secretary of the party.
The Governor, Mr Rochas Okorocha, along with the Chairman of the Congress Committee, Mr Adesayo Ojo, witnessed the event.

Ojo commended the process, saying that “it complied with the extant rules of the party.”

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]on. Innocent Esewezie, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Oshimili North constituency aspirant in the Delta State House of  Assembly, has promised that if given the mandate, he would initiate policies and programmes that will put smiles on the faces of the people of his constituency. Esewezie,has urged Nigerians not to just vote aspirants because of age but should vote for antecedents. He gave the advice during an brief interview with Grassroots Publishers in Asaba recently.

Hon. Esewezie According to him, Nigerians do not have to trust young people without qualifications and if we make this  thing about age then we are getting it wrong. He mentioned that he hasn’t made age his key selling point since he began the journey. “But truth be said, good leadership is not a function of age alone. If we say we want a young person, believing he/she is going to give us the best of leadership, then we are wrong because we have some young governors that have tested and failed woefully.

It is not about age, it is about antecedents and what the person in question has to offer.” “I have always been an advocate of good leadership. It is high time we the youths with antecedents stop losing out politically. Ahead of 2019 elections we need to mobilise ourselves and identify trusted youths with antecedents amongst us to bring about the change that we desire. Remember, politics is a game of numbers and we have it, so let us use it, he said.”

The Assembly hopeful also promised that if given the mandate by the good people of Oshimili North, he would initiate policies and programmes that will put smiles on the faces of the people of his constituency. Hon. Innocent Esewezie expressed optimism that his administration will ensure better representation, healthcare, youth empowerment and town hall meetings.

He said that he is the best and tested candidate among the aspirants that are interested in the Oshimili North constituency seat that will bring the needed development to the area.He pleaded with the leadership of PDP to give all the aspirants the level playing ground to test their political popularity, boasting that he will defeat every one of them.

According to him, he is the most popular and more acceptable aspirant among the people aspiring for the position,Hon. Esewezie pleaded with the delegates to cast their votes for him in the forth coming Assembly primary. He pointed out that he is the most qualified aspirant among the various contenders.

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]oel-Onowakpo Thomas, the immediate-past chairman of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Thomas seeks to contest the Isoko Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, presently occupied by Hon. Leo Ogor, PDP Minority Leader of the House. He was appointed as one of the 12 coordinators of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for Delta, Edo and Rivers states by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Thomas, a protégé of former Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, announced his defection from the PDP at the weekend via a Facebook post. His resignation came few days after Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman, had threatened to weed out PDP loyalists appointed to serve in Buhari administration.

Thomas said his decision to quit PDP was personal and in the interest of the Isoko people.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo former House of Representatives members, Messrs Bassey Etim and Esio Okwong, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom.

Etim and Okwong represented Uyo and Oron Federal Constituencies at the National Assembly between 2003 and 2007. The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, received the duo along with more than 2,000 with over 2,000 of their followers on Saturday during the inauguration of Akwa Ibom party secretariat in Uyo.

Oshiomhole was represented by the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the party, Mr Hillary Eta.

Welcoming the defectors, the national chairman assured them that they would be given all rights and privileges as accrued to all members.He urged them to join the old members of the party and work to ensure that APC was victorious in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

“You are all welcome to our great party. You will enjoy all rights and privileges as members of this party.

“You are expected to use your wealth of experience to ensure the success of All Progressives Congress come 2019,’’ he said.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Etim, who contested for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial seat under the PDP in 2015 general elections, said that he was happy to join the party of progressives. Etim said that they would work hard to enthrone APC in the state and ensure the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

“I am very happy to join the party of progressives today. We have over 2000 of our members who are coming with us to join the progressives. They were all members of the PDP in the state. “We will ensure that the party will not only win, but they will sweep the state come 2019,’’ Etim said.

Earlier, former Sen. James Akpanudoedeghe had moved a motion seconded by Mr Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission, that the Secretariat along Ikot Ekpene Road be inaugurated and used as the state party secretariat.

Speaking before moving the motion, Ekere said that the secretariat was significant, recalling that in 1998 the same secretariat was used by patriotic Akwa Ibom indigenes to install the government in May 1999.

According to him, the same feat will be replicated in the upcoming general elections.

He urged all Akwa Ibom patriotic indigenes to join hands with the APC and strategise to win the 2019 general elections. (NAN)

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ollowing the recent flood in Asaba Delta State Capital, the state Commissioner for Works, Mr. James Augoye, has said that people should not expect total result in flood control in this year’s rainstorm in Asaba. The Commissioner, who stated this while addressing newsmen in Asaba over the recent surging flood, noted that until the channelling of rainstorm is properly achieved especially with the construction of drainages on Okpanam road and other parts of the capital city, the state will still experience same flooding like that of last season. The drainages, he explained will be completed in February 2019.

Besides, he noted that the state will still contend with certain challenges because the roads have not been completed. Augoye appealed to residents around cornerstone corridor to desist from dumping refuse on the drainage to allow free flow of water through Okpanam drains to discharge at a channelled point.

Meanwhile, the drainage construction of DLA, Jesus Saves that cuts across Agric is 80% completed as well as DBS road, 40%, the commissioner noted.

Source News Express

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he proactive National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has described the September 22 Osun State governorship election as a walk-over for the party, saying APC is confident to emerge victorious.
Oshiomhole told State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, that “APC has no political challenges in Osun as Governor Rauf Aregbesola is at home with the people”.
According to him, Aregbesola is a mobiliser, an organiser and an astute politician, capable of winning elections for the party in the state. He added that “as for Osun State, we are even much more confident because we have a governor who is at home with his people, a mobiliser, an organiser and an astute politician.
“We have also decided that in order to give people a more sense of ownership in the electoral process, we will use direct primaries, which means that every card-carrying member of APC will participate in choosing who should fly the party’s flag.
“The method will give more people a sense of ownership and a sense of commitment to the candidate that they have all chosen.
“It will also return the party to the grassroots so it can have new sense of renewed ownership, renewed sense of participation and inclusion by itself and a value that will make the actual election easier.
“So, we are confident that the great people of Osun State will vote for our party because the candidate that will emerge will be the candidate chosen by the party members and not the party oligarchy. That makes a lot of difference.”
On reported threat of mass defection from the APC, Oshiomhole dismissed the reports, saying it was the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that suffered from mass defection.
He said: “I think it is something you should ask the PDP. They are the ones who suffered huge, huge mass defection even of the so called founding fathers.
“I mean, in those good old days, people like Professor Jerry Gana will tell us, we are the founding fathers.
“People like President Obasanjo will tell us, you know I was the first President. All of these people are gone.
“I think the media need to get more engaged and scrutinise us, those of us who are political players when we speak from both sides of the mouth or we are turning the story upside down.
“Just few months back, you know that a good section after their convention, people like Prof. Adeniran, Prof. Jerry Gana and a host of others who can be said to founding fathers of that party, they left to form what they call SDP or ADC or both.
“So, they broke out and then, when it dawned on them that even together we defeated them just four years ago, and now further factionalised, what can they do?’’
He said that members of the opposition were only interested in power, not the welfare of Nigerians.
According to him, the PDP just want to capture power for the sake of power.
“So they say, even though we have already broken the house, can we for the sake of power come together? Does it make sense?
“In the morning, you broke away from PDP to SDP and then to ADC.
“And there is no better proof than that old man who is going round as an organising secretary recruiting people, looking for tired players to continue with a third term agenda which Nigerians have rejected.
“By whatever form they come in, Nigerians have spoken. They are not going to return to the era where Central Bank and NNPC security money is shared to people based on PDP philosophy ‘share the money’. We won’t do that, if they have forgotten.
“It is quite easy for robbers to forget easily the robbery they just did but it is not easy for the victim of the robbery to forget,’’ he said to further buttress his point.
On the conduct of APC congresses in Imo as directed by the court and the subsequent court injunction, Oshiohmole said he was not aware of any court injunction against the conduct of fresh congresses in the state.
He said: “There is no stay of execution. A stay of execution is not something that is secret. If anybody has one, he should show it to you.’’