Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Category: Politics

Breaking: Police takes over APC headquarters, seals premises

The Nigeria Police Force has sealed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

According to information gathered by Channels Television, the seal-off was aimed at ensuring peace around the secretariat.

Members of the NWC who showed up at the party secretariat were prevented from gaining access to the party house while members of staff and journalists were allowed to walk in without their cars.

This development comes as the party’s leadership has been divided over who takes over as the Acting National Chairman, following the suspension of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

The party’s National Working Committee had affirmed former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, as the Acting National Chairman.

However, due to Mr Ajimobi’s unavoidable absence, the NWC appointed the National Vice Chairman, South-South, Hilliard Etta to act on his behalf.

Meanwhile, the APC Deputy National Secretary, Mr Victor Giadom also declared himself as the acting National Chairman, on the strength of a Federal Capital Territory High Court order obtained on March 16.

In his reaction, embattled National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said he has accepted the verdict of the Court of Appeal which upheld his suspension.

He noted that his next line of action will be determined by his lawyers.

“We thank their lordships, they have given their judgement. In our democracy, the court is an independent arm of government.

“When they hand that judgment, it is not for you to pick whether you will obey or not. I accept their judgement in good fate.

“My lawyers will advise having studied the judgement, what the next line of action will be. So at this point, I will just thank their Lordships for their judgment and look forward to my lawyers on what should be the next line if there should be another next line of action,” he said.

June 23, 2020
Court stops Obaseki from participating in PDP primary

Idowu Sowunmi

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Monday stopped Edo State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the June 25 governorship primary of the party in the state.

A PDP member, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, had filed an ex parte motion, praying the court to bar Obaseki from taking part in the primary.

The applicant also sought a court order to restrain the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and the party from allowing Obaseki to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the party’s timetable initially published for the election.

Joined in the suit are: Secondus, PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), chairman of the party screening committee, Kingsley Chinda, and other members of the committee.

Ruling on the motion, Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted the applicant’s prayers and ordered the interim injunction as requested.

All the parties in the case were to be served via substituted means.

Substantive hearing in the case has, however, been adjourned to June 24.

PDP had announced a waiver for Obaseki to enable him participate in the primary election, even though he joined the party only on June 19.

The party also reconvened the Chinda screening committee which had ended its assignment on June 5 to screen Obaseki on June 20.

It would be recalled that one of the PDP aspirants, Gideon Ikhine, had stepped down for Obaseki on June 22 and handed over his campaign office to him.

June 23, 2020
Updated: Buhari meets Progressive Governors over APC crisis, Giadom consults Presidency

Idowu Sowunmi

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday held a closed-door meeting with some Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The meeting, which took place inside the Presidential Villa in Abuja, has been described as Buhari’s intervention with the sole aim of finding lasting solution to the current crisis rocking the ruling party.

Ahead of the Monday meeting, the President had Sunday evening met with the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, who hinted of Buhari’s readiness to intervene and resolve the party’s crisis.

Those at the meeting include the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu; Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Mr. Simon Lalong, and Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting on Monday, Bagudu said the governors visited Buhari over crisis rocking the APC.

Kebbi State governor said the meeting discussed “steps to support unify and bring about a peaceful resolution in our party, the APC.”

According to him, “Mr President listened attentively and discussed with us and he gave us all the assurance we need to know that a resolution of contentious issues will soon be arrived at.

“Mr President has shown that he is a democrat. He is not running the party. Yes, he is the party leader, he allows party organs to do and decide what should be done.”

APC has been in a leadership crisis since last week after the Court of Appeal Abuja upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomole as its National Chairman.

READ ALSO: Edo: Giadom says Ize Iyamu APC primaries victory is illegal in a letter to INEC

While Victor Giadom, a suspended Deputy National Secretary, is insisting he is the acting National Chairman of the party, the National Working Committee approved the appointment of former Oyo State governor and APC Deputy National Chairman, Abiola Ajimobi, as the acting chairman of the party.

Due to Ajimobi’s ailing state, the party approved the appointment of Hilliard Eta, APC Vice Chairman (South-south), as the acting chairman pending the time Ajimobi would fully recover to take over the mantle of party’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Victor Giadom is believed to have initiated consultation with APC governors and relevant offices in the Presidency ahead of upcoming Emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the party.

According to Independent, findings suggest that APC governors and the presidency have asked Giadom, one of the Acting National Chairman claimants to submit to the government documents relating to the last Emergency NEC of the party which was suspended at the last minute in March this year.

June 22, 2020
Edo: Giadom says Ize-Iyamu APC primaries Victory is illegal in a letter to INEC

All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has emerged the flagbearer of the party in the September 2020 Edo election.

Ize-Iyamu, who has been touted as the preferred candidate by political observers was declared winner of the primary election by Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma after the end of the exercise on Monday.

Ize-Iyamu, a former 2016 Edo governorship candidate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was said to have won the direct primary election with a total of 27,838 votes to defeat Dr. Pius Odubu who scored 3,776 and Osaro Obazee who got 2,751 votes.

Meanwhile, an Acting Chairman of the party, Victor Giadom has distanced himself from the primary election held within the APC Edo chapter on Monday.

The letter dated June 18 and sighted by Echotitbits indicates that the erstwhile National Secretary of the APC, Giadom, who leveraged a court judgement in his favour to declare himself as the Acting Chairman of the party wrote to inform the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the exercise lacks authenticity.

Giadom had in the letter, which also copied the Inspector General of the Police, Director General of the DSS and Chairman of Edo APC, advised INEC not to lend support or recognition to the said primary election.

Read more in the letter below:

June 22, 2020
Saraki welcomes Obaseki to PDP, says Oshiomhole has met his Waterloo

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has welcomed the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and congratulated him for taking a good step in the right direction.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Saraki noted that the bigger commendation and appreciation should go to the leaders of the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the various levels for the sense of sacrifice, patriotism and devotion to the progress of the party demonstrated by them in the process of welcoming Obaseki into its fold.

“I also thank Obaseki’s colleagues, the PDP Governors, for their role and for ensuring that while bringing him into the party, they carried along the local chapter and refrain from just unilaterally taking decisions without the input of the leaders of the party in Edo State. The process our Governors adopted in working with the local chapter to bring in the Governor is a better approach than the system in many of the other parties where the National Working Committee (NWC) would simply just give him a membership card.

“That is why my appeal will, at this point, go to all of us, the leaders and stakeholders, who gave assurances that agreement will be honoured, we need to ensure that the NWC of our party plays its own supervisory role by making sure that those agreements entered into by the Governor and the local chapter should be kept, particularly since I am very sure they are all lawful and in the interest of peace and development of the state. That is the only way to keep our integrity intact.

“At this point, it will be odd if I fail to comment on the situation that led to the change of party by Governor Obaseki. While I have kept my cool and ignored all the verbal attacks directed at me by the suspended chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, I have always known that a day like this would come when his masquerade will dance naked in the market.

“The truth is always constant and no matter how far falsehood travels, the truth will catch up with it one day. Oshiomhole can fool people for a long time but he cannot fool the people all the time. What is happening to him now is a moment of truth. This same man who was garrulously proclaiming the end of the political career of some other people is now about to meet his Waterloo.

“He has continued to use his mouth to divide his party and I believe there is a lesson for all politicians to learn from the fate of the suspended APC chairman. No autocrat can successfully pretend to be a Democrat. The true character of a man will come out one day”, he said.

Saraki further stated that all lovers of democracy should be interested in the emergence of a healthy and strong party system and organisation which would provide viable platforms for people to aspire and provide quality leadership to the country.

June 19, 2020
Updated: Obaseki joins PDP, makes deal to have aspirants step down

The embattled Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Governor said in a statement just before 3pm on Friday that his decision to pitch tent with the PDP will advance his political ambition.

“I have officially joined the PDP to advance my ambition to seek re-election as Governor of Edo State. I, as always, remain committed to engendering good governance and sustainable development of our dear state”, Governor Obaseki Stated.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has granted Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, a waiver to fly the party’s flag in the September 19 governorship election in the state.

It was gathered that in an attempt to accommodate Obaseki and Shaibu, PDP leaders have pleaded with other aspirants vying to get the party’ ticket to step down for the governor.

READ ALSO: Saraki welcomes Obaseki to PDP, says Oshiomhole has met his waterloo

A statement by the former Senate President and leader of the PDP, Bukola Saraki suggests that it took more than pleading to get Obaseki and his deputy a waiver to contest under the umbrella party.

While Saraki welcomed Obaseki to PDP, he emphasised how imperative it is to abide by deals and agreement made by all parties, which apparently formed the behind-the-scene transactions that gave Obaseki and Shaibu a smooth run to the umbrella party’s governorship ticket.

“That is why my appeal will, at this point, go to all of us, the leaders and stakeholders, who gave assurances that agreement will be honoured, we need to ensure that the NWC of our party plays its own supervisory role by making sure that those agreements entered into by the Governor and the local chapter should be kept, particularly since I am very sure they are all lawful and in the interest of peace and development of the state. That is the only way to keep our integrity intact”, Saraki emphasised.

Obaseki was disqualified by his former party, All Progressives Congress, from seeking re-election on the grounds that he possesses “defective academic qualifications.”

He later announced his resignation from the APC and joined the PDP on Friday.

June 19, 2020
More Drama: 15 APC NWC members appoint Hilliard Eta as acting chairman

The last is yet to be heard of the crisis rocking the All progressives Congress (APC) as 15 members of the national working committee (NWC) of the party have appointed Hilliard Eta as acting national chairman of the party.

Eta, who is the APC’s National Vice-Chairman South-South, at a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, explained that his appointment was in tandem with the constitution of the party.

The Cross Rivers state born chieftain of the party acknowledged that Senator Abiola Ajimobi who ought to have taken the place of the suspended chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was unavoidably absent for now to oversee the affairs of the party.

Eta was flanked by 10 NWC members and declared that the seat of the Deputy national secretary of the party occupied by Victor Giadom as vacant on the basis that he had since resigned his membership of the NWC prior to the 2019 general elections to contest elections in Rivers state.

He thereby asked the chieftains of the party from the South-South geopolitical zone to close ranks and nominate whoever will replace Giadom in the NWC.

He declared that Giadom claim to the position of the acting national chairman of the party remains a nullity because he had resigned his membership of the NWC before now.

Eta thereby maintained that the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting the Edo state governorship primaries remains irreversible since it has been sealed and ratified by the NWC of the party.

“Giadom must be in a fantasy land to create this kind of scenario. If he was still a very young man, I would have advised him to enroll into the military where he could go-ahead to do a coup and become a sole administrator. But we are in a democracy and in a progressive party like the APC where the rule of law is held in high esteem,” Eta said.

Eta thereby appointed a seven-member headed by Governor Hope Uzordinma of Imo state with Senator Abimbola Bashir as secretary of the Edo State governorship primaries billed to hold on the 22nd of this month.

Among the 15 NWC members in attendance was the national publicity secretary of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the national treasurer, Adamu Fanda, the National women leader, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa, and national organising secretary, Emmanuel Ibediro.

– The Guardian

June 17, 2020
APC: Crisis looms as Giadom unseats Ajimobi, annuls Obaseki’s disqualification amidst heightened security

The political crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now intense as the erstwhile Acting National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom has declared himself Acting National Chairman on the premise of a subsisting court order issued on March 16, 2020.

Giadom, who arrived the national secretariat of the party in Abuja as early as 9.00 am and headed into the office to take over in acting capacity, in a media address declared the appointment of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Acting national Chairman illegal and unconstitutional.

Erstwhile Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Victor Giadom

While declaring that Ex-Governor Ajimobi’s appointment cannot stand, Giadom referred to the order by Justice S.U Bature in suit no FCT /HC/M/6447/2020 as the basis for taking over as Acting Chairman of the APC.

“That order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Adams Oshiomhole got from the court of appeal on the same day.

“However, having removed the temporary reprieve yesterday (Tuesday) by the court of appeal and considering the fact that we cannot allow for a vacuum, I most humbly inform you that I have assumed office as Acting national chairman of our great party in compliance with the order of the court”, Giadom argued.

In a move that is rather swift, Giadom shocked political observers when he announced the reversal of Edo governorship election screening masterminded by the sacked Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Giadom, declared as null and void, the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting in the Edo state governorship primaries.

Furthermore, Giadom, who disclosed that he has the support of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) directed governorship aspirants of the party in Edo state to report to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja between today and tomorrow to come for a fresh screening exercise in line with the party constitution.

Similarly, Giadom declared that Emmanuel Ibediro ceases to be the national organising secretary of the party in line with an Abuja court order FHC/ABJ/CS/733//2018, and ordered the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Muhammed Sani Ibrahim to assume his position.

Meanwhile, since the sack of Adams Oshiomhole yesterday (Tuesday), it was anticipated that the APC National Secretariat had potentially become a battleground. In order to forestall the breakdown of law and order, security operatives in the early hours of Wednesday proactively took over and were strategically positioned inside and outside the APC secretariat.

The security agents, who arrived the party headquarters on two Hilux Patrol vehicles, stopped the journalists covering the party from gaining entrance into the complex.

Interestingly, the suspended chairman, Oshiomhole, who has been in a long-drawn battle with his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, seems to have respected the court ruling as he stayed out the secretariat.

However, there was mild celebration among secretariat staff who gathered in groups discussing the removal of former national Chairman, Oshiomhole.

In a related development, the party’s National Vice-Chairman (North), Salihu Mustapha, also ordered security agents not to entertain any media briefing from the opposition camp.

June 17, 2020
Rumble in APC: Ajimobi and Giadom battle for Oshiomhole’s seat

The political drama that took centre stage in Edo State in the past weeks appears to have shifted base to the All Progressives Congress (APC) national Secretariat as two top party stalwarts fight for the leadership of the party after Appeal Court upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole.

The battle for Oshiomhole’s temporary replacement is heightened by claims from immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the current Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party and Chief Victor Giadom, the party’s incumbent Deputy National Secretary and member of the National Working Committee, as the rightful Acting National Chairman.

The plot twist begun moments the APC announced Ajimobi as its Acting National Chairman, when Giadom, in a statement by his counsel, Chief Wole Afolabi, sighted by Echotitbits, insisted that the order of the FCT High Court issued on March 16, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman remains valid. Consequently, the Giadom camp was swift in rendering Ajimobi’s appointment null and void and of no effect through that earlier judgment.

Read the statement by Victor Giadom’s counsel below

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by the Publicity Secretary of the APC to the effect that Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to act as the National Chairman of APC following the suspension from office of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Court of Appeal.

“We wish to state that the statement must have been issued in complete ignorance of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.

“The order was given the same day that the Court of Appeal earlier gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the said order suspending Oshiomhole. Now that the Court of Appeal has affirmed the order of suspension, it is only proper that the Order recognising Chief Victor Giadom is implemented.

“Consequently, we have written to all law enforcement agencies to implement the said order and any one who attempts to parade himself/herself other than Chief Victor Giadom as the Acting Chairman of the APC would be facing contempt of court proceedings.”

June 17, 2020
Shortly after Oshiomhole’s sack, APC appoints Ajimobi as acting National Chairman

Idowu Sowunmi

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally reacted to the news in which the Court of Appeal has upheld the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court had ordered the suspension of Oshiomhole as APC national chairman.

Reacting to the Appellate Court ruling on Tuesday, APC NWC, in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said: “Guided by advice from the party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, will serve as the party’s Acting National Chairman.

“According to Section 14.2. (iii) of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”

Read the full text of the statement below:

Senator Abiola Ajimobi to Serve as APC Acting National Chairman

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has received the news indicating the Appeal Court has upheld the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, by an FCT High Court pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Guided by advice from the party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, will serve as the party’s Acting National Chairman.

According to Section 14.2. (iii) of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”

June 17, 2020