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Anxiety, tension rise, pressure mounts on aspirants, APC shifts to June 6-7
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Peter Obi joins Labour Party, Agbodo runs as independent candidate
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INEC extends submission deadline as court clears Jonathan to contest
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Atiku, Wike, Saraki, Anyim, others in do-or-die political survival fight
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APC contestants, members confused amid consensus talk
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Main opposition party finished for anti-Igbo agenda, says HURIWA
It is a weekend of anxiety, tension and pressure as the race for the 2023 presidential election will properly kick off today with the 811 national delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathering at MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja to elect one of its 15 aspirants as the standard bearer to partake in their presidential primaries.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted its presidential primary election to June 6-7 until PDP picks its torchbearer. Attempt was made at narrowing down the PDP contest by northern aspirants to produce a consensus candidate among Saraki, Tambuwal, Bala Mohammed and Mohammed Hayatu -Deen but the parley broke down and the gladiators decided to run solo.
The party also disappointed members from the south east at the peak of agitation for southern presidency when it’s zoning committee led by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom decided decided not to zone the presidential ticket.
Throwing it open made the aspirants to jettison parley talks and go all out on individual strength to test their popularity.
But along the line, it became obvious that some of the aspirants are not just in the race. Findings revealed that former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, media mogul, Dele Momodu are being sponsored by one of the leading aspirant while South East contenders like, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Sam Ohuambuwa were passive in their campaign while the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi surprisingly quit the race and dumped the party.
Aspirants like Hayatu -Deen is much more feasible on the social and electronics media while nothing was heard about almost seven of the aspirants after purchasing the nomination forms. Among the array of aspirants, the pendulum of success tilted towards three major contenders.
According to opinion polls and power inter- play in the party, the leading aspirants are; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
Atiku Abubakar, the party’s candidate in 2019 is no doubt still a contender to beat by every standard because of his influence, alliance with stakeholders across geopolitical zone and financial muscle. Atiku has some top notchers in the party working for his aspiration and pushing for his emergence.
In the northern parts of the country, he stands a better chance of winning delegates from the North East and North Central. Taraba State governor Darius Ishaku and his godfather, Theophilus Danjuma are behind him while the Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed may step down for Atiku at the convention ground. Rumour even had it that Bala will go back to pursue his second governorship term.
His chances of dominance in the north central may be punctured by the influence of Saraki who is likely to have the votes of Kwara delegates. But, the former governor of Kogi State is rallying Kogi delegate vote for Atiku.
The North West will be a battle field for Atiku, Tambuwal and to an extent, Saraki. The zone no doubt has the highest number of delegates. Tambuwal is likely to have a larger bite of the bites from Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa and Katsina while Atiku will clinch Kaduna where he has the backing of former governor, Ahmed Markafi and Kano.
Wike who took the race by surprise is running at an unprecedented speed. He approached the campaign with all vigour and seriousness and he is among the front runners in today’s contest.
With the help of the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde and former Ekiti governor, Fayose, Wike has made an inroad into the South West and may split the votes of the zone with Atiku. Both Wike and Atiku have polarized the Ogun State chapter of PDP, which resulted in the state producing two governorship candidates from parallel congresses.
In the South South, Wike is going to split votes with Akwa Ibom governor, Emmanuel Udom. Wike has foothold in Rivers and Edo while Emmanuel has his grip on Akwa Ibom and Cross River while Governor Ifeanyi Okowa may deliver Delta delegates to Atiku.
The South West also will be a straight battle between Wike and Atiku. Governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are allies of Atiku while Wike made an inroad in Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu by raising faction simply to gainer parts of the delegates votes.
While Wike may have weaker links in the north, Tambuwal may pick strain of votes in the southern parts of the country counting on his parliamentary alliance with former lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Analysts are of the opinion that Wike might be banking on his financial war chest to rake delegates in zones where he is not too strong.
He is believed to have more financial muscle than Atiku who is being circumspect in spending, probably conserving monetary energy till voting day. Meanwhile, the political atmosphere is still hazy with the ruling APC as there is more confusion on the direction the party is going to take.
Amid this uncertainty, more confusion was thrown into APC political calculus as yesterday, a court cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan as eligible to contest the 2023 presidency. This reawakened anticipated push for a Jonathan’s consensus candidacy. The party has not made any pronouncement in this regard while the former president had in the past denied running. Findings revealed that top echelon of APC leadership deliberately delayed screening of aspirants to await the ruling of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa on Friday.
It is expected that decisive position either towards consensus or otherwise may be taken as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari return to the country today. Precedent from the last national convention of the party indicates that Buhari calls the shot in APC and may have a say in breaking the ice. The fallout from a scenario of Buhari endorsing Jonathan, is better imagined as aggrieved stakeholders may face the president in the eyes.
The Trumpet gathered that the 3,222 national delegates are not likely to take things lowly should the party go ahead with a consensus option as they will missed out of the expected monetary windfall. Whatever happened in the next 24 hours will determine the chances of APC retaining power in 2023.
Peter Obi joins Labour Party to contest presidential election Former governor of Anambra State and erstwhile presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi, has formally joined the Labour Party (LP) to contest the 2023 presidential election.
A close source confirmed that Obi registered as a member of the party on Friday in his ward in Anambra State. He is expected to contest the party’s presidential primary election next Tuesday. The Trumpet had on Wednesday reported that Obi was planning to dump the PDP for Labour Party.
“The results of various primaries of the party conducted so far have shown who most of these delegates are loyal to,” the source had said. “So, he (Obi) is under pressure to leave the PDP for the moneybags, we are currently looking to find another party to accept him.” Obi had resigned his membership of the PDP two days before its presidential primary.
He said his resignation was because of the recent developments in the opposition party. In a letter dated May 24, 2022, and addressed to the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, Obi said he had already informed the chairman of the PDP chapter in his Agulu Ward 2, in Anambra State.
“I am writing to intimate you of my resignation from the PDP, which was conveyed to the chairman of Agulu Ward 2, Anaocha LGA, effective Friday, May 20, 2022. Consequently, I am by this letter informing you of my withdrawal from the PDP Presidential Primary.
“It has been a great honour to contribute to nation building efforts through our party. Unfortunately, recent developments within our party make it practically impossible to continue participating and making such constructive contributions,” Obi said in the letter.
Also, a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2023 election. The presiding judge, Justice Isa Dashen, made the declaration in the judgement which lasted for over two hours on Friday.
Justice Dashen held that Jonathan was elected into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria once in 2011 as he only completed the term of Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua in 2010 “not on the basis of any election but by constitutional appointment.”
He further declared as “spurious, baseless and unsubstantiated,” the plaintiffs claims that Jonathan has been elected as president on two previous elections. He also ruled that Jonathan’s right to contest for the office of president again cannot be denied by any retroactive law.
In an origination summons filed by some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by Andy Solomon and Idibiye Abraham, the plaintiffs had sought an order of the court stating that Jonathan is not affected by the fourth alteration to the constitution barring Vice-Presidents, who succeed their principals, from serving more than one full term.
In the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022, the Jonathan, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were listed as defendants. In his reaction to the judgement, counsel to Jonathan, Eric Omare, said: “Some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by Andy Solomon approached the federal high court to seek for two declarations.
Essentially, his case was that by virtue of Section 137 subsections1(b), Jonathan having taken the oath of office as president on two occasions is disqualified from contesting the presidential election. “Secondly, he also contended that by virtue of Section 137 subsection 3 which was brought into the Constitution by the fourth alterations to the Constitution in 2018, Jonathan having completed the term of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and having served one term is no longer qualified to contest.
“We joined the issues with them and today in a well considered judgment that lasted for over two hours, the court agreed with us that one, Jonathan had not contested for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on two occasions that he only completed the term of late President Yar’adua on the basis of constitutional requirements.
“Secondly, the court also held that the fourth alteration which also introduced Sections 137, subsection 3, does not apply to disqualify Jonathan. So, in summary the court agreed with us and held that Jonathan is qualified to contest the 2023 presidential election.” Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the plaintiffs, Sigha Egbuwabi, said: “We are the plaintiffs’ counsel in this suit challenging the eligibility of the first defendant, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, we canvassed our position before the court that he is no longer eligible by the introduction of Section 137 subsection (1b) and subsection 3 because he has taken the oath for the office of the president twice.
“Because he has taken the oath to the office of the President twice and by introduction of subsections 3 which is the law as it is now, it is our position that under that law he is going to be screened for the election coming 2023 which primaries will commence very soon. “What we have canvassed is that he is no longer eligible. Ordinarily, we know that former President Jonathan is a good person, a person who has ruled this country with integrity and dignity.
We do not have any challenge having him back again, however, we also do not want a situation where he will come to transgress the law. “For so much integrity he has acquired, he worked hard to acquire all these and he will not be allowed to slip into an error that will make him transgress.
The law will not equally speak well of him. That was the reason why our clients who were the plaintiffs instituted this matter. “The court has though ruled otherwise but we are eager to have a copy of the judgement. We will come together and look at it critically but I always assuage everybody that we will go to the court of appeal to test it. It is not as if we are eager to deny him contesting the presidential election but what we are maintaining is that he cannot be allowed to transgress the law that is what we are maintaining and by provisions of that Subsection 3 though it commence in 2018, what we are maintaining is that he is no longer eligible.
The law now as it is, we are talking of the law as it is, not the law as its ought to be, not the law, not the law as it was but the law as it is.” Security strengthened in Abuja Ahead of the PDP primary election, the police have beefed up security in the Federal Capital Territory. The event is slated to hold on May 28 and 29 at Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. A statement by FCT command spokesperson Josephine Adeh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “Consequent upon the above and in a bid to ensure a hitchfree event, the FCT Police Command has designed a robust security arrangement defined by a generous deployment within and without the election ground and to every nooks and cranny of the Territory.
“The deployment prioritizes the protection of lives and properties of all and sundry by emplacing counter-insurgency measures, maintenance of clear road access, Robust stop and search at strategic points around the suburbs and city center, effective crowd control, and intelligence gathering but to mention a few.
“In the light of the above, the Commissioner of Police FCT Police Command CP Babaji Sunday while briefing the Divisional Police Officers, heads of the various Tactical and Intelligence Units of the Command scheduled for the operation, charged them to be on top of their games, discharging their duties with the utmost respect for fundamental human rights and by standard best practices.
“He, therefore charged the good people of the FCT to go about the discharge of their lawful duties without the fear of harassment or molestation of any kind from any quarters. “The good people of the FCT are therefore urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or abnormal occurrence to the Police through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, While the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.”
Meanwhile, a civil society and former student activist, Engineer Esanerovo Agbodo, has entered the presidential race as an independent candidate. The manifesto of Mr. Agbodo who is also a pastor and a newspaper columnist states: 1. To establish a Nigeria Company PLC that all Nigerians will be shareholders and money credited to their accounts every month as Nigeria earn income. This monies accruing to their accounts cannot be withdrawn for frivolous activities but every Bank will have a strict instruction with a law from the federal government to release such monies only for productive ventures that will impart positively on the economy or for educational purposes.
With this monies in their accounts, they don’t need a collateral to access loans that borders on small and medium scale industries because currently, most Nigerians especially youths cannot access Bank loans to promote their conceived ventures.
On the area of education, the Nigeria Company PLC will also guarantee any student loan from any Bank in Nigeria. This will expand the activities of the student loan board because every Nigerian desirous of educating himself or herself to the highest level should be encouraged as their development also impact on the overall development of the country.
This access to loans will alleviate the sufferings of students and youths especially in the Higher institutions of learning. 2. I will also promote free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary schools levels to ensure that every Nigerian child have the basic education that is needed to develope themselves and the country. Free education will include free books and a well equipped library in all government schools to cater for further educational researches.
Even private schools will be mandated to establish libraries to cater for the need of Nigerian students. 3. In the area of Agricultural development, my government will establish 800 government farms across Nigeria and in all local governments of Nigeria for a start.
These farms will guarantee food security and create jobs for youths as food and cash crops will also be processed to make them durable for a period of time either for local consumption in Nigeria or for export to shore up our foreign exchange earnings.
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The government farms will stabilize the prices of food stuffs in Nigeria so that the Nigerian population is well fed. 4. My government will also establish a strong social security system to guarantee that every Nigerian especially jobless youths are paid stipends either weekly or monthly to cater for their basic needs.
My position is that all the crises and challenges in Nigeria today, whether the ones wearing religious garbs or ethnic colorations are all traceable to poverty especially among the youths and the only way to address the matter from the root is to ensure that every Nigerian youth is engaged or given hope for a better future through the effective social security arrangement.
- On Security and Unity of Nigerians, I will engage all warring factions in Nigeria in a dialogue to address the issues from the root and in the interest of all Nigerians. But if any faction is seen to be insistent on pursuing violent options in furthering their goals, my government will not waste anytime to bring the full weight of the armed forces on such groups until they are decimated. 6. This and others including massive infrastructural development will be implement if voted as the Nigerian President in the 2023 election.
God bless the federal republic of Nigeria. PDP is finished for plotting anti igbo agenda, says HURIWA Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the current hierarchy of the leading opposition political party in Nigeria, PDP of engaging in a choreographed SUICIDE MISSION by hatching and implementing active but corrosive and toxic anti-Igbo antics by withholding the zoning of the Presidency in 2023 to the South East to assuage the longstanding systematic and systemic marginalisation of the region in the political scheme of things.
HURIWA also accused Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of inflicting irreparable damage to the soul of the PDP by hijacking the party’s National secretariat due to the overwhelming selfish ambition he is nursing to corner the slot of the candidacy of the party for the 2023 Presidency just as the Rights group accused political weaklings amongst some corrupt minded Igbo elites of conniving with him.
HURIWA said the fear of the unknown is driving Wike’s horrific ambition to seize the Presidential slot of PDP because he is mortally afraid that should his arch political rival Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi get the Presidential slot of the APC and wins the 2023 Presidency then certainly, he could face political persecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged financial indiscretion since the last 8 years in power.
HURIWA also carpeted the governor for criticising Mr. Peter Obi for quitting the “heavily cash compromised PDP.” HURIWA which commended the former governor of Anambra State for displaying highest sense of conviction and political principles to walk out of the “collapsing political house called PDP due to the stinking CASHAND- CARRY animalistic tendencies within the leading opposition political party the PDP which is bent on chasing away the South East of Nigeria from her fold because having used and dumped the South East of Nigeria, the party now wishes to become a slave of the North or of Mr. Nyesom Wike.
“These two tendencies of Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike have combined to ensure that South East of Nigeria does not get her deserved pride of place in the party they had laboured for over the past twenty years even at the risks of suffering some of the harshest policies of marginalisation and political apartheid from the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the last 7 years because the South East has since 1999 been voting enmasse for the People’s Democratic Party”.
HURIWA also commended the immediate past Minority Leader Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe for abandoning the PDP because of the anti-Igbo sentiments and the antics of divide and rule just as it said the PDP has lost the support of the South East and will pay dearly for this sabotage of the political right of the Igbo. HURIWA recalled that Abaribe had tendered a letter to the Senate President indication that he has just resigned from his position even as this was sequel to his resignation from the PDP under which he was elected to the Senate in 2019.
Abaribe announced his resignation in two separate letters – one addressed to his Ward Chairman and the other to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, dated 24th and 26th May, 2022 respectively. HURIWA praised the Senator Abaribe and Obi for showing courage and determination to stand for justice, truth, social and political ideological principles and for taking a long walk away from the house of scam that the People’s Democratic Party has suddenly become even as the Rights group told the PDP that its only redemption is to concede the slot of the President of Nigeria in the 2023 General election to the South East of Nigeria in line with the provisions of the constitution of the party.
HURIWA said zoning of offices by political parties is a fulfillment of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended which speaks to the issue of respecting FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLES in the allocation of offices and projects in the federation.
HURIWA said it offends the principles of natural justice and national unity that Igbo that has one of the three largest population of Nigeria has been treated with the short-end of the stick through the connivance of the Hausa/Fulani North and some reactionary elitist elements of the South West extraction for their selfish agenda which is undermining National cohesion.
In 2019, with Obi on the ballot as running mate to Atiku, the PDP garnered 1,693,485 votes (75 per cent) from the five states of the South-East; and 1,255,357 votes (27.5 per cent) from the North-East. Conversely, the APC polled 403,968 votes (19 per cent) in the South-East and 3,238,783 votes (67.5 per cent) in the North-East.
