NATIONAL CONVENTION: ‘DOKPESI’S CHAIRMANSHIP WILL HELP PDP TAKE OVER POWER IN 2019’

AHEAD of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national convention on August 17, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, youths in the party under the auspices of Concerned PDP Youth Network, CPYN, have thrown their support for High Chief Raymond Dokpesi as the party’s National Chairman, saying his emergence will see the PDP take back power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2019.

The National Coordinator, CPYN, Hon. Uchechukwu Chukwuma, said youths in the party made critical assessment of the candidates vying for the position and concluded to support Dokpesi.

According to Chukwuma, Dokpesi has the quality of integrity and transparency. We believe he would resuscitate the party and reconcile every aggrieved members, thereby repositioning the PDP to take back the reins of power from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2019.

He said: “As major stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and have contributed enormously to the survival, sustenance, growth and expansion of Africa’s largest party. Today, we the youths of this great party declare ahead of the party’s National Convention on August 17, 2016, at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that we have unanimously agreed to come together to officially endorse the Pillar, Mover and Beacon of Light of our great party, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, CFR, as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Our support for him as respected youths of the party is based on the pedigree he possesses over the years as a focused politician who have been a bridge builder and detribalised Nigerian by keeping members of the party together as one big family.

“He is a man who has portrayed sincerity and patriotism to the party in different ways that are evident in the party until now. He is man of justice and equity and ensures everybody in the party gets what belongs to him.

“The media mogul has several times been at the vanguard of creating strategies to unite the party and has with this greatly impacted on the survival of the party. He has been neutral in the chaos that have rocked the party. Rather, he had made moves to bring peace to the party.

“We stamp our support today for this uncommon, loyal and disciplined party chieftain who has demonstrated commitment to the affairs of the party despite the huge challenges and woes that befell it, especially after losing the presidential election in 2015.”

Chukwuma, however blamed selfish politicians who failed to listen to the voice of reason on what led to the mass exodus of renowned party members to other political parties, stating that "We don’t want to be deceived again. We will never go back to the old ways of doing things in the party. Today, we have discovered a man of integrity and transparent character who believes in the tomorrow of the younger ones."

 

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/national-convention-dokpesis-chairmanship-will-help-pdp-take-over-power-in-2019/

RIVERS GOVT CALLS FOR DISSOLUTION OF INEC UNDER YAKUBU

Rivers state government has called for dissolution of the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George in a statement Tuesday said the national assembly and the federal government should work towards disbandment of the electoral body.

He accused the commission of allegedly conniving with the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, APC to postpone the rerun elections slated for Saturday indefinitely.

The government further enjoined the international community to assist in mounting what it termed diplomatic pressure on the federal government to give Nigerians a credible electoral body.

His words, “The government of Rivers State and people of Rivers State are shocked by the bare-faced collusion between INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert democracy in the state”.

“It is completely unacceptable that Rivers State would continue to be denied full representation in the National Assembly due to the incompetence and malpractices orchestrated by INEC”.

"We call on the presidency and the National Assembly to act urgently in the national interest to disband INEC as presently constituted, for its incompetence and open partisanship."

“We call on the international community to initiate and maintain diplomatic pressure on the federal government, which continues to frustrate the independence of INEC and the evolution of democratic diversity in Nigeria”.

“The people of Rivers state will continue to resist and defeat the medieval authoritarianism of the APC”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/rivers-govt-calls-dissolution-inec-yakubu/

I WILL PROBE OSHIOMHOLE WHEN I BECOME GOVERNOR – IZE-IYAMU

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in forthcoming governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has sworn that the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole’s administration must be probed if he wins the September 10 polls.
Ize-Iyamu further challenged the governor to probe his (Ize-Iyamu) eight years in office as Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government.
He was speaking during his campaign in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state yesterday.
He said, “I call on Adams Oshiomhole to probe my time in government and look at everything that I did.
“Let him do it because by the grace of God, when I am governor, I will probe him. I will probe him; every kobo that has come to Edo State must be accounted for. That is his fear; that is why he can no longer sleep.”
Oshiomhole had thrown critical comments on Ize-Iyamu and PDP chieftain, Tony Anenih during the APC’s candidate, Godwin Obaseki, campaign in Edo South on Friday, alleging that they had contributed in under-developing the state.
Oshiomhole further said the PDP candidate was seeking to become governor by all means in order to avoid prosecution.
But Ize-Iyamu said, “Adams Oshiomhole believes that the more he attacks, the more he can hide the truth. He should know that it is not by insulting Ize-Iyamu or Chief Anenih.
“Only recently in a Catholic Church, he met Chief Anenih and he apologized to him on the alter to forgive him. Days after, he was abusing Chief Anenih.
“He says Pastor Ize-Iyamu is bad; Ize-Iyamu is useless. When he appointed Pastor Ize-Iyamu DG (Director-General) of his campaign, he did not know that time.
“When he made him national vice chairman of his party, he did not know then. Now that Ize-Iyamu has left him, Ize-Iyamu is suddenly bad.”

Source: http://dailypost.ng/2016/07/23/will-probe-oshiomhole-become-governor-ize-iyamu/

Nobody will remove me – Ekweremadu

Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, Saturday, carpeted the endless ill feelings of the All Progressives Congress, APC, leadership over his position.

The APC hierarchy had continued to wail over the emergence of Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, despite the fact that he belonged to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The on-going trial of Ekweremadu and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is also widely believed to have been influenced by the ruling party.

However, speaking on Saturday, Senator Ekweremadu declared that “I want to assure our people that nobody will remove me.”
The Senator, who spoke at Ezeagu Local Government Area during the Ikeoha Foundation, Adult Literacy Day and 2015/2016

Scholarship and Bursary Award, stated that “it is not by power, not by might but by the special grace of God. It is not by our trajectory; so, they cannot do anything.”

Speaking on the activities of his foundation, which had empowered thousands of people, including widows, within the last three years, Ekweremadu said he would continue to partner with the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led administration.

“Be assured that we will continue to support you; whoever is your friend will be our friend; whoever is your enemy will have us to contend with”, he told Governor Ugwuanyi.

Similarly, over 30 traditional rulers in Enugu State, who attended the event, moved to the podium and handed over “Offor staff” (a symbol of justice) to Ekweremadu, with a caution that no one should dare harm him.

His Royal Highness, Igwe Hafford Agana, who made the presentation, while others circled him, said “we are telling the whole world that nothing should happen to Ekweremadu. We have given him another Offor today.”

In his speech, Governor Ugwuanyi described Ekweremadu’s empowerment scheme as another milestone, stressing that “education is indeed the bedrock of any society.”

He added that “this is why as a government, we have continued to commit considerable resources to the provision of facilities.”

He assured that the scheme would continue to receive the support of the State government.

Source: http://dailypost.ng/2016/07/23/nobody-will-remove-ekweremadu/

I WAS MOVED TO TEARS LAST TIME SARAKI, EKWEREMADU WENT TO COURT – EX-SENATE PRESIDENT

A former President of the Senate, Senator Adolphus Wabara has disclosed that he was moved to tears when he watched the last time one of his successors, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu reported to the court for the alleged forgery of Senate Rules trial instituted against them and two others by the federal government.
Wabara, a ranking member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, stated this yesterday when a delegation of the board led by its Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, paid a solidarity visit to the PDP Senate Caucus at the National Assembly Complex.
He stated that the presiding officers were allowed to go to court when the court was on vacation, lamenting that no one had the courtesy to inform the Senate President and his Deputy that there would be no sitting owing to the vacation.
In Wabara’s words, “The last time the two Presiding Officers went to court, as I watched on television, I was moved to tears. The court was on vacation, and no one had the courtesy of informing them before hand.
“The time they would have used to attend to the nation’s task, was wasted, going to court. It is high time the executive realized that the era of executive interference was over.”
The former Senate President stated that unlike before, the other 14 South East Senators were not interested in the seat of the Deputy President of Senate, but were rather behind Ekweremadu, just as the overwhelming number of Senators was solidly behind Saraki and Ekweremadu’s leadership.
Noting that the unity of purpose of the lawmakers was one big lesson the executive should learn, he stressed that the era of executive interference in legislative business was over given the spirit of support among Senators.
“I speak as a victim of executive interference in the legislature. During our own time, there was not the kind of unity being exhibited by the Senators today. I want to commend and salute you all for that,” Wabara said.

Source: http://dailypost.ng/2016/07/20/moved-tears-last-time-saraki-ekweremadu-went-court-ex-senate-president/