₦airaland Forum

.Fallout of Ekiti primaries
•President keen to end money politics
•Govs with senatorial ambition likely to lose out

By Charles Kumolu

Fresh facts have emerged revealing that the adoption of direct primaries by the All Progressives Congress, APC, was an initiative President Muhammadu Buhari bought following strong conviction that the exercise would not only check money politics but will also help the party choose popular candidates for elections.

Contrary to growing insinuations that the method was introduced to boost President Buhari’s inclination for populism, Saturday Vanguard learned that he opted for it as a direct response to the conduct of APC governorship primaries in Ekiti State, where the exercise was reportedly monitised.

The President was said to have been upset by complaints that the former leadership of the party, allegedly allowed aspirants to be exploited, increasing the crisis in the party.

Hence, his decision to ensure that money no longer plays key role in the processes leading to the emergence of candidates.

Bauchi, Katsina and Osun elections. A top party source, who revealed these to Saturday Vanguard, said that Bauchi bye-election, Katsina bye-election and Osun State governorship primaries, were used to experiment the feasibility of direct primaries.

He added that the fact that none of the aspirants, who lost wrote any petition to the National Secretariat confirmed that it was the best for APC. Impressed by the outcome, the source said Buhari was convinced to throw his weight behind the method of electing party candidates despite opposition by state governors.

Currently, the governors, who may not be favoured by the new method are rebelling against the National Chairman on the suspicion that he was behind the development.

Explaining how APC embraced direct primaries, the source said: “The issue of direct primaries in the APC was welcomed by President Muhammadu Buhari after he heard that delegates in the party, in Ekiti State, collected over N1.5million each from aspirants during the last governorship primaries. It was learned that the President was very angry with some officials of the party for allowing people to be exploited because of their ambitions and vowed to end money politics in APC.

“Therefore, he opted for direct primaries to eliminate money politics in the internal affairs of the party, as regards nomination of candidates, who will fly the flag of the party. ‘The President was particularly shocked at the comments being made by some governors and National Assembly members, particularly those who defected from the party, regarding how they all came to power. It is generally believed that Buhari’s popularity catapulted majority of the National Assembly members in the North and some of their governors to power in 2015.

“Unfortunately, some of them later betrayed the President, claiming that their personalities made them, who they are today and not Buhari.

“ So the President and some of those in his inner cabinet believe that this is the time to test their popularity. Buhari felt betrayed with the utterances and actions of some of the politicians in his party and he has moved to clean up the party using a man who has seen it all as a former labour leader in Nigeria, two-time governor of Edo State and now National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to push for direct primaries.

“Fortunately for Mr President, Oshiomhole who inherited so much crisis in the party, believed that direct primaries could be one of the strategies needed to return the party back to the people. He believes very strongly that when a popular candidate emerges, it is always easy for the party to win the election.

“ He experimented with Bauchi bye-election Katsina bye-elections and the Osun State governorship primaries. In these primaries none of the aspirants, who lost wrote any petition to the National Secretariat because they knew they lost genuinely. Again, as governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole defeated PDP god fathers and he is one person, who would not want to breed another set of god fathers in APC. Therefore, direct primaries were the answer for him, whereby no political structure but the peoples’ might will throw up any candidate.

Why govs and others are at war

“This opposition towards direct primaries is as a result of the fact that most of these governors have compromised the former National Working Committee ,NWC. As a result, the affected governors most of who are two-term governors who have anointed successors and also nursing senatorial ambitions are now at loss with the adoption of direct primaries.

“Furthermore, their senatorial ambition is clashing with the resolve of the Oshiomhole-led NWC to return first term National Assembly members to the Senate due to the support and loyalty the senators have exhibited in the ongoing crisis in the Senate.

“The governors want to go to the Senate and also produce their successors but Oshiomhole is kicking against it, insisting the senators must be given return tickets while urging the affected governors to make sacrifice for the party.

“Some of these governors believe they can only succeed through indirect primaries based on their earlier relationship with the past leadership. The National Assembly members are in agreement with the direct primaries because some are believed to be more popular than their governors.

“Some close political associates of President Buhari, who were opposed to direct primaries were thinking that the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who welcomed the development, was using Oshiomhole to achieve that. Some of them who still have this fear about Tinubu always get it wrong each time they feel Tinubu was behind it. But they discovered that it was not the making of Tinubu but that of Mr President. After they found out it was the President’s decision, some have started retracing their steps.

” Direct primaries is a system that allows every member of a political party to participate in choosing, who becomes a party candidate in an election. It is directly opposed to the system that allows selected/elected delegates to choose, who becomes the standard bearer in an election.

Quincykay:
Just saw this.

The tremor reportedly occurred in Mpape and Maitama Districts. The incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday night and 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

• Urges residents to take precautions

Fred Itua, Abuja

The Federal Government, through the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has urged residents to take precautions, following a purported earth tremor, which occurred in some parts of the city on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The tremor reportedly occurred in Mpape and Maitama Districts of the FCT, Abuja. The incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday night and 6:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. A resident of Mpape, who declined to be named, told Daily Sun, last night, that the tremor led to stampede in the area and that she had to take cover under her table while the vibration lasted.

She blamed it on alleged quarry activities and blasting of rocks in Mpape District. She also said explosives are usually used during blasting of the rocks.

FEMA, in statement, said the tremor maybe a sign of seismic movement within the earth and said “it could also be caused by a sudden break along lines which result in sudden release of energy that makes the ground to shake.

The statement was signed by FEMA Director General of, Mr. Abbas Idriss.

The whizkid and Muslim who Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun recently hinted he would accompany to the 2019 Eid prayer as an ex – Governor might have finally emerged.

He is Honourable Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, a serving member of the House of Representatives who represents Egbado South and Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akinlade(49) was adopted as the consensus candidate of the APC by the Ogun West Elders very early on Thursday morning, after hours – long meeting in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of the state, to pick the zone’s governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

Almost a dozen of aspirants from Ogun West were desirous of succeeding Amosun on the platform of APC and they included Speaker Suraj Adekunbi, Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s Chief of staff, Tolu Odebiyi, the Commissioner for Forestry, Kola Lawal, Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahmon, Hon. Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade, Hon. Abdulkabir Akinlade and Abayomi Hunye.

The long list of aspirants was trimmed to the duo of Tolu Odebiyi and Abdulkadir Akinlade who made the final list.

The Nation gathered that Governor Ibikunle Amosun preferred Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade to Odebiyi and subtly ensured that the Ogun West elders picked him.

Amosun had during the last Eid -El – Kabir prayer at the Muslim Prayer ground, Lantoro, Abeokuta, declared in sober tone that this year edition drew the curtain to his observing the Sallah prayer with them as a serving Governor.

The Governor added that by next year, he would not attend the Eid prayer in his “capacity as a governor,” but as someone that would accompany his successor as an ex – Governor.

Since he did not mention the name of the person at the time, many of his Muslim audiences in their hundreds, looked side ways at each other, prompting them to wonder if he planned to install a Muslim as a successor from among a dozen of aspirants on the platform APC jostling to succeed him.

With Abdulkabir’s adoption by the Ogun West elders following what many believed was the product of a behind – the – scene influence of the Governor, there is no more guessing who Amosun’s whizkid or successor – Governor he would accompany to 2019 Eid prayer, is.
Amosun will formally present him to the party as the governorship flag bearer for APC in 2019 election today (Thursday). Already, a press briefing to this effect has been slated for 11 am at the APC state Secretariat on Abiola Way, Abeokuta.

Abdulkabir hails from Agosasa, Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State. He was Senior Special Assistant to Governor Amosun on Taxation & Revenue between 2011 and 2014, overseeing the Directorate of other Taxes at the Board of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Ogun State.

He was later redeployed to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development before resigning in October 2014 to contest the House of Representatives seat. He is a graduate of Political Science, Lagos State University, Ojo.

deomelo:


Ignorant and unintelligent comparison.

policy12:
Whether private or government, most times govt and its policy has a lot to do with how investors come to ur country. So you mean for the past 57years+ since we got independence Naija as a nation cannot attract any private investors who can do this or more in our country.

midolian:
This is too bad for us as a country

And this is why this country might never get better...

Every governor wants to go for a second term..As if its not enough, after the second term, they run to the Senate where they struggle(with our looted funds) to remain till God intervenes...

I am of the opinion that our constitution be amended to allow only those who have not governed any state to run for Senate and remain there for a maximum period of 5years , so that this thing can go round..Since it has now become clear that the Senate is where the money is being shared under various ridiculous guises

Is it not ridiculous that David Mark has been in the senate for over 16 years? ..And if he fails to win the primaries, he will most likely run to the Senate again?

CROWNWEALTH019:
This ugly big mouthed woman sold this lifeless government to Nigerians, now she wants to have her cake...

Ugly biitch

Jhayeahsam01:
meanwhile, i will use this opportunity to tell God what i need.
am
an agronomist with years experience in crop production and yield maximization mostly Nigeria stables.
married with a kid
no job
looking for one in Lagos and its environ.
am financially challenged
need job to revive my falling hope n joy.
am desperately in need of good job
pls help a father n brother..

The crisis between the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and the aggrieved aspirant in the party, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, appears to have become worse following the allegations and counter allegations between the camps of the two politicians.

Ogunbiyi, who came second in the party’s primary, had alleged outright vote stealing and manipulation by the Adeleke’s camp during the primary election conducted by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson in Osogbo.

A source within the Ogunbiyi’s camp told our correspondent on Monday that Dr Deji Adeleke (the candidate’s brother) had informed prominent leaders of the party, including Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, his intention to visit Ogunbiyi to reconcile with him and Ademola to finally lay the matter to rest.

The source said, “Some leaders of the party, including Segun Odekunmi, Oyelayo Laoye, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa and other leaders, in anticipation of the meeting, had gone to Ogunbiyi’s residence in Ileogbo in order to facilitate the reconciliation.

“But no member of the Adeleke family or camp showed up and the leaders left in utter disappointment. But Dr Deji Adeleke visited Daisi Aina in Iresi at the weekend and revealed that he would not reconcile with Ogunbiyi because his growing popularity would eventually dwarf Senator Adeleke’s with time and this would be dangerous.

“He ( Deji) said he would be visiting key members of the Ogunbiyi’s camp and that that would assist them to achieve their aim without giving Ogunbiyi undue popularity during the campaigns despite the low turnout being recorded at their rallies.


“Their strategy has, however, continued to backfire because the members of Ogunbiyi’s camp who they have visited have rejected the offer to turn their back at Ogunbiyi and the party may lose woefully with this development.”

Ogunbiyi himself had said three weeks ago that the leadership of the PDP under the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, invited him and Adeleke to Abuja to resolve the crisis. He said although he did not make any demand, the party said his camp should produce the deputy governorship candidate and that he ( Ogunbiyi) should be given the Osun West Senatorial District ticket of the party to appease him.

Ogunbiyi said Adeleke violated the directive by allegedly asking Albert Adeogun to go under so that he would not be reached until the substitution period was over.

But Adeleke had described the claims from Ogunbiyi’s camp as outright falsehood and deception which he said was coming from the camp of the loser.

When contacted on the telephone by our correspondent, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mr Olawale Rasheed, said the claim that Dr Deji Adeleke had vowed not to meet with Ogunbiyi was a ‘lie from the pits of hell.’

He said, “The Adelekes had at several occasions made attempts to get an appointment to meet Dr Akin Ogunbiyi who told Mr Dele Adeleke at the last PDP state-wide meeting of ward chairmen that he was not ready to meet the camp but that Dr Adeleke should instead go and meet with the people behind him.”

Lomprico2:
What has apc primaries got to do with the opposition?


The way you zombies reason eh! Like fools without brains.