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APC nomination fee: Women Leader got it wrong, says Presidential aspirant

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As criticisms continue to trail the whooping N100m pricetag for nomination forms by the All Progressives Congress (APC), an aspirant has lashed out at the women leader of APC, Betta Edu for saying only unserious aspirants will criticise the ruling party.

It would be recalled that Edu while appearing on Arise Television said the high cost of nomination fees for various elective positions was in order as it will help trim down the number of aspirants during the party’s primaries.

A presidential aspirant under the party’s umbrella, Comrade Salihu Othman Isah has however disagreed with her saying her views are against the principles of fair and participatory democracy.

She had opined that the reason for the exorbitant nomination fee is to cut down the number of aspirants that would buy the forms, a situation that would have put more pressure on the party’s leadership while processing the aspirants.

Comrade Isah who kicked against the position also described it as lacking in human reasoning and ethics in political contest.
“I really don’t know what she meant by this.
So why do you limit options available? It is undemocratic and against the fundamental political rights of a huge mass of willing contestants.

Edu had also said youths in the party should be able to raise funds to purchase the form in spite of the high price.
“But the aspirant asked rhetorically, how would she have felt if she was asked to buy form for Women Leader then at the cost of even N20 million all because it is the ruling party.

Isah demanded that APC climbed dowm from its perceived Olympian height to reality and stop deceiving itself by becoming the ruling party which makes it easier for its candidates to win elections.
He gave instances of how the party had lost vital elections in recent times due to non performance and lack of level playing field for aspirants in spite of being the ruling party at the centre.

According to him, the recent presidential assent to the new Electoral laws will make it extremely difficult for any candidate to rely on manipulations and rigging to win elections in the country henceforth.

“Or have they forgotten so soon how the same ruling party battled so hard to be able to manage victories in three out of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja recently?

“In the recent area council elections (that is equivalent to local governments elections, the APC even lost the Abuja Municipal Area Council which hosts the Aso Rock Villa, the presidential seat.

“Why did the so called ruling party lose the most important area Council that hosts President Muhammadu Buhari and most of his cabinet members? Did the APC not lose to the PDP candidate in AMAC?

“By this I am only trying to counter the perception that being a ruling party gives advantage for its candidates but my argument is on the contrary due to several factors like the inability for the ruling government to tackle the insecurity that has taken over most part of the country.
“We have issues of poverty, low level of education due to recurring problems of strike at the tertiary level. The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) have been on strike for several months and not likely to be called off soon, while other unions in the campuses are threatening to join so as to entirely cripple the university system.
“The hardship in the land has made the criminal elements within the nation to up their game. So what is this nonsense that it is because it’s the ruling party hence the superfluous cost slammed on the form.
“Does being a candidate of the ruling party guarantee victory? What makes them even think that they can win the centre in 2023 with the kind of resentment against the party.
“We are the people who are on ground and on social media and we know how much hatred Nigerians have for APC and the leadership.

“On several social media platforms I belong, I have been inundated with queries on the low performance of our leadership and I had to quit some of the platforms due to direct attacks on my personality for defending the party.

“I have said it somewhere before that some elements in the party want to kill it before the end of its tenure at the federal level. What is happening today is a pointer to that.”

“He wants to be the first President and the last of APC.”

“It’s not by happenstance that all of those that constitute the present leadership of the party are from the opposition.
“They are here for the hatchet job to displace the original owners of the party, those who laboured for the formation of the party but have been pushed aside.
“They cannot make us visitors in our own homes. Enough is enough.”

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Politics

Obi did received N850m from Abure, Tanko clarifies

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***describes claim as malicious

The Obi – Datti Chief Spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko has clarriffied insinuation by one Mr Calistus Okafofor that the National Chairman of Labour Party Barrester Julius Abure, gave the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi eight hundred and fifty million Naira, (N850million) to prosecute the 2023 election.

Dr Tanko while debunking the clai said Obi did not collect any funds from the party describing the claim as false, adding that the reverse is the case.

He noted that it was Obi who actually gave money to the party severally.
He challenged Okafor to produce evidence, if actually the chairman told him that he gave Obi money for the purpose of campaign during the election.

“His Exellency has been exemplary in his financial conduct in both his private and public life.

“infact he always matain and always demand for Accountability and Transparency from anybody around
him.

He maintaned that anybody around him should not collect any money from anyone that he or she can not account for.

Dr Tanko declared that he was in the forefront of the campaign and privy to most of the expenses during the campaign and to the best of his knowledge, the party never provided any money directly to Obi to support his campaign rallies across the country.

The Campaign spokesman further stressed that Obi and his supporters were quite aware of all the campaign of calumny being orchestrated of recent from various quarters against the LP leader just to paint him in bad faith by those scared of his rising acceptance by the Nigerian people.

“We are aware that people are already scheming for 2027 and it is unfortunate that certain individuals have chosen to divert attention from the high rate of insecurity and poverty that are currently threatening the very existence of our nation by constantly attacking the personality of Peter Obi.

“Those are the enemy of Nigeria and Nigerians but l know that God will disappoint them and rescue our country from their grips whether they believe it or not’.

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Ondo 2024: Over 250 political structures join forces with Omoluabi Coalition Group

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Some political groups and structures of governorship aspirants in Ondo State numbering over 250 have joined forces with the Omoluabi Coalition Group ahead of November Governorship elections in Ondo State.
This took place on Monday 27th of May 2024 at an expanded Exco’ meeting held in Ore, where the President of the Yoruba Council- YCW; the apex umbrella body for all Yoruba socio cultural groups Aare Barr. Oladotun Hassan received the groups executives from all the 18 local governments across the sunshine state.

Aare Hassan in his welcome address admonished them to remain steadfast, and always imbibe Omoluabi ethos in their conducts.
He stressed the need for the remaining political structures in the state to join forces with Omoluabi Coalition to decide who will govern the State for the next four years, as this governorship election “is not about political party but the candidates”.

The DG Omoluabi Coalition Group Tunji Balogun emphasized the importance of voters card, as he urged those yet to collect theirs to go to INEC offices in their respective local governments for collections.

He said the groups’ target across the state is 200,000 votes. whereas the compilation of registered voters cards at the moment is still 124,678 which is far below target.
He therefore mandated the new members to register their voters cards on the group’s portal for proper documentation.

The woman leader, Yeye Atunluse Oodua Alhaja Tawakalitu while welcoming the new affiliated groups explained that Omoluabi Coalition Group is an independent apolitical and sociocultural group in Yoruba land committed to good governance, aimed at strengthening the democratic process.
She also gave her admonition and assurances that come November governorship election in Ondo state, the choice of Omoluabi Coalition would emerged as governor.

Other speakers included the youth leaders, and state commanders who also corroborated the statements earlier made by the group leaders.

In his closing remarks, the DG Omoluabi coalition advised all members to remain focused and loyal, stressing that the leaders are in consultation with leaders of thought and stakeholders in the State with assurances that “we shall come up with the right choice in the interest of our dear state”.

Omoluabi souvenirs were freely distributed to new members, while the inauguration of streets captains in all 203 wards would come up at a later date.

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I withdrew suit against APC, Aiyedatiwa after Tinubu’s intervention, says Jimoh Ibrahim

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The Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South said he has withdrawn his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa after President Bola Tinubu intervened.

Senator Ibrahim had dragged the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the State Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the party before the Federal High Court Abuja where he challenged the gubernatorial primary election of the APC held recently in Ondo state.

Ibrahim had alleged that there was no voting in his Senatorial district and a larger part of the State.

Following the suit, the executives of the APC in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, suspended Ibrahim from the party over alleged anti-party activities and insubordination.

However, Ibrahim at a briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, said he withdrew the suit in deference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who waded in the issue.

Ibrahim in his statement in Abuja titled: “Presidential intervention and notice of withdrawal suit No.

FHC /ABJ/ CS/588/2024,”said: “The suit is now withdrawn due to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The President called me, had a meeting with me, and assured me that he will as the leader of the party improve on internal democracy within our party, and i will need to withdraw the case to enable him to chart a way forward.

“The Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, earlier visited my Asokoro residence for several hours after another unsuccessful visit to my hotel room in Akure.

“I cannot disobey the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the issue am fighting for is not personal.

“It is simply to improve internal democracy to which the President has promised improvement. My respect for the President is absolute!

“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the words of wisdom and encouragement during my meeting with him which lasted over one hour and his various interactions with me on the telephone during which he emphasized his commitment to internal democracy over and over again. Thank you, Mr. President.

“The withdrawal of this legendary suit coincides  with the first anniversary of Mr. President’s incredible performance in office, and this is my gift of the ‘cake’ of the first anniversary”

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