Politics
2023: Ebonyi Speaker, PDP Bicker Over Destruction Of Billboards, Posters
There seems to be a brewing disaffection between the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru and the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State, Mr Chika Nwoba, over the destruction of billboards and posters belonging to PDP candidates in Izzi Local Government Area of the State.
In a statement issued by the spokesman of the PDP in the state, the party accused the Speaker of masterminding the destruction.
The Tide source gathered that the campaign posters destroyed included those of the governorship candidate of the party, Ifeanyi Ìdei, and that of the senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North, Senator Sam Egwu.
Others were the campaign posters of the House of Representatives candidate for Izzi/Abakaliki Federal Constituency, Barnabas Ofoke and that of the Izzi East state constituency candidate, Jerome Elom.
But in a quick reaction, the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly described the accusation as a fallacy and cheap blackmail.
Nwifuru, who had indicated interest to run for the Governorship position of the State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, explained that he never ordered anybody to pull down the campaign billboards and posters of opposition political parties in the State.
He called on the PDP scribe to look for job to do as he (Nwoba) had often portrayed himself as being jobless and mischievous while playing his role as the scribe of the PDP.
Nwoba in the statement had alleged that the thugs that caused the mayhem were led by one of the protocol officers of the Speaker as they were in the Speaker’s convoy when they spotted Mr Elom and his supporters at Nwezenyi Primary school.
He said they pulled out of the convoy, accosted Mr Elom, dispersed the meeting and destroyed the billboards.
“I got information that the convoy of Francis Nwifuru had a brief stopover at the Nwezenyi Primary School, where a PDP House of Assembly candidate for Izzi, Jerome Elom was interfacing with his supporters and ordered his protocol officer to go and disperse them.
“The Protocol Officer did exactly that and even collected Barr Jerome’s phone and headed towards the position of a billboard showcasing PDP candidates, used dagger and tore it round and packed the pieces into the bush. He left with the candidate’s phone till this moment”, Nwoba alleged.
In an interview with our source, Jerome Elom corroborated Mr Nwoba’s statement.
According to him, “I went to Nwezenyi to mount billboards. And after I successfully mounted billboards, I decided to entertain some of my supporters around that area. So, while we were there, three Sienna cars came. I recognized one of them which was branded with APC logo. It is owned by one of Speaker’s protocol officers.
“They asked why should I mount billboards of Anyuchuks’ (Odii) billboards in Izzi local government, that his billboards and posters should not be seen anywhere in the Local Government. I said no, that this is politics, and they should allow everybody to do their campaign. They said no that I should remove it and I refused. They climbed and removed the billboards themselves”.
However, the Speaker accused the Party of cooking up baseless allegations against his person.
“The PDP scribe has no job. He is busy concocting stories. Why is he making fallacious statements against me? Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have responded; he is trying to make himself popular. I can’t talk about him. I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me. I have never done any business with him.
“Why will I be ordering the destruction of people’s billboards in Izzi LGA when I will not be happy if such is done to my own billboards in another LGA? Ebonyi should develop beyond this level of politics. The election is about the contest. It’s not a fight”, he said.
The lawmaker representing Ethiope East/West Federal Constituency of Delta State, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has said that her defection to All Progressives Congress (APC) complied with the relevant sections of the constitution, hence there was no need for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to declare her seat vacant.
This is just as she filed an affidavit to support her originating summon, listing her reasons for dumping the PDP for the APC.
Deposing the affidavit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja recently, the lawmaker listed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House and PDP as defendants.
She said her purpose for leaving the 3rd defendant was as a result of protracted crises in the party.
Ibori-Suenu said: “For over a year, the 3rd defendant has been enmeshed in a series of unresolved leadership crises at the national, which crisis has driven the party into two implacable camps.
“The 3rd defendant (PDP) started grappling with the internal strife before the 2023 presidential election, particularly after the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries conducted for the election of the party’s presidential candidate.
“Upon the selection of the party’s vice presidential candidate for the presidential election in 2023, the internal disputes in the political party deepened resulting in division amongst the National Working Committee and creation of the (G-5). That is, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu (then governors of Rivers, Benue, Enugu State, Oyo and Abia states, respectively).
“Following the decision of a High Court which restrained lyorchia Ayu from acting as the party’s national chairman, an Acting National Chairman was appointed for the party.
“But his appointment generated massive discontent, which further divided the party at the national level.
“However, the division in the national leadership lingered due to the continued stay of the Acting National Chairman of the Party and the inability of the party to convene a meeting of its National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting for consideration of a replacement for the substantive National Chairman of the Party in compliance with Article 45(2) and 47(6) of the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).
“Attached and marked Exhibit IB 2 is the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).10. On October I1, 2024, the 3rd Defendant’s National Working Committee was embroiled in series of suspension and counter-suspensions amongst the members of the National Working Committee of the party.
“PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced on behalf of a faction of the National Working Committee that the Acting National Chairman, Iliya Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, were suspended with the National chairman being replaced by Alhaji
The National Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, has urged members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party to end the Supreme Court victory celebrations and focus on work in their respective states and localities.
The National Leader made this statement over the weekend in Abuja during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to mark the end of the fiscal year 2024.
Gov. Soludo also extended a hand of fellowship to Nigerians, inviting them to join APGA, which he described as “the most progressive party in Nigeria at the moment.”
Gov. Soludo said, “We want to unite all aggrieved members of the party for progress and the new Nigeria we all desire. I want to tell you that the Supreme Court victory is over and remains a call for unity.”
He expressed joy over the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as a cabinet member in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Under this administration, a member of our party is appointed a minister, and the President moves outside APC. We shall grow from strength to strength because APGA is built to last,” he stated.
Reflecting on his administration in Anambra State, Gov. Soludo highlighted efforts to leave behind a lasting legacy, including a free education policy and significant infrastructural development, which he described as “promises kept to walk the talk.”
The National Chairman of the party, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, while welcoming delegates from across the country, expressed optimism about the party’s future following years of struggle for survival and a protracted court case that recently ended at the Supreme Court.
While chronicling APGA’s journey, its founding dreams, and its role as a political voice for the South-East, Ezeokenwa noted that despite recent internal challenges orchestrated by “political merchants,” the party had grown from a regional movement to a national entity.
He acknowledged Gov. Soludo’s pivotal role during the party’s legal battles, describing the governor as an invaluable asset throughout APGA’s struggles.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has overruled the expulsion of Ikenga Ugochinyere by the Imo State chapter of the party.
On Saturday, Imo PDP announced the expulsion of Ugochinyere, the lawmaker representing the Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, from the party.
The state’s party chapter said the legislator was expelled over alleged misconduct and anti-party activities.
However, a few hours later, the party’s NWC described Ugochinyere’s expulsion as “null and void and of no effect”.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party said the move by its chapter in Imo was not “consistent with the express provision of Sections 57 (7) and 59 (3) of the constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down rules of our great party”.
“Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP is clear in providing that “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no executive committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, deputy governors, or members of the National Assembly,” the statement read.
“Also, Section 59 (3) of the Constitution of the PDP is unambiguous in providing that “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level except the National Executive Committee shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors, Special Advisers, or member of any of the Legislative Houses.
“It is therefore clear that no ward, local government, or even state chapter of the party has the power to suspend, expel, or discipline a member of the National Assembly in any form whatsoever without due recourse to the National Working Committee as provided by the Constitution of the PDP”, it added.
The PDP NWC added that Hon Ugochinyere remains a party member with all rights, privileges, recognition, and obligations.
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