Politics
PDP Faults APC Over Call For Ortom’s Impeachment
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lampooned the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the party’s recent call for the impeachment of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
The State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Daniel Ihomun had in a recent media outing in Makurdi called for the impeachment of Governor Ortom on the grounds that he allegedly refused to ensure the conduct of free and fair local government elections in the state, claiming also that he mismanaged the local governments in the state.
“We submit that, Governor Ortom’s acts of maladministration in piloting the affairs of Local Governments in Benue State, coupled with his illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional overlapping interference into the smooth running of the said Local Government Councils is unforgivable. Ortom must be impeached, so as to save the Local Government administrations in the State from being driven into total and comprehensive extinction,” Ihomun said.
Reacting, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, who in a media briefing at the weekend in Makurdi, recounted the accomplishments of the present administration, dismissed the allegations of the APC against the Governor Ortom describing the party as “the most dysfunctional and most unpatriotic opposition political party ever in the political history of the state.”
According to him, “it is a manifestation of lack in depth of thought by the opposition party that they have shown themselves so incapable of comprehending even basically how the local government tier of administration functions, and also gone so far down the pedestrian lane as alleging unfounded acts of corruption against the Ortom administration and calling for his impeachment.
“Perhaps, APC in their latest call for Governor Ortom’s impeachment is still under the same temptation as propelled them to attempt the failed bid to impeach him in the buildup to the 2019 elections with only 8 out to 30 members of the state Assembly who were backed by “Federal Might”, otherwise how does the concoction of watery commonplace allegations against the governor amount to impeachable offences?
“By which consensus does APC hope to muster an impeachment of the governor in a legislative assembly where they have at the moment only 3 out of 30 members and it is doubtful by the trend of events if they will have even a single member by the turn of 2023?
“APC has shown itself an enemy of Benue by continually holding and bandying views which target at demarketing the state and seeking to scuttle the attainment of strategic gains being sought by the Ortom administration, all in furtherance of a scorched earth strategy which PDP had earlier condemned.
“Only recently the opposition party targeted the Benue Television which is another of the Ortom administration’s milestones with derisive commentaries in the media targeted to besmirch it when it was advertised that the station now airs on Channel 8 on the Free-to-Air satellite system, despite that this represents progress as even major television stations such as AIT climbed up the ladder to be where they are today, yet the same party’s spokesman has been using the television station and was even a couple of days back a guest on one it’s talk shows.
“The other day Benue APC came out condemning the calls by Governor Ortom for 13% derivation revenue allocation to Benue State from all mineral resources in the state, after the governor had mounted a case for the state to be designated a mineral producing state.
“This clearly is politics taken to the rock bottom of negativity where the very essence of society itself is put to jeopardy in the quest by a group to usurp access to power.
“This is politics which has not the interests of the state and the people in view as the objective, but rather that of a group and the self seeking interests of its members, but which are supposed to be subsumed under those of the state.
“To APC, winning power in Benue State at the 2023 elections is a matter of hook or crook as can be seen in the manner of the party’s approach to the processes leading up to the elections, with tell tale signs of a preference for mob rule over the lawful prescriptions of the rule of law.
“We call on Benue people to beware of this same children of ‘Federal Might’ as they have once again started the same and by now familiar dance steps targeted as usurping the popular mandate of the people which is being lustfully desired after by external forces which mean only ill for Benue and her people.
“PDP and the Ortom administration under the party’s control owe the people a duty of care to provide governance to them and a contractual obligation to discharge on the sworn oath of government to secure the lives and properties of the people while ensuring an enabling environment for them to thrive in private enterprise and industry.”
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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