Politics

APC planning to attack tribunal, Osun PDP alleges

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2023

The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, on Thursday, accused the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress of planning an attack on the venue of the Tribunal hearing petition against the victory of the state governor, Ademola Adeleke.

Earlier, the APC had demanded improved security within the premises of the State High Court, the venue of the sitting of the Tribunal panel hearing its petition on the July 16 governorship polls, to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

The parties in the matter are expected to present their final written addresses before the Justice Tetsea Kume-led panel on Friday.

The demand for more security was contained in a statement issued by the state Acting Chairman of the APC, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, who asked the state police command and other security agencies to act with a view to nipping in the bud violence by those he referred to as “disgruntled politicians.”

Lawal also challenged the assigned security officers at the Tribunal venue to discharge their duties without fear or favour with the exhibition of civility during the course of performing their official responsibilities.

The APC statement partly read, “Let me appeal to the Osun State Police Command and other sister security agencies in the state that they should not treat the issue of security in and outside the tribunal with levity.

“The members of our party should continue their usual culture of decorum no matter the provocation from any quarters in order to be active partakers in watching the imminent light at the end of the tunnel.”

In a reaction to the Osun APC’s call for security beef-up around the Tribunal sitting venue and alarm over a planned attack on the sitting, the PDP, in a statement signed by its acting chairman, Adekunle Akindele, called on the police to invite the Osun APC chairman, Lawal, and his media adviser, Kola Olabisi, for questioning, adding that the opposition party only adopted a “subterfuge of levelling allegations on a plot it has perfected.”

“The members of the public will recall that few months ago, two APC members were arrested with loaded guns at the entrance of the State High Court while the Tribunal proceedings were ongoing. Only the prompt intervention of vigilant members of the public saved the situation on that day.

“When the APC now raises an alarm about a planned attack, we are apprehensive. We have the feeling that the APC has a sinister plot to launch an attack on the Tribunal sitting. Aware of its very bad case at the Tribunal, the APC is scheming to create mayhem to disrupt the sitting.

“We consequently call on the Commissioner of Police to invite the acting chairman of APC and the media adviser for questioning. The duo probably have insight into the alleged plot to disrupt the Tribunal. Their testimonies will assist the Police in the maintenance of law and order.

“We also use this opportunity to reassure the public that the state government is on top of the situation. No opposition party will be allowed to turn Osun into a battleground. The sitting tomorrow will be peaceful and we are convinced that the Tribunal will eventually validate and confirm the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Governor of Osun State,” Akindele concluded.

Reacting to the allegation by the PDP in a telephone conversation with The PUNCH Thursday evening, the Osun APC spokesperson, Olabisi, said the PDP should be disregarded, as the allegation was a figment of the imagination of the party.

He said, “They (the PDP) should be disregarded. The allegation is the figment of their imagination. There is nothing like that.”

Politics

BREAKING: PDP BoT holds emergency meeting amid Anyanwu, Ude-Okoye crisis

Published

5 hours ago

February 5, 2025

Seyi Babalola

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, is currently holding an emergency meeting.

The meeting was called to find lasting solutions to the current leadership crisis bedeviling the party.

Those who have arrived include the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Secretary of the BoT, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; and former Governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Obi, and Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, among others.

The meeting is holding amid the crisis surrounding the struggle for who occupies the position of the PDP National Secretary.

Last week, at the PDP national secretariat, a fight broke out between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye during its BoT meeting.

The crisis between the duo started when Anyanwu left to contest for Imo State governorship election and Ude-Okoye was was selected by the Southeast arm of the party to replace him.

This led to a lawsuit, after which the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu declared Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.

But Anyanwu said Ude-Okoye has no authority to assume the position, despite the ruling.

Anyanwu cited his appeal of the ruling at the Supreme Court as grounds for maintaining the status quo

Politics

‘You’re backing Tinubu for personal gains’ — El-Rufai slams Kaduna Gov Sani

Published

15 hours ago

February 5, 2025

Seyi Babalola

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticised his successor, Governor Uba Sani, for supporting President Bola Tinubu, alleging that it is for personal gain.

In a post on X, El-Rufai claimed that Sani’s unwavering support for Tinubu was linked to over N150 billion in federal reimbursements received by Kaduna State in the past 18 months.

“Every day I see this governor embarrassingly and sycophantically rambling, I used to wonder why. However, confirming that Federal Government ‘reimbursements, interventions, and grants’ in excess of N150bn have been given selectively to Kaduna by Tinubu in the last 18 months now explains everything.

“By all means, defend Asiwaju for the conditional cash transfer. Asiwaju has earned it, coming from you. The people of Kaduna State will judge at the right time and place. Have a nice day,” El-Rufai wrote.

The former governor’s criticism comes in the wake of Sani’s remarks during a news interview on Monday, where he expressed surprise at the growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration from some founding members of the All Progressives Congress.

Politics

Why I visited IBB, Abdulsalami – Remi Tinubu

Published

15 hours ago

February 5, 2025

Seyi Babalola

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has explained why she visited Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) today, at their Minna, Niger State residences.

Accompanied by wife of Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, the First Lady and her entourage were received at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport by the state Governor, Muhammed Umar Bago, his wife and other top government officials from where they drove to General Babangida’s residence and later Abdulsalami’s house.

At General Babangida’s uphill residence, the visitors met with Babangida for more than one hour behind closed doors. They they proceeded to the residence of the former head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar and were received by former first lady Justice Fati Lami Abubakar.

The delegation went into another closed door meeting with the former Nigerian leader and his wife for about 90 minutes before going to the government house for a visit with Governor Muhammed Bago.

She’s Nigeria’s No1 ambassador – Abdulsalami Abubakar
Details of the private talks were not made public, but former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, told journalists after the closed-door meeting described the first lady of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu as Nigeria’s No1 ambassador.

“She has done very well during her 1st and 2nd years. She has done a lot of things in order to bring Nigeria to greatness.

“You have been carrying the governor’s wives along in all you have been doing, especially what you are doing for young children,” the former head of state remarked.

They’re father of the nation – Tinubu
Senator Tinubu had also described both General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar as ‘father’s of the nation’.

“I, however, have to say that my visits to the former Nigerian leaders are private visits without any political undertone, because I had always tried to visit them but for exigencies of duties.

“The Nigerian leaders have been very supportive of government of President Bola Tinubu and they have always encouraged Mr. President,” she declared.

At government house, the First Lady donated N100 million to victims of the recent disasters in communities in Niger state, which included the tanker explosion in Dikko, Gurara local government; Sabon Pegi in Mashegu local government, and Allawa in Munya local government.

The first lady said each of the affected families should get N1 million from the total amount, while the governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Bago, should disburse the balance of N30 million to the victims for food and other items.

Senator Tinubu pleaded with the people to always remain vigilant and refrain from scooping fuel in the event of fuel-laden tanker overturning.

On his part, Governor Mohammed Bago appreciated the gesture of the First Lady and assured her that the donation will be judiciously used.

According to him, “We thank you that you have come to share in our pains over the tanker explosion in Dikko, the dynamite explosion in Sabon-Pegi and the collapsed mine in Munya.”

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