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APC NATIONAL CHAIR APPEALS TO ONDO ASPIRANTS TO SUPPORT AIYEDATIWA, SHARES PERSONAL POLITICAL JOURNEY
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has appealed to aggrieved governorship aspirants from the recent Ondo State primary election to throw their support behind Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ahead of the November 16 governorship poll.
Ganduje also shared his personal experience of losing his first run for Kano governorship, encouraging the aspirants by saying they were not “aspirants who lost,” but rather “aspirants who will be successful tomorrow.”
The Primary Election Committee, led by Governor Usman Ododo, declared Aiyedatiwa the winner of the last Saturday poll.
However, the outcome was contested due to allegations of irregularities and violence in the 203 wards.
Consequently, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, and five other aspirants filed petitions challenging Aiyedatiwa’s victory.
Others were Olusola Oke, Folakemi Omogoroye, Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa.
They also demanded the cancellation of the governorship primary and the holding of a new primary.
Addressing the aspirants at the party secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Ganduje begged the aspirants to bury the hatchet and work together with Aiyedatiwa.
He said, “I have to thank you for honouring our invitation in the shortest time available and also considering the emotional distress as a result of the primary that was conducted a few days ago. Since we are all democrats, there are bound to be ups and downs in politics. The purpose of this meeting is to appeal. It is not to dwell on what has happened and what has not.
What is correct and what is incorrect? If we dwell on that, it will lead to what we can call too much analysis leads to paralysis.
“If we are to dwell on that, there are professors, lawyers, and learned members among us. Some are engineers, and even the two genders have been accommodated.
We who are less educated, the controversy will not cover us considering the galaxy of politicians who are here. Our own is to appeal to you. We in the party here are just insiders and outsiders. We are saying this because it is our party. It is also the ruling party in Ondo State and we are managers of the party in Nigeria. So we are an interested party, even if it is a local election.
“We are outsiders because this state belongs to you. This party also belongs to you. I am sure your prayer is for our party to remain the ruling party in your state. I think that should be the focal point for all of you. Our party should remain the ruling party in Ondo State.
“I recalled when I contested the Kano governorship election in 1999. I lost. I couldn’t achieve the dream of becoming a governor until after 16 years. I was patient enough and kept on praying. Eventually, I became the governor after 16 years. So I cannot call you aspirants that lost. You are aspirants that will be successful tomorrow.”
Fourteen aspirants who participated in the primary election were present at the peace meeting.
The National Deputy Chairman of the APC (South West), Isaacs Kekemeke, and Akinterinwa were however absent.
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NIGERIAN WOMEN ACTIVISTS SUE MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS OVER ATTEMPT TO MISMANAGE $500M WORLD BANK LOAN
A lawsuit has been filed in the High Court of Enugu State by two women’s rights organizations against the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Ken Ohanenye over the attempt to mismanage a $500 million loan provided by the World Bank to improve the lives of Nigerian women.
Other defendants included in the lawsuit are the President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and Director of International Economic Relations Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr Nyeso Stanley George.
The applicants, Amb. Onyinye Joy Mamah, representing Heroine Women Foundation, and Amaka-Ajuzie Ogbu, of NET Bridge Empowerment Foundation, claimed that the previous $100 million loan from the World Bank, intended to empower impoverished Nigerian women, which was released during President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was allegedly squandered on consultancy fees, seminars, and other non-essential activities.
According to the plaintiffs, the funds never reached the intended beneficiaries who are poor Nigerian women.
The women’s activities said they are worried that the $500 million loan is at risk of suffering the same fate as the previous funds, being diverted into private pockets instead of being utilized for meaningful development projects.
Amb. Mamah, the lead plaintiff, emphasized in her affidavit that Nigerian women, who will bear the responsibility of repaying the loan, have not seen any tangible benefits from previous funds.
She warned that failure to utilize the current loan effectively could leave the country in prolonged economic servitude.
“That another 500 Million Dollars has just been provided by the selfsame World Bank for the benefit of the Nigerian women, it is not free manna from the Heavens but still a loan facility to be repaid with interest in due course of time by the teaming Nigerian populace.
“That the enemies of the people are circling again determined to divert the fund, away from the Nigerian women for whom the money is meant and into private pockets. A whole of 500 Million United States Dollars ploughed into useful and meaningful endeavors – agriculture, fishery, trading, making of crafts eic. wi: chase hunger, death, slavery insecurity, prostitution and other vices out of the land.
“It is the bounden responsibility of the respondents to ensure that this fund, intended for the empowerment of Nigerian women, is not misappropriated”.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to enforce the proper use of the $500 million loan for its intended purpose, arguing that Nigeria’s economic recovery, especially the dignity of its women, depends on it.
The plaintiffs argued that if the funds are mismanaged again, it will deepen Nigeria’s economic crisis and perpetuate the nation’s poor international reputation.
The court has yet to set a hearing date for the case.
- Ajube combs PDP structures for APC; pledges to fund election in Ondo South senatorial district
- we will reciprocate Ilaje’s 2023 support for Rep”-Agadagba-In-Council
Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo state, the Ijaw speaking Arogbo Kingdom on Sunday, boosted the chances of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the Kingdoms Traditional Council endorsed his candidature.
Governor Aiyedatiwa is also the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom’s endorsement came as Niger Delta Peace Ambassador and entrepreneur, Senior High Chief Bibopere Ajube pledged to fund the governors election in the six local government areas of the south senatorial district of Ondo state.
The Agadagba and Paramount Ruler of Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom, Pere(Barrister) Zaccheus Doubra Egbunu, Opukutu 111, who made the endorsement pronouncement said the decision hinges on the massive support the Ilajes gave to their son, Hon Donald Ojogo during the 2023 House of Representatives election.
“Our governor is our son in Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom because he is our closest neighbour. There is no way we will not give him maximum support especially as an Ilaje man.
“In Ijaw land, we value and reciprocate good gestures; we cannot forget in a hurry how the Ilajes mobilized hugely for our son, Hon Donald Ojogo to win the House of Representatives seat in 2023. For the very first time, an Ijaw man is in the Green Chamber. So it’s our duty, it’s an obligation for us to massively vote for this Governor who happens to be our Ilaje son”, the monarch said.
Ajube, who is the Pathfinder of Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom while playing host to Governor Aiyedatiwa at an elaborate ceremony where over 2,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the APC pledged his commitment to fund the election
“Mr Governor, your election is our election and that of the president because it is the first governorship election in the Southwest since the 2023 presidential election that produced our own President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
“As such, it is of great consequence to the President, and we cannot afford to play with it. We will not disappoint our president and that is why we have demolished all the ward structures of the PDP in our Kingdom.
“So Your Excellency, just leave the six local government areas in the southern senatorial district of the state for me to provide the money. Just keep the little money you have for other senatorial districts. I have the capacity. I am an Ijaw man. We don’t deceive people. If we say, we will do something, don’t doubt it, we will do it.
The Governor, while receiving the defectors, appreciated them for joining the APC family of the true progressives where everyone’s voice counts. He thanked all the party leaders for their support and announced various initiatives of his administration aimed at improving the lives of the people of the state.
The Chairman of Arogbo LCDA, Hon Caleb Ebi Molos, in His welcome address, expressed appreciation to the Governor for his concern for Arogbo Kingdom and assured him of the total support of the people of Arogbo LCDA.
The event was attended by Hon Donald Ojogo, member of the House of Representatives representing Ilaje/ Ese-Odo Federal Constituency; Hon Agabra Atili, Deputy State Chairman of APC; Hon Toyin Allen, House of Assembly Member representing Ese-Odo State Constituency; Hon Samuel Twatimi, Head of the Ondo State Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme; Hon Kolade Akinjo, former member House of Representatives, among other leaders.
