Confusion has engulfed the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday as the Igbotako ward II executives remained sharply divided over the membership status of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim in the party.
In a letter signed by the ward secretary, Mr Sola Omotoye, and 15 others, Ibrahim was suspended from the party over alleged insubordination and anti-party activities.
Other key figures in the ward who signed the suspension letter included Abdulkadri Saliu (Organising Secretary), Akinbobola Seyi (Youth Leader), and 10 assistant ward executives.
However, another letter signed by the ward chairman, Adetokunbo Omotola, and 21 others passed a vote of confidence on the senator, representing Ondo South at the National Assembly.
Notable party executives who signed the document include the Vice-Chairman, Oseyemi Arikawe, Secretary, Omotayo, Treasurer, Mewayenu Olayemi, Women Leader, Abiye Balogun, Youth Leader, Oluseyi Olasanmi, Legal Adviser, Tayo Adeyelu, and others.
About 20 elders of the party in the ward and two local government executive members, Otekaye Sunday, Secretary, and Oluwole Musa, Assistant P.R.O., were also part of those who passed the vote of confidence.
Interestingly, the names and signatures of the Ward Secretary, Omotoye, and the Youth Leader, Olasanmi, were included in the document supporting Ibrahim, despite their involvement in the suspension letter.
The ‘News Eyes Daily’ gathered that the meeting where the members passed a vote of confidence on Jimoh Ibrahim was held last week Thursday.
During the Thursday meeting, they backed the senator’s decision to challenge the APC governorship primary election that produced Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the party’s candidate for the November 16 poll at the court.
They expressed shock at how the Governor Usman Ododo-led Committee came about the figures it allotted to contestants in the election.
They declared their unflinching support for the senator in his pursuit of justice in court concerning the governorship primary of the party in which several wards and all aspirants were deprived of voting.
However, in the letter of suspension, another faction led by the Secretary accused Ibrahim of insubordination and anti-party activities.
The faction cited Ibrahim’s decision to sue the party and his anti-party activities as the basis for his suspension, stating that these actions violated the party’s constitution.
Senator Ibrahim’s sususpension is effective immediately, in accordance with Article 21, Section A of the APC Constitution.
The letter reads, “We, the members of the APC Executive Committee of Igbotako Ward II in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, convened a meeting on Monday, May 13th, 2024.
“During our meeting, we deliberated extensively on various issues affecting the progress and development of our party, notably indiscipline and insubordination among some members.
“We have found Senator Jimoh Ibrahim’s actions and activities to violate the party’s constitution, particularly his decision to sue the party as well as his anti-party activities. As such, we have resolved to take appropriate disciplinary action against him as outlined in the party’s constitution.
“Senator Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim is hereby suspended from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect for acts of insubordination and anti-party activities By Article 21, Section A of the APC Constitution.
“It is worth recalling that the National Party Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, met with all Ondo State governorship aspirants on April 25th, 2024, in Abuja.
“During the meeting, he urged them to cooperate with the party’s candidate and incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Honorable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Despite this, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim Folorunso proceeded to sue the Governor and APC, blatantly disregarding party instructions.
“Additionally, he has engaged in anti-party activities by urging his supporters in Igbotako and Ondo State to join NPP, claiming he will soon receive the gubernatorial ticket from them.
“Senator Jimoh has openly declared his intent to disrupt APC before leaving the party, as evidenced by his actions in the Federal High Court in Abuja and his derogatory remarks about APC in various media outlets”.
Deaconess Hon. Omolola Fagbemi, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Campaign Committee and Commissioner for Women Affairs, has pledged to deliver 1 million votes from the party’s women’s wing for Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election on November 16, 2024.
During the inauguration of the APC Women Campaign Committee, Fagbemi emphasized the pivotal role of women in determining the state’s future.
She urged committee members and women across Ondo State to mobilize aggressively to ensure a strong turnout in support of the APC candidate.
“We must engage in widespread mobilization and educate women across the state on the need to remain committed to an APC-led government. November 16 is our date with destiny; we cannot afford a setback.”Fagbemi stated
Speaking on Governor Aiyedatiwa’s achievements, Fagbemi noted that the governor has improved the education, infrastructure, healthcare, and industrialization sectors, urging women to back APC for continuity.
“This election is not just about today; it’s about securing the future for our children and grandchildren,” she said.
Assuring the governor of the women’s unwavering support, Fagbemi set a goal of 1 million votes from the women’s wing, encouraging them to rally their families and communities. She stressed the importance of women’s votes in shaping Ondo State’s future.
The event, attended by party leaders, women’s groups, and key stakeholders, launched a strategic campaign to ensure Governor Aiyedatiwa’s re-election.
With less than a month until the election, the APC Women Campaign Committee has committed to a tireless effort to secure victory.
The lawmaker representing the Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for elevating Hon. Ayo Olawande to Minister of Youth Development and retaining Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of Interior in the latest cabinet reshuffle.
Ojogo described the appointments as a vote of confidence in the two ministers and a source of pride for Ondo State.
He commended Tunji-Ojo for his transformative work at the Ministry of Interior, in reforming Nigeria’s passport offices, particularly by addressing long-standing inefficiencies and improving service delivery.
The lawmaker also applauded Olawande, previously Minister of State for Youth Development, for his dedication to youth empowerment and his contributions to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said Olawande’s promotion reflects his competence and commitment to advancing the welfare of Nigerian youths.
Ojogo expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for recognizing the efforts of both ministers and urged them to continue working hard to justify the confidence placed in them by the President and the nation.
A clandestine plot to impeach the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas is reportedly in motion, it was learnt on Monday.
Sources exclusively revealed that the secret plan is believed to be backed by powerful political figures, and could shake the National Assembly if successful.
According to highly placed insiders, a wealthy member of the House of Representatives from the North, along with an opposition governor from the southern region, are spearheading this move.
Both political heavyweights are said to be funding the operation, which is being coordinated by a prominent member of the opposition party within the House.
The opposition Rep, who is said to be the main strategist of the plot, is reportedly operating under the guise of a faction called the “Integrity Group.”
It was gathered that this group has been gathering momentum, with sources confirming that 60 lawmakers have allegedly signed on to the impeachment move.
These lawmakers, portraying themselves as defenders of the masses, are said to be aggrieved over what they described as Speaker Abbas’ “collusion with the executive branch” to dominate the legislative arm.
“The Integrity Group believes that the Speaker has aligned too closely with the executive, to the detriment of the House’s independence. They feel that Abbas is acting as an extension of the Presidency rather than an autonomous leader of the legislative arm.
“They are frustrated that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Senate President Godswill Akpabio are undermining the National Assembly’s efforts to investigate the Executive over the poor implementation of the 2024 budget, which they claim has achieved less than 30 percent performance. According to them, this failure is a key reason why Nigerians are facing hardships today”, a source said.
However, the plot may not be purely about institutional autonomy. Another source disclosed that beyond internal discontent in the House, a powerful cabal within the Presidential Villa is allegedly backing the impeachment move.
A source in the Presidency disclosed the powerful figure in the Villa is supporting Abbas’s impeachment plot because the said cabal is at loggerheads with the President’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was instrumental in securing Abbas’ election as Speaker.
“There’s no doubt that this is not just about legislative independence. There’s a personal element involved as well, particularly when you consider the strained ties between this powerful figure in the Villa and Gbajabiamila”, the source added.
The northern billionaire funding the project is believed to be using his deep connections within the House to consolidate support.
Meanwhile, the southern governor involved is said to be driven by the survival battles he is engaged in with his estranged political godfather and he (the governor) to strengthen the opposition’s influence in the House, removing a particular principal officer and leveraging this impeachment move as a way to gain leverage in national politics.
The situation remains fluid, but the growing list of lawmakers reportedly backing the impeachment signals that the matter may soon escalate into a full-blown political crisis.
Political observers suggest that, if the plot gains further traction, Abbas’ leadership may come under serious threat.
A key challenge for the plotters will be whether they can muster enough signatures to bring the impeachment to the floor for a formal vote.
As of now, the 60 alleged signatures fall short of the majority needed to successfully remove the Speaker, but the pace at which the dissent is growing has raised concerns among pro-Abbas lawmakers.
For now, Speaker Abbas has maintained a public silence on the matter. But with growing murmurs of discontent both inside the House and beyond, it seems only a matter of time before this political struggle explodes into the public eye.
It will be recalled that rumours circulated last week about a potential plot to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio by some allegedly aggrieved senators.
However, the Senate quickly dismissued the report as fake news, and the senators subsequently passed a vote of confidence in Akpabio.