Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has commended his Kogi counterpart, Yahaya Bello, for including youths in his administration. The Rivers governor spoke on Wednesday when he visited Bello at the government house in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state. Wike, who is a presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he deemed it important to visit Bello despite party differences. While expressing optimism that he will win the PDP presidential primary election, Wike said he wishes Bello emerges the standard-bearer of the APC so that he can contest against him in the 2023 election. “Your excellency, let me, first of all, commend you for what you are doing in Kogi state,” he said. “I have seen your chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and other appointees that I have seen here are so young. “Involving youths in governance is not just sending them to the social media for the campaign but engaging them in active governance the way you are doing here so, I commend you for what you are doing.” In his remarks, Bello thanked Wike for recognising his effort to include youths in governance. The Kogi governor added that he expects Wike to emerge as the presidential candidate of the PDP.

  The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has cleared Peter Umeadi for its presidential primaries for the 2023 election. Umeadi is the only presidential aspirant of the party cleared for the race according to a document signed by the Secretary of the party’s Presidential/ Governorship Screening Committee, Hon. Sly Ezeokenwa, and made available to Vanguard Newspapers in Abia. The party also cleared Professor Greg Ibe, Gen. Ijioma Ijioma (retd.), and Chief Chikwe Udensi for governorship primaries in Abia, while Chief Etigwe Uwa, SAN, was not cleared on the basis that ” he is not a party member”. APGA also cleared former Minister for Information, Chief Frank Nweke Jnr.; Donatus Ozoemena, Emeka Nnamani, and Donatus Udeh for Enugu State governorship primaries. Cleaners also are Joseph Waya and Priscilla Akaa for Benue State. The party also cleared Matthew Ombugaku for Nasarawa State. In a separate statement by the National Organizing Secretary, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, APGA said it would hold its ward congress for the election three-man ad-hoc committee on May 10, in each ward for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and Governorship primaries. It read in part:”For clarity, there shall be three separate ad-hoc delegates per Ward, for each of State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and Governorship primary election, bringing to 12 the total number of ad-hoc delegates per Ward. The National Working Committee will appoint a 3 man Ward Congress Panel for each State to organize, supervise and oversee the conduct of Ward Congresses as stipulated in Article 1(4) of the Electoral Guidelines.”

  The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has described Governor Kayode Fayemi’s presidential declaration in Abuja on Wednesday, as a “declaration of failure.” The PDP, while accusing the governor of wasting millions of naira belonging to Ekiti State on his presidential ambition, leaving entitlements of pensioners, salaries and deductions unpaid, challenged Fayemi to “tell Nigerians how well he has governed the state to qualify him as the president of Nigeria.” The party spoke in a statement titled, “Fayemi wasted millions of naira, Ekiti money to declare failure in Abuja – PDP” issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju. It said, “It is unfortunate that 95 per cent of those who attended the declaration were transported from Ekiti to Abuja on the bill of the state government. A presidential declaration that is 95 percent attendance from Ekiti should have been held in Ado Ekiti. “From information available to us, over N300 million Ekiti State money was spent on that declaration while more than N1 billion was spent on the governor’s consultation across the country,” the PDP stated. While faulting the governor’s claim that he would tackle security in Nigeria if elected president, the PDP said, “Ekiti State residents can no longer sleep with their eyes closed, most of the roads have been taken over by bandits who are kidnapping people at will and collecting cigarettes, noodles, can beer, sachet water and so on as ransom. “If Ekiti is not secured under Fayemi as the governor, how can Nigeria be secured under him as the president? Can the country afford to replace a tyrannical emperor like Buhari with Fayemi his alter ego? What will be the fate of the Nigerian workers under president Fayemi who takes pleasure in sacking workers as a state governor?” The PDP spokesman alleged that Ekiti State workers employed by the PDP governments were sacked by Fayemi’s All Progressives Congress government, claiming that when court ruled that the sacked workers be reinstated, Fayemi refused. The PDP queried, “Is that what he is coming to replicate as president of Nigeria?”

  Former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole on Wednesday declared for the 2023 presidential race. Declaring at Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture Abuja, the former Edo Governor said he is in the race to change the narratives for the good of all Nigerians. Details Shortly…

  Cross River state governor, Prof Ben Ayade has issued a 24 hours ultimatum to all political appointees who are interested in vying for political offices to resign between now and 12 noon on Thursday. Ayade who gave the directives through a release signed by his Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Mr Christian Ita stated that any political appointee serving in his government but desires to seek an elective position was at liberty to do so but must turn in their resignation on or before 12 noon of 5th May 2022. “Governor Ben Ayade has directed that any political appointee presently serving in his government but desires to seek elective position in the forthcoming 2023 elections is at liberty to do so. “He, however, added that such appointees should turn in their resignation on or before 12noon of 5th May 2022; and such letters should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government. Also, Gov Ben Ayade is set to carry out a major cabinet reshuffle in a bid to ensure that the administration indeed finishes strong as it enters the last lap of its lifespan. “Toward this end, Permanent Secretaries of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies are hereby directed to prepare to render, an assessment of the various political appointees in the MDAs.The assessments will be on attendance and the commitment of the appointees to work. “The Governor wishes to thank these political appointees for their invaluable service to the State and prays God to bless their future endeavours,” Ita stated. Recall that the All Progressives Congress APC, primaries will commence on May 17, 2022 with the State House of Assembly, which is exactly 13 days from now.

  The Senator representing Borno South in the red chamber, Ali Ndume, has said that the Northern region of Nigeria has more to gain from a Southern Presidency, which he described as “inevitable”. Ndume, who is a former leader of the Northern Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, insisted that the ruling matter must zone its 2023 Presidency to the Southern region comprising the South-West, South-East and South-South geopolitical zones. The Senator spoke on Tuesday when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme monitored by The PUNCH. The PUNCH had earlier reported that Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Tuesday, said the APC would ignite self-inflicted crises if it refused to unequivocally zone the 2023 Presidency to the South. Speaking on Tuesday, Ndume said, “I am a Nigerian, I am from the north and I believe in justice, equity and fairness. What Akeredolu said is my advice to the party. Even if they delayed it a bit, it doesn’t change the position; it is an inevitable one because the national chairman, in principle, not in writing was agreed from the north after the south has been the chairman. And as you can see, nobody contested the chairmanship of the APC from the south. “In 2015, when it was also agreed in principle that the presidency should come from the north, nobody from the South-West, South-South went into the contest. It’s not because there were no capable hands here but (it was) based on this principle. So, this time around, I don’t think that should change. “The principle of federal character is a constitutional matter. In fact, federal character is more encompassing than zoning; you zone based on federal character. “If APC zones it and it should zone it to the south, then other parties can zone it to wherever they want and it is Nigerians that would choose whoever they want. “Personally, I feel we will be better of with a President coming from the South. The current President comes from the North and if you look at it analytically, the South benefited more. So, if the President comes from the South, we (the North) will benefit more, just as we did previously under (then President Goodluck) Jonathan.” Ndume, who is from Borno State in the North, is leading the presidential campaign of a former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, from the South. Aside from Amaechi, other southerners in the APC presidential race include former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu; and former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has also emerged from the north while Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and some other northern aspirants have been reported to consider throwing their hats in the ring ahead of the party’s presidential primary later this month.