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Tag: consensus

  • Benue: PDP Guber Consensus Collapses as Aspirants Purchase Forms, Commence Campaigns

    Benue: PDP Guber Consensus Collapses as Aspirants Purchase Forms, Commence Campaigns

    By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi

    Following the collapse of the People’s Democratic party, PDP, Governorship consensus arrangement, some Guber Aspirants have commenced campaigns after purchasing expression of interest and nomination forms ready to participate in the party’s primary slated for May, 2022.

    It could be recalled that, the current Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Titus Uba was recently selected as the party’s consensus Aspirant by leaders of the 14 Tiv speaking Local Government Areas, comprising Benue North East and Benue North West.

    Day Break’s checks indicated that the current Deputy Governor of the state, Engr Benson Abounu has emerged the consensus Aspirant of the PDP from Benue South.

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom had contended that the party in the state will allow Aspirants vying for Governorship position to test their popularity during PDP primary if consensus arrangement failed.

    The Governor said this at the Government House Makurdi when members of the G9 and G14 who were coordinating and negotiating emergence of a consensus candidate presented report to him recently.

    One of the Aspirants who is stepping up efforts to realize his ambition to govern the state, Dr Paul Ubwa has fully commenced campaigns towards achieving this.

    The Aspirant who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pleasure Travels Group of Companies while addressing Kwande PDP stakeholders and delegates at Adikpo in Benue State pointed out that the decision to contest for Governorship of the state was borne out of his desire to serve the people and bring true dividends of democracy to them.

    “I have a clear vision for where I aspire the state to be, and Iam trusting God to execute this through mechanized agriculture, infrastructure development, improved healthcare services, improved security, education development, Industrial revolution and sports transformation.”

    Reacting to the consensus arrangement, Dr Ubwa noted that ” following the completion of the zoning process and the process of a consensus, Titus Uba emerged as the consensus candidate and was presented to all Aspirants. The Kunav people initially reacted by requesting for for time to consult among themselves and they returned from their consultations with reservations.”

    Continuing, the Guber Aspirant posited thus: ” Kwande was asked to comment, and speaking on behalf of Kwande, I noted that we accepted the decision of the party and would work with the Government to ensure the party’s victory in 2023. However if the Kunav people where the position was zoned to disagree with the party’s decision, then both the decision of the consensus candidate and zoning should be reversed and returned to Kwande because Kwande has a very ready candidate”.

    Day Break learned that since the PDP consensus arrangement has collapsed, Dr Paul Ubwa and Titus Uba among other Aspirants from Benue Noth Eest are to meet Deputy Governor, Engr Benson Abounu who is the consensus candidate from Benue South at primary.

  • Consensus: I’m not stepping down for any aspirant — Pius Anyim

    Consensus: I’m not stepping down for any aspirant — Pius Anyim

    A presidential aspirant and former Senate President, Senator Pius Anyim, Sunday, ruled out the possibility of stepping down for any aspirant ahead of the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    Senator Anyim, who spoke on radio programme tagged Political roundtable, monitored on Mainland 98.3fm, also expressed worry at the worsening rate of insecurity just as he promised to revive the economy when elected the country’s next President.

    He said: “Zoning is a constitutional matter in PDP, the worry I have is that some people may get away with it in the interim but on a long run, it will weaken that organization and the organization will not have power to protect its member, the fact that it’s a constitutional matter in the PDP.

    “As at today the committee report is yet to be considered by NEC, but they are holding this week, they are the only authority to take decision on zoning.

    “Whichever way it goes, I am in the race.

    “We have zoned the party office under this current dispensation, what we did was to zone north south, each region now went back and micro zone, micro-zoning within region.

    “If rotation is base on equity and fairness the north should allow it go to south why under zone within the south should allow it go to south east.

    South east have the prerequisite experience required,

    “There is no zone in this country today that you cannot find competent, capable and very ready that can make this country great.

    “We have very capable, experience, willing and ever ready that can make this country great. By the time we reduce our democracy to naira and kobo, then we are all guilty of setting our country back

    “We can work together so that nobody will say because we are too many fighting each other that is why it won’t come to us, we will work together to make sure we bring this to south east, who will represent is another issue we have not talk about.

    “If you look at what has happened in the north, the aspirants came together and said they need consensus, in the South East, among the aspirants, we are not talking about consensus yet, we may get to that level but it is not discussed yet, what is discussing is to make sure that the president slot come to south east.

    Consensus is in electoral act, no evil in it.

    The advantage I have over other aspirant from south east, I have national exposure.”

    While evaluating the APC-led government in the last seven years, he said: “Today insecurity has heightend to alarming proportion, banditry, kidnapping arm robbery among others. Economic has collapse, and joblessness have overtaking, we have never as divided as this as a country.

    “Everybody in this country is crying that they should return us to where we are in 2015.

    “For us in PDP our mission in 2023 is to rescue this country from total collapse.”

    On how to secure the nation, he said: “Two years ago I wrote an open letter to president that approaching insecurity from military angle is not enough, because with the downtown in the economy, the economy has shrank so small that our industries have collapsed, unemployment increased, our naira depreciated. You don’t expect people to sit back and die of hunger; they will want to grab any opportunity.

    “In resolving insecurity, there must be economic dimension, social dimension, and political dimension. When you rule a country in such a way that some sections are not important, they are not part of the government, generally, there will be reaction. Military aspect is also important.

    “In the next 15 years, oil economy will no longer be sustainable, if the industries have collapsed because of lack of direct foreign investment, naira will depreciate and unemployment will increase. I am against the level of borrowing this administration has done.”

    On what he do differently if given the ticket and win what, he said: “Nnigerians should expect an inclusive governance system that is responsive to the people, I will provide a type of leadership that will give everybody sense of belonging and commitment to this nation. I will unify this country. Some people think economics is the major problem; I will set a foundation to rebuild this nation on steady part of growth, prosperity and development.

    “I can assure Nigerians that I understand what the problems are and I can assure Nigerians that I have clarity of what needs to be done, I will segment them into three and tackle them political, social and economic. I can assure you that in the first one year of my administration, the difference will be clear.”

  • I’m Not A Party To Consensus — Wike

    Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State has said that he will never be a party to a consensus candidate in PDP as being bandied about.

    Wike spoke in Calabar when he came to consult the party for his presidential aspiration. He condemned those asking for consensus, saying all the aspirants should go to the field and work and the party must not condescend to accepting a consensus a candidate.

    “I am not for the hat rubbish called consensus. They came to me, and I have told them bluntly that I am not a party to it,” he said.

    Wike also maintained that he is emphatically running for the office of President and will not negotiate for even the office of Vice President with anybody.

    He said, “I am going round all the states in Nigeria to confirm that I will run for president of Nigeria. I don’t want to be recognised as a former presidential aspirant, but to run and win the presidential election.

    “I am not going to negotiate for Vice President but to win the PDP ticket and win the election. People have pressurised me to rather buy the ticket for Senate. But I said I am quite fit and ready for the race.

    “I am ready to demonstrate power; and power to win the election, nothing more. I have more energy to dissipate.”

  • 2023: Tambuwal, Bala, Saraki, Opts For Consensus

    2023: Tambuwal, Bala, Saraki, Opts For Consensus

    By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto

    … To Share Thoughts With Atiku Soon

    Gov. Bala Muhammad of Bauchi state on Sunday hosted his Sokoto state counterpart, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki to a consensus building initiative among aspirants of Northern extraction for the position of President under the aegis of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    This was contained in a release signed and issued to newsmen by the Special Adviser on media and Publicity to the governor Muhammad Bello.

    The trio, all seeking the nomination of the PDP to run for the seat of Nigeria’s President, met for about two and half an hours in Government House, Bauchi.

    At the close of the meeting they posited that it is their considered resolution that against the backdrop of the failure of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to provide good governance, all those seeking to be President under the PDP should unite and rally round one candidate.

    The triumvirate from the three geopolitical zones in the Northern part of the country- North-Central, North-East and North-West also agreed that at a later date they will visit former President Atiku Abubakar, himself another presidential aspirant from the North, to brief him on the outcome of their brainstorm.

    Saraki who briefed journalists after the meeting said: “we appreciate that all of us have shown ambition but only one person could lead.”

    “For this reason, we decided that we should all embrace consensus going forward in order to make things easier for our party’s stability,” Saraki stated.

    He pointed out that their convergence, taking cognizance of the sorry state of the country and its people, which the APC is not ready to alleviate, are convinced that the PDP must lead the way in the March to rescue the country in 2023.

    He asserted that although all of them seeking the numero uno position are all qualified to contest, “we are ready to sacrifice our ambitions.”

    “We have agreed to put our heads together and see how best to provide leadership and direction for this country, its unity, stability and progress.

    “These are more important than our individual ambitions, thus the need for us to work together,” he emphasized.

    “Today is momentous. The PDP is ready because what is important is Nigeria. Whatever we do, Nigeria should come first,” the former Senate President further added.

    While Governor Tambuwal was accompanied by the former Deputy Governor of Zamfara state, Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau and a Chieftain of the PDP in Sokoto state, Engr Bello Suleiman, Saraki came along with the former national Chairman of the PDP,
    Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and others.

    The Deputy Governor of Bauchi state, Engr Baba Tela was also present at the press briefing.

  • APC Governors Reach Consensus, Consider Akume as Chairman

    APC Governors Reach Consensus, Consider Akume as Chairman

    By Joyce Babayeju

    After days of confusion and discordant tunes, there are strong indications that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have finally agreed to zone the party’s national chairmanship position to the North Central ahead of the party’s national convention.

    It was reported that a meeting of the Progressive Governor’s Forum (PGF) convened on Tuesday to deliberate and arrive at a consensus after which they would communicate their decision on the knotty issue of consensus and zoning of party offices, ended in deadlock.

    As of Tuesday, the APC governors were said to be divided on whether to zone the national chairmanship position to either the North Central or North East.

    But at their meeting which continued on Wednesday, the governors eventually settled for the North Central to produce the party’s national chairman.

    A dependable source at the meeting of the governors which was also attended by some prominent party stakeholders, told this paper that the progressive governors also zoned the party’s deputy national chairman and national secretary positions to the South.

    The party leaders and governors from the South are expected to meet and take a stand on micro-zoning the deputy national chairman and national secretary positions, even as it was learnt that the South East and South South are favoured for these positions.

    It was also gathered that the APC governors may have tipped one of the aspirants from the North Central, George Akume, a former governor of Benue State and current minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, as the consensus candidate for national chairman position.

    Our source who did not want his name in print because he was not authorised to speak on the outcome of the governors’ meeting said, “Yes, the governors have finally agreed on zoning. They resolved that the national chairman should go to the North Central, while the South should produce the deputy national chairman and the national secretary at the forthcoming national convention.