Politics
2023: Benue APC, weak opposition, bereft of ideas – PDP
The Benue State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lampooned the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for mischief by its members ahead of 2023 gubernatorial election.
The party said, it has taken cognisance of mischievous and antics of members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state regarding the 2023 governorship race, saying that APC is weak and bereft of ideas in moving itself forward in Benue State.
Benue State Peoples Democratic Party was reacting to the purported claims that governor Samuel Ortom’s media aide, Terver Akase was interested in 2023 gubernatorial election.
PDP fingered the opposition party as being the brain behind posters of Terver Akase claiming to be interested in governorship, noting that there’s nothing to trade tackle, other than advising APC in the state to rebrand.
In a statement by Benue State Publiciry Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bemgba Iortyom, it said: “In one of such antics recently, the opposition party’s agents printed and published to the social media a 2023 governorship campaign poster in respect of Terver Akase who is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom.
“The Chief Press Secretary, Akase, has since distanced himself from, and condemned in totality such antics, making it clear that he is singularly focused on discharging the functions vested to him by his boss, the governor and will not in any wise be distracted by such foibles.
“Nevertheless, PDP, being his party and which emblem was used on the campaign posters, hereby makes it clear that it has anticipated such ploys from the opposition in the state on the way to the 2023 governorship.
“The party believe this is always the case with a weak opposition, the type APC has become in Benue, which, lacking in men, resources and ideas, is left with no weapon in its arsenal other than mischief-making.
Benue PDP enjoin its members to be wary that those antics are targeted at chafing at the bonds of unity and collective focus which hallmark out great party’s dominant standing in the state with a near-total hold on power.
“We advise that APC, rather than sink deeper in the mud of its failure, go back to the drawing board and reinvent itself, same way PDP did when it lost power in 2015 in Benue.
“We urge the opposition party to guide the survivors of its electoral shipwreck in 2019 to concern themselves less with such fruitless ventures as writing meaningless letters, and concentrate more on rebuilding their party which presently stands on the verge of extinction.
The immediate past deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State, Dr Emana Ambrose Amawhe has resigned her membership of the party with immediate effect.
In a letter dated 28th March, 2025 addressed to the Chairman of Edem Odo Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Council of Cross River State, she said, her resignation was with immediate effect.
She pointed out in the letter that her resignation should not be taken lightly, while she reaffirmed her commitment to and readiness to serve the government of Cross River and Nigeria in general in any capacities.
She said, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.
”I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me over time to contribute my quota to the growth of the party and the chance to serve as the Deputy Governorship Candidate in the last general elections.
”It was a privilege to be part of the PDP’s vision and engage with our people in meaningful ways. However, after much reflection in light of the current state of affairs within the party, I believe it is time for me to move on.
“This decision was not made lightly, but I remain committed to serving my community and contributing to the progress of our state and nation in other capacities.”
Ambrose-Amawhe was the running mate to Senator Sandy Onor in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River.
She had also contested for the House of Representatives seat for the Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South Federal Constituency under the PDP.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has defended the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state, citing escalating security threats.
According to Chief Okocha, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy due to increasing security concerns in various parts of the state.
Okocha made this statement while addressing journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Justifying the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency, Okocha commended the President for his “timely” intervention and criticized those opposing the decision.
“The state of emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. When you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements that promote lawlessness, then you should know there is a problem.
“I see some people jumping onto television platforms to cast aspersions on Mr. President and condemn what they do not understand. Mr. President knows more than they do.
“The truth of the matter is that Rivers State was headed towards anarchy. We all know Rivers is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of the same people criticizing the President now would have also condemned him if he had done nothing.”
Chief Okocha also questioned the silence of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when the Rivers State House of Assembly complex was demolished under Governor Fubara’s administration.
“Thank God, President Goodluck Jonathan has been president, General Obasanjo has been president, and they know that every day on their table, they receive security reports.
“I hear the NBA saying the suspension is an affront to democracy. But when the assembly complex was burned and the next day, eleven pieces of equipment were deployed to demolish it, the NBA was silent. They were alive, yet we didn’t hear anything from them”, he said.
Reacting to criticism over why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was not sanctioned despite allegations that he contributed to the unrest, Okocha argued that Wike was not involved in the crisis.
He said, “For those asking why the Governor and members of the State House of Assembly were suspended but not the Minister of the FCT—was he in the frame? The answer is no”
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
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