Politics
Plateau Northern Zone is PDP stronghold – PDP Chairman claims
The Chairman Plateau Northern Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Hon. Davou Mang has said the Northern Zone is the stronghold of the Party in the State and will do everything possible to ensure that APC is gone in 2023.
Mang stated this while addressing stakeholders, party leaders and elected Representatives during the first caucus meeting of Plateau North held on Friday in Jos.
He said the first caucus meeting is to engage the PDP stakeholders in the Northern Zone towards strengthening the party, reconcile agrieved members as well as unite members of the party to take over in 2023.
He noted that the party is taking serious measures to bring out a strong candidate to contest for the bye election for the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency seat.
According him, the meeting is a constitutional requirement and was organised to address stakeholders on affairs of the party.
Mang said that the meeting was also to listen to elected representatives on the platform of the party on what they have been doing.
“The meeting is also to promote unity among members and reposition the party to recapture power in 2023.
“We are here to discuss ways to move our party forward. We are family, meeting to discuss issues and resolve issues where they are needed to be resolved,’’ he said.
Senator Representing Plateau North Sen. Istifanus Gyang who also addressed stakeholders at the meeting said that the meeting was a platform to engage with the people as their representative.
Gyang said that he would soon have a midterm engagement with the people of the zone to present a report of the mandate given to him in the last two years.
“There is no local government in the zone that we do not have a standing project as physical proof of the mandate given to us by the people.
“We will be commissioning projects in this constituency very soon to mark midterm of the four years tenure,’’ he said.
The State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon. Chris Hassan who is also from Northern Zone said the PDP would zone the 2023 governorship ticket to where the people want.
Hassan said that the party has not taken the decision where its governorship candidate would come from.
“When the time comes the party caucus will meet and decide where the next governor will come from.
“We will zone to where the people want because this is People’s Democratic Party and we will zone base on acceptability of the people of the state,’’ he said.
On reconciliation of aggrieved members of PDP, Hassan said that the PDP has constituted committees from the ward to the state levels to reconcile them.
According to him, each political party has some people that may have some issues and they needed to be reconciled.
“This is necessary because everybody is important and we need all hands to be on deck so that we will take over Plateau state come 2023,’’ he added.
The caucus meeting had elders, party officials from the zones, national and state members elected on the party platform.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Anambra State, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, has declared his readiness to unseat Governor Charles Soludo in the upcoming November 8 election.
Ukachukwu, who emerged winner of the recently concluded APC primary in the state, made the statement after receiving his certificate of return from the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the APC national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists after the presentation, Ukachukwu criticized the continued dominance of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state, saying the people of Anambra are ready for a new political direction.
According to him, APC’s victory in the November election will mark the beginning of transformative governance and closer alignment with the federal government.
He said, “We are determined to get the best that can take Anambra state for the APC. Anambra needs to be connected to the centre for things to flow.
“Anambra state cannot be one party state any longer. We need to come to the centre to know what’s going on, so that our voices can be heard when decisions are being taken. Anambra is the heartbeat of the Igbo nation and cannot remain a one-party state because of selfish reasons.”
Addressing speculation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may back Governor Soludo’s re-election, Ukachukwu dismissed such claims as baseless.
“Those are lies wherever such talks are coming from. How can a President who always supports his party to win go and then say I will support somebody else instead.
“If APGA is sellable without the centre, why are they relying on the centre? This is the first time Soludo is bringing himself for election as a person. We will determine whether he is popular or not. We are ready for the battle. Don’t forget Mbadinuju did one term. What stops Soludo from doing one term?, he asked”
Ukachukwu also emphasized that his motivation for running stems from a desire to attract greater federal attention to Anambra State.
He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee for what he described as a transparent and credible primary election process.
He assured party members and supporters that the APC is more united than ever and will approach the November poll as a formidable and focused political force.
National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has turned down the Excellence in Leadership award set to be conferred on him by the Osun State Chapter of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES).
Basiru alleged that the Osun State Government manipulated the NES following the abrupt postponement of the award ceremony. He described the move as a result of undue political interference orchestrated by the state administration.
The NES, in a letter dated April 7, 2025, signed by its Chairman, Prof. Adeleke G. Aremo, and Secretary, Adewale Sam-Aliyu, had informed Basiru of the postponement of the event initially scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2025. The letter cited “unexpected turn of events, logistic and security complexities” as reasons for the decision. No alternative date was provided.
Rejecting the award, Basiru, through a letter signed by his Special Adviser on Legal and Political Strategy, Barrister Othuke Amata Aso, said the society had compromised the integrity of the recognition.
He lambasted the NES for what he termed unprofessional handling of the cancellation notice, calling the letter “convoluted” and “hastily prepared,” and faulted the society’s communication approach.
Basiru expressed disappointment at the sudden cancellation of the ceremony, criticizing the April 7 letter for its lack of coherence and clarity, and accused the society of hiding behind semantics by calling it a “postponement.”
He alleged that the real reason for the development was external interference, specifically from the Osun State Government. According to him, credible sources within the NES confirmed that pressure came directly from Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“The real reason for this shameful retreat is the undue pressure and shenanigans exerted by the Governor of Osun State, Mr. Ademola Adeleke, on the leadership of your society,” Basiru stated.
The APC scribe accused the Adeleke-led government of mediocrity and political vindictiveness, claiming that the move reflects the state administration’s lack of regard for merit and excellence.
Basiru, who admitted that he was initially skeptical about accepting the award due to his reservations about honorary recognitions, said he only agreed after encouragement from friends and colleagues.
However, in light of recent developments, he has now rejected the award outright, describing the actions of the NES Osun Chapter as a “stain on its reputation” and a betrayal of the values the society claims to uphold.
He advised the NES to find a way to restore its credibility and rise above external political pressures, asserting that true merit should not be “subverted by the whims of those in power.”
Stakeholders in Bauchi State, a political group operating under the aegis of Bauchi South Concern Citizens Movement and some pressure groups has advocated for Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar to succeed Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who is currently serving out his second tenure on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Tuggar, a Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s administration is from the Northern zone of the State which they said has not produced Governor since 1999.
The group which is an arm of the All Progressives Congress in a meeting in Bauchi to chart a way forward for governorship of APC fold, said, the ticket should be reserved for someone from the northern zone of the State.
The group tipped the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar from the northern zone of the State as properly fit to fly the governorship flag of APC in 2027 and urged him to aspire for the plum job.
Abudullahi Usman Matori, a chieftain of the APC and an elder statesman, speaking in the meeting on Monday, maintained that Bauch South has been producing governors since 1999 and it would be justified that the narrative should change in 2027 in the interest of justice and fairness.
He urged the party to work with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the northern zone produce the next governor as the State was not meant to be governed by people from the Southern zone alone.
“Our concern now is to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure success of Tuggar candidature in the APC and how the party will win the seat,” he said.
“For political fairness and inclusivity, the next Governor of the State should come from another zone, particularly the Bauchi North Zone, the seat is not for Bauchi South alone”.
He further adduced reasons for the choice of President Bola Tinubu’s Minister as saying that there was need to focus of the realization of Kafin Zaki Dam, exploration of oil in Kolmani, completion of the Waya Hydro power dam and other developmental projects which he added were strategic to the economic prosperity of the nation and the State.
Another Speaker, Bala Juwara and other stakeholders who spoke on the pedigree of Yusuf Maitama Tuggar were unanimous on his capacity to govern the State.
According to him, “Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in all the political offices he has held from Member of Representatives, Ambassador and presently, Minister has done so well for every segment of the State though he is from the Bauchi North Senatorial Zone.”
He urged members of the Group to embark on door to door consultantion and mobilization to ensure that he answered the call and declare interest in the gubernatorial ticket of the APC.
Also speaking, a former Chairperson of Bogoro LGC, Hon Simon Taimako commended the leadership of the group particularly in regards to uniting the people of the State irrespective of ethno-religious and political differences.
He declared his support for the call on Maitama Tuggar to aspire for the APC gubernatorial ticket stressing that he is the most qualified among the aspirants so far.
In her contribution, Hajiya Maimuna joined the call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to declare his aspirations for the gubernatorial ticket of the APC for 2027 stressing that he is most qualified for the seat.
She however lamented that women should not be neglected after the objective must have been achieved assuring that women will embark on massive mobilization to ensure that the Minister answered the call.
Chairman of Bauchi South Concern Citizens Movement, Musa G Khalid explained that the movement was formed in order to promote unity and peaceful coexistence in the State through relationship.
He stressed that, it is only fair to allow other zones of the State, particularly the North to produce the next Governor of the state stating that the Bauchi South Senatorial District has produced all the Governors since 1999.
Musa Khalid stressed that the person fitted for the gubernatorial ticket of the APC in 2027 is Yusuf Maitama Tuggar considering the fact that he is loved by all segments of the State.
According to him, “We in the group are convinced that Maitama Tuggar is most qualified to govern Bauchi State, his political pedigree is unequalled among his counterparts.”
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