Global Naija Info

Ali Modu Sheriff, right, sacked Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt The Peoples Democratic Party plunged into deeper crisis on Saturday after the Port Harcourt group defied the party’s interim chairman and went ahead to hold its ‘national convention’. Simultaneously in Abuja, old guards of the party, led by Professor Jerry Gana and Senator Ibrahim Mantu held their own ‘National Convention’ as well. The Port Harcourt show was more dramatic as the party’s 12 governors and deputy senate president openly defied Sheriff’s advice that the convention be abandoned because of the court order stopping it and another order stopping the party from filling the positions of chairman, secretary and national auditor. Apparently sensing his isolation, he walked out of the Sharks Stadium venue of the convention to hold a press conference, while the rebel governors went ahead to stage the much advertised event. PDP caretaker committee members It smelled like a coup as the ‘convention’ proceeded to sa...

President Buhari : his policies unwittingly hurting the poor people David O. Kuranga In a series of damaging policies aimed at increasing Nigeria’s revenues and cutting cost, Buhari and the APC have placed the entire financial burden of uplifting Nigeria on the backs of the nation’s poor. The Buhari “progressive” administration has moved to increase electric tariffs, raise stamp taxes on account deposits of 1000 naira, proposed a cell communication tax, and deregulated fuel resulting in a price hike. Looking at the impact of Buhari’s policies, it is clear that his administration is intent on forcing the masses and the poor to pay for Nigeria’s economic woes while the fabulously wealthy in Nigeria continue to pay very little, if anything at all. The wealthy can afford to pay a little extra in electric costs, since many of them own large private generators at their homes and offices. Further, stamp taxes on deposits as small as 1000 naira, will impact the small account holders, forc...

Ali Modu Sheriff, PDP national chairman The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it will repeat its congresses in seven states where it encountered challenges during the conduct of the exercises. The Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, announced the decision in a communiqué issued at the end of the 71st meeting of PDP National Executives Committee (NEC) held in Abuja on Tuesday. He listed the states affected as Sokoto, Zamfara, Lagos, Yobe and Anambra. “These congresses will be revisited unless the leaders and people affected look at it and resolve to the satisfaction of everybody, otherwise the congresses will be repeated,’’ Sheriff said. He said NEC with the Board of Trustees (BoT) and other stakeholders of PDP resolved that the party would hold its national convention in Port-Harcourt on Saturday as planned. “We also resolved that at the convention NEC will take a resolution that the party’s presidential candidate will come from the north. “We also state that the PDP ...

Prof Jerry Gana The Board of Trustees (BOT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed support for the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to continue with the May 21 national convention in spite of all reservations. Chief Ojo Maduekwe, the newly elected Secretary of PDP BOT, made the position known in Abuja on Monday while briefing newsmen on the resolutions of the committee’s meeting. Maduekwe said that the decision was made at the BOT’s meeting in Abuja on Monday with a view to make PDP stronger. “In spite of the well-articulated reservations by well-respected and articulate elders and members that the convention should not go ahead, the BOT has decided to support the NWC that our national convention should hold on May 21. “Secondly, that all the grievances that have been well articulated by well-meaning elders and interest groups would be clearly look into in the process of party reconciliation to see how we can carry everybody along.” Maduekwe said that the grieva...

Chief Tunji Shelle, PDP Chairman, Lagos State Lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) in the Lagos State House of Assembly have appealed to party leaders to close ranks ahead of the forthcoming state’s council polls. They said that if the party chieftains failed to work as a team but divided, it would rob the party of electoral fortunes in the forthcoming council polls. They made this plea on Saturday in Lagos following the State Congress held at the party’s secretariat on Friday in Ikeja by a faction of the party. According to them, the party must show its readiness for future elections rather than fanning the embers of disunity and personal interest through imposition of candidates. A lawmaker, Mr Jude Idimogu (PDP-Oshodi/Isolo II) in the House urged the party’s chieftains to close ranks and sheathe their swords to build a formidable party. “Factions will never help the party, it will create divisions but if all factions come together and have consensus candidates ...

Jethro Ibileke/Benin:An aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that it would be a sin against God and the people of the state, if he refused to work for Edo people after the tenure of incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Obaseki who allegedly has the backing of Oshiomhole for his ambition, stated this on Friday in Benin at the public declaration of his intention to run on the platform of the APC. He declared: “It will be a sin against God and my people if I walk away from Edo State with the knowledge and experience that I have gathered. It will be unpatriotic not to stand and be counted. Over the last thirty years, I have had successful experience in the private sector and over the last seven years I have been part of the most successful administration in Nigeria. As this administration comes to an end, we are faced with new challenges. As you all know the price of crude oil has reduced si...

Ali Modu Sheriff, PDP national chairman The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended its South West zonal congress scheduled for May 14, in line with the order of a Federal High Court in Lagos. The National Secretary of the party, Prof. Adewale Oladipo stated this while addressing newsmen on Friday in Abuja. Oladipo said that the South West re-elected Zonal Secretary of PDP, Chief Gbenga Otemolu, had approached the court urging it to stop the congress, arguing that the current executives in the zone were yet to complete their tenure. He said that Otemolu went to court on behalf of his colleagues, insisting that they were elected in 2014, and that their four years tenure as specified in the party’s Constitution, would end till 2018. “We are in receipt of an order from the Federal High Court in Lagos which had ordered us to put a stop to the exercise, pending when the case filed is heard and resolved. “As a law-abiding political party, we have been served this order. “I, as ...