Politics

Saraki To Youths: Don’t Bother Contesting 2023 Elections, It’s Too Late For You To Win

Published

3 years ago

October 5, 2021

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has warned that Nigeria, because of its population, can pose a bigger problem to the United Kingdom than Afghanistan, in case of a political stability.

Saraki, former Kwara State governor, also told youths nursing the ambition to run in the 2023 presidential election to shelve the idea.

Speaking at an event in Abuja, he added that he would not even want any youth with a sound mind to contest for political offices at this point because they still possessed some good values which would be corrupted before they win any election.

He said, “You have to give up some good values that you have to be able to be competitive,” the former Kwara State Governor said at the weekend during an Independence lunch with diverse Nigerian youths in Abuja.

“It is too late to win election. I will be very honest with you. The System is too rigid against you. You are a young guy, you don’t have money or network where are you going to start from?

“I don’t even want you to [contest] because you still have some good values. I don’t want you to be corrupted because for you to win you have to give up some good values that you have to be able to be competitive.

“I think the target now should be how to mobilise a similar mind to hold their voters card and vote. If that is the kind of voters, then the result will hold. I promise, if those are not the kind of voters, then everyone will try to manipulate the result.

“Until those of you that matter take it upon yourself and ask what kind of Governor, president, Senator you want, nothing can change.

“When you get the right kind of Governor and he knows you have the power to vote him out, you will have the chance to come into government because you would have built a pact.

“The point now is, politician don’t believe you can vote them out. If they believe you can vote them out, they will do the right things. Their own view is 9 months to election they will share the money and win election. If they know the vote is not about sharing money they will perform well.

“End SARS did not fail, it showed that the youth can participate and the best form of participation is through voting. I think the world is tired of the problem and dangers Nigeria could create. There are six million Nigerians that have the right to be in the UK.

“If Afghanistan was a problem then Nigeria is a bigger problem for the UK. Even for self-interest, it is in the best interest for UK to work because of the exodus that will go into those places if it doesn’t.

“The world is with us but we must put in place good governance and the right kind of voters that can do that are people like yourself. Not those who want N5000. If the guy that wants N5000 is more than you, then Nigeria is not going to change and we won’t have the right kind of leaders.”

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Headline

‘Of No Effect,’ PDP NWC Dismisses Ugochinyere’s Expulsion From Party

Published

1 day ago

December 8, 2024

The Pledge

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the expulsion of Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu by the leadership of the party in Imo State.

Ugochinyere who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives was suspended by the Ideato LGA chapter of the party in a letter dated December 5 for alleged indiscipline and anti-party activities.

But hours after the move, the PDP NWC nullified the expulsion in a statement by its spokesman Debo Ologunagba.

“The NWC declares the said purported expulsion as null and void and of no effect, not being consistent with the express provision of Sections 57 (7) and 59 (3) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down Rules of our great Party,” the PDP’s NWC statement read.

It cited Section 59 (3) and 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP to insist that “no Ward, Local Government or even State Chapter of the Party has the power to suspend, expel or discipline a member of the National Assembly in any form whatsoever without due recourse to the National Working Committee as provided by the Constitution of the PDP”.

December 7, 2024

Press Statement

PDP NWC Dismisses Purported Expulsion of Hon. Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu from Party

The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig has been drawn to the purported expulsion of Hon.… pic.twitter.com/8T2iu8KHZk

— Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) December 7, 2024

The PDP re-echoed that the party is “governed by strict adherence to the provisions of its Constitution and Rules” and said it would not let any individual “at any level to violate its Constitution and Rules under any circumstances whatsoever”.

“The NWC states that Hon. Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu remains a bona-fide member of the PDP with all rights, privileges, recognition, obligations and charges all leaders, critical stakeholders, members and supporters of our Party in Imo State and the nation to disregard the purported expulsion,” the PDP said.

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Politics

PDP expels Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere for anti-party activities

Published

2 days ago

December 7, 2024

The Pledge

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled the House of Representatives member from Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State and Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.

PDP expelled Ugochinyere over gross indiscipline, insubordination, and anti-party activities.

His expulsion was contained in a letter from the Ideato LGA chapter of PDP, dated December 5, 2024, and signed by the LGA Chairman, Hon. ThankGod Okeke, and the Secretary, Onyebuchi Umeh.

The letter was addressed to the state chairman of the party.

The expulsion followed the report of the party’s disciplinary committee, dated November 27, 2024, which investigated misconduct charges against Ugochinyere in line with Section 57 (1-4) of the PDP constitution 2017, as amended.

The lawmaker had been suspended at his Umuopia/Umukegwu ward on October 14, 2024, after failing to honor an invitation to appear before the ward Executive Committee on October 5, 2024, to answer allegations of disciplinary offenses, and ignoring reminders and further invitations sent to him on October 7, 2024.

The letter partly read: “Upon receipt of the report, the LGA Executive Committee of Ideato North met on December 5, 2024, and unanimously adopted the report of the disciplinary committee.

“In light of this, Hon. Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwonu is hereby expelled from the party (PDP) with immediate effect, and he ceases to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Umuopia/Umukegwu ward of Ideato North LGA.”

PDP found Ugochinyere guilty of deliberate failure to attend meetings and participate in activities of the party for a long time, in breach of Section 58 (1)(e) of the PDP constitution 2017, as amended.

He was said to have engaged in unauthorized publicity of disputes within the party, which contravenes Section 58(1)(i) of the party’s constitution. Additionally, he formed parallel executive and organs of the party in his ward, at the LGA, and at the national levels, which also breaches the party’s constitution.

The lawmaker was found guilty of consistently making derogatory and provocative public statements against the party and some of its national leaders, an action that brought the party to public ridicule.

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Politics

Reps Member Blames Defection Of LP Lawmakers On 2027 Polls

Published

2 days ago

December 6, 2024

The Pledge

A member of the House of Representatives, Benedict Etanabene, has faulted some members of the Labour Party for dumping the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Etanabene, who represents Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State, blamed the defection of the members on the 2027 general election.

He particularly said the lawmakers were concerned about the turnout of the recently held governorship elections in Edo and Ondo State that produced APC candidates as the respective winners.

According to the lawmaker, there is no crisis in the LP that would warrant the defection of the lawmakers to the ruling side.

“There is no leadership crisis in the Labour Party,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “If it is about those issues, I can tell you that the larger number of those who just left are people that believe in the leadership of Julius Abure.

“It is not only Labour Party. I am expecting the trend from other opposition parties. What happened in Edo and Ondo is frightening to the extent that in 2027, it is going to be business as usual for APC. They have started thinking of positioning themselves.”

When asked if it is a threat for him in 2027, the lawmaker said that nothing would make him dump the LP for another party.

The lawmaker lamented that votes do not count in Nigeria, calling for a change in the system.

He also urged politicians to embrace morality in politics and avoid dumping from a party that elected them into a political office.

Four members of the Labour Party Caucus in the lower chamber defected to APC on Thursday. The lawmakers are Chinedu Okere (Owerri municipal/owerri north/Owerri west constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar municipal/Odukpani constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo federal constituency of Edo).