Marafa’ll bury himself in shame – Zamfara APC Chairman

Alhaji Tukur Danfulani, the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara, has described recent political comments against President Bola Tinubu by Sen. Kabiru Marafa as unfortunate. Danfulani, in a statement he issued in Gusau on Thursday, described the comments by Marafa as an action of selfish motives. He said: “We, therefore, call on Marafa to come to Zamfara and reassess his popularity among the electorate, I believe he will bury himself in shame. “Marafa’s unguarded utterances are just out of frustration of loosing election and his inability to secure appointments in President Bola Tinubu administration. “Ordinarily, if not because Marafa touched Mr President in his uncivilised manner, we would not have responded to a lower and rejected politician like him.” According to Danfulani, the State APC leadership had listened to the recent interview granted by Marafa, threatening to reduce one million votes from Tinubu’s 2023 votes. “I would like to address that by telling the Nigerian public that apart from being disgraced from the Senate by his constituents in 2019,  he has not recovered from his dementia. “Even in the 2023 polls where he made uncorroborated  calls on the 2023 elections, it should be noted that Marafa could not even win his constituency in the same elections. “Talk less of securing the votes which largely came through the faith the electorate have in the party and in Matawalle, Yari and other respected party leaders in the state,”the chairman said. Danfulani recalled that Matawalle, the present Minister of State for Defence now, served as the Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council for the whole of North-West and initially to doubled as the Zamfara Coordinator. “Matawalle honourably suggested that the Zamfara coordination should be given to Marafa but unfortunately, he, Marafa did not merit it. “Having lost everywhere, Marafa who insisted he be given a high ranking position in the government, began to create one problem or the other. “He sometimes used alliances with other trouble makers who would also leave him immediately they discovered his selfish motives,” he added. Danfulani said that the APC supporters in Zamfara had grown wiser and more loyal to political leaders like Matawalle, Yari and many others who were carrying them along. “That was why the party won the just- concluded Kaura Namoda South State House of Assembly by-election with a wide margin against the runner up (PDP). “This was without any input from the likes of Marafa who tried to sabotage APC’s chances of winning through anti-party maneuvers that didn’t work for them. “It’s laughable that Marafa who couldn’t win even his ward of Yandoton Daji or his local government of Tsafe or his central constituency, could boast of reducing one million votes out of President Bola Ahmed’s votes of 2023.” “The question is, from where Marafa will get these votes, because the entire Zamfara votes in 2023 were not close to one million votes, except if he is going to use his bragging nature. “So, I want the public to consider Marafa as just a l@me dog that can only bark but without any tooth to bite,”Danfulani added. He said that what was expected from Marafa during the interview was to tell the world how many votes he secured himself and that of his opponent in the last election. “He should have done this before talking about reducing President Bola Tinubu’s votes while peddling lies and propaganda that are dead on arrival,” Danfulani further said.

Kaduna Guvnor cautions APC, says grassroots, not social media win elections

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has cautioned All Progressives Congress (APC) members against relying on social media propaganda, stressing that elections are not won on X, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. He made the remark on Monday during an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna, following the party’s victory in Saturday’s bye-election. Sani said while the opposition focused on “X battles and Facebook noise,” the APC concentrated on grassroots mobilisation, inclusivity, and effective governance, which delivered the party’s electoral success. “There is no ballot box on Twitter. There is no ballot box on Instagram or Facebook. Elections are won at the grassroots, not online,” he stressed. The governor insisted that propaganda could never secure electoral victory, adding that only governance, inclusivity, and people-centred policies could sustain the APC in power. “Our opponents fought a propaganda battle, but we fought a political battle. They lost because the people know who truly works for them,” he declared. Sani told stakeholders that Saturday’s victory was historic, especially in communities where the APC had never won since 1999, attributing it to deliberate investment in rural empowerment and agriculture. “Before now, some communities never voted for our party. Today, they stood with us because they saw inclusivity. We defended everyone, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or party,” he said. He noted that Kaduna had reclaimed over 500,000 hectares of abandoned farmlands and emerged a leader in maize, tomato, and ginger production, boosting farmers’ livelihoods. According to him, agricultural policies supported by strong budgetary allocations had restored hope to rural dwellers, proving that grassroots voters are the people who truly matter. Sani also urged party leaders not to abandon the APC manifesto, warning that 2027 success depended on maintaining close ties with communities. “Party first, politics second. We must not neglect our wards and councils. If we remain with the people, no party can defeat us,” he stated. APC State Chairman, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (rtd.), commended the governor’s inclusive leadership style and praised stakeholders for ensuring the party’s victory in the bye-election. He expressed optimism that with unity, the APC would further consolidate its hold on power in 2027. 

Matawalle donates N500m to Zamfara APC supporters

Former governor and Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle has donated N500 million to supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara. The Special Adviser to the Minister on Political Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmaliki made the disclosure at a news briefing on Friday in Gusau. Danmaliki said a total of 2,800 APC supporters and beneficiaries drawn from the 14 Local Government Areas of the state received N100,000 each. He added that 114 political office holders from six local government area of Maradun, Bakura, Talata Mafara, Anka, Bukkuyum and Gummi received N250,000 each. READ ALSO: Amid Natasha controversy, senate reaffirms confidence in Akpabio Media reports indicate that the six benefiting council areas form Zamfara West, are from the minister’s senatorial zone. Danmaliki said that 80 beneficiaries were also selected from the rest of the area councils including Shinkafi, Birnin-Magaji, Kaura-Namoda, Maru, Zurmi, Tsafe, Gusau and Bungudu. According to him, the beneficiaries also included the vulnerable, women, youths and the physically challenged. He said the minister made the package cash to compliment the gesture of other party chieftains that shared food items and clothing materials. He said the cash would assist beneficiaries meet other obligations in terms of purchases during the holy month of Ramadan.

As party stalwarts pass vote of confidence, Tinubu promises to work harder

Assuring that the Nigerian economy was on the road to recovery, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday reaffirmed his resolve to put in more effort for the sake of the nation. The President spoke in Abuja at the All-Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee meeting, during which he received a vote of confidence for his administration’s good performance. He said that the party’s top decision-making body’s praise was an exhortation to strive even harder. He pledged to keep the party loyal. READ ALSO: Five candidates to contest for AfDB presidency “I am happy with your vote of confidence, and I accept it. The vote is a challenge to do more work; we will vigorously pursue our sovereignty in food security, investment and development. “I am happy with food prices coming down, especially as Ramadan approaches. The Sun is high, and the sky is bright outside. While the rest of the world unravels, we see growth in Nigeria. We are seeing a gradual return to stability. We are seeing improvements. I thank you, governors, ” President Tinubu said. President Tinubu thanked Nigerians for their continued belief and trust in the All-Progressives Congress (APC). He pledged to continue working assiduously with other arms of government to ensure the greater good for Nigerians and commended APC governors and executives for their continued and unwavering commitment. “I’m grateful to all Nigerians for the electoral successes recorded from one state to the other. Governors, you have embraced these changes, and I thank the leadership of our party. I also thank members of the National Assembly for expeditiously considering the budget. “We can only build the party on a progressive platform to deliver good service to Nigerians. The President also commended the party’s National Working Committee for its performance and called for measures to end some of the crises in the states. “The National Working Committee is doing a very good job; I am pleased with them. However, there are a few conflicts in the various states. Let’s set up committees to look into the lingering problems in the states and appeal to these party leaders in various states to please be calm and be collaborative,” the President said. The party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, thanked members for their steadfastness in the face of challenges and assured them that the party would continue to deliver on its electoral promises. “Though the journey has been very challenging for us as a ruling party, given the big task we have at hand and the expectations from Nigerians, We can sufficiently submit that we have collectively risen to the occasion and challenges,” he said. President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Tinubu in lifting the nation from its economic and developmental woes. READ ALSO: CSO’s allege powerful elites depleting Nigeria’s mineral resources “The Senate will expeditiously pass bills that would enhance our national development, improve the economy and redirect our national pathway,” he said. Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas commended the President for his vision and courage in making unpopular but essential decisions. He said the decisions were pivotal for Nigeria’s developmental efforts. The APC National Executive Council meeting took place a day after the party’s caucus meeting on Tuesday night. At the Caucus meeting, party leaders also praised President Tinubu’s administration for turning the economy around, with GDP growing by 3.84 per cent in the last quarter of 2024 and inflation going downhill.

Peter Obi and Tinubu’s APC’s morbid line

My brother and friend Emeka Duru, a member of the reverred Nze na Ozo fraternity in Orlu, Imo state, said in the title of his article last week in the Niche online publication that ‘Peter Obi is not the issue’ afflicting the floundering regime of Nigeria’s president, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his special purpose All Progressives Congress (APC) clueless ruling party. In the old order, unblemished integrity and fidelity to the truth are some of the irreducible minimums for admission into the Igbo Nze na Ozo clan. Sadly, these requirements for membership appear to be receding as some young men of dubious character and questionable wealth have invaded that rarefied association ostensibly in their quest for legitimacy, relevance and acceptance. Today, many Igbo men and youngsters who are living thousands of kilometres away from the Igbo homeland simply send money home to their relatives to purchase the title of Nze or Ozo, and membership of the club. But I know Nze Emeka Duru. I know he lives here and he associates closely with the people of the ancient Orlu Kingdom where he comes from. He is honest, he is truthful, to the extent that any typical human being can be. If he makes a mistake it will be that of the heart, not the head. And he made a mistake in the title of his article which I referenced above when he wrote that Peter Obi was not the issue. The blurb in the said article which I alluded to said Nigerians needed issues of hunger and poverty holding them down to be tackled. That they needed assurances of a better future for their children. That they needed adequate security for their businesses and properties. That these were the issues that matter to the citizens. The point is that these things enumerated by Duru are exactly the issues that Peter Obi speaks to, and hammers on, to the discomfiture of our current rulers. And because those are the issues that Obi forcefully and relentlessly calls attention to, he has become an irritant to this band of insensitive rulers. He has, therefore, become the issue. So Peter Obi is the issue. They ignore him at their own peril. They take him out also at their own peril. Head or tail they lose. The rulers are in-between and in-betwixt. “So what happened recently with Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, was natural and expected, though weird. It’s typical that when one party in a debate loses the argument, they resort to abuse, intimidation, threat, and violence – first verbal and then physical violence. Morka and his band in the APC are at the first stage of verbal violence. And what they have done was to serve a notice that their regime will not be shy in moving to the next phase. The use of the phrase “crossing the line” by Morka on Obi was intentional, thought – through, deliberate, and collectively considered and agreed upon by the APC enforcers and executioners.” Obi is not a typical Nigerian politician in spite of his being a two -term governor of the south east state of Anambra, and a presidential running mate at another election. So when after the Nigerian Supreme Court legalised the controversial, some would say fraudulent, 2023 presidential election, and Obi said he would not abandon the pursuit of his quest for the realisation of a better Nigeria, not many people took him seriously. The expectation was that he would grumble and make noise for a few months, slip into oblivion, lose traction with his base of mostly young people, go abroad to catch his breath and attend to his health and business, and possibly return close to the next election in 2027 to once more stake his claim to the presidency. None of the expectations came to pass. And no sitting regime, especially that which has been burdened with a lingering perception of illegitimacy, and so many warts and baggage, will not feel irritated and angry at the ‘effrontery’ of Peter Obi. Not many rulers in a third world country like Nigeria will be comfortable with any citizen calling them out for inflicting pains and privations on the vast majority of the people. How can a man whom the electoral agency and the courts had judged that his alternative vision for the country had been rejected by the Nigerian electorate remain so popular and relevant? How could it be that the voice of the same man who was said to have been spurned by the majority of the voters still carried so much weight and resonated across the country two years, next month, after the election? It’s irreconcilable. It just does not make any sense. He should be stopped. The high decibel ‘noise’ from a man with a naturally tiny voice must be muzzled. So what happened recently with Felix Morka, national publicity secretary of the APC, was natural and expected, though weird. It’s typical that when one party in a debate loses the argument, they resort to abuse, intimidation, threat, and violence – first verbal and then physical violence. Morka and his band in the APC are at the first stage of verbal violence. And what they have done was to serve a notice that their regime will not be shy in moving to the next phase. The use of the phrase “crossing the line” by Morka on Obi was intentional, thought – through, deliberate, and collectively considered and agreed upon by the APC enforcers and executioners. For them it is enough for Obi. Words carry weight and meaning. It’s especially so in a fledgling anti-democratic dispensation such as ours is rapidly turning into. It does not matter whether the threatening words and warnings were muttered in a sober or in a menacing manner. And in this instance, Morka was menacing. He could not hide the fact that the APC is frustrated by the rankling failures of its successive administrations since 2015, first with that serial

PDP Leadership Faces Internal Conflicts as Factions Suspend Key Members

Some observers however, express the view that these officials are merely puppets dancing to a drumbeat outside the PDP. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is experiencing a leadership tussle as factions within its National Working Committee (NWC) clash. The camp led by the acting National Chairman, Illiya Damagum, recently suspended two key officials—National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade. This action follows the constitution of a committee headed by Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate alleged violations by the suspended officers. In response, the other faction, associated with Ologunagba, retaliated by suspending Damagum and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu. This group accused Damagum and Anyanwu of undermining the party’s position in a court case involving former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. They cited breaches of the party’s constitution and referred the matter to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action. The situation has escalated with new acting officials appointed: Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga as Acting National Publicity Secretary and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha as Acting National Legal Adviser. The factions appear determined to consolidate power, indicating deeper divisions within the PDP as both sides prepare for further investigations and disciplinary proceedings. Meanwhile, some observers express the view that these officials are merely puppets dancing to a drumbeat by an active offset interested party. Those who express this view cite the squabble in the Labour Party, the second runner-up in the 2023 presidential election as evidence that a vested interest is masterminding these conflicts in order to weaken the opposition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Enugu Rerun-Election: Labour Party Calls For Cancellation

The Labour Party, LP, has described the House of Representatives re-run election in Igbo-Eze/Udenu federal constituency, Enugu State, as a sham and called for a total cancellation of the exercise. The national secretary of the party, Umar Farouk, who led its monitoring team to polling stations involved in the by-elections on Saturday, told journalists that due process was not followed. He said that accreditation was compromised, result sheets were hijacked, and BVAS machines were disregarded while voters were not allowed to exercise their right to vote. The LP national secretary, who addressed the press in the company of the party’s House of Representatives candidate, Dennis Agbo, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately cancel elections in areas where illegalities have been reported. In his comments, Dennis Agbo also called for the immediate and total cancellation of the supplementary election. He accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of using the local government vigilante to intimidate LP supporters. Agbo said LP members were chased away from polling booths by the local vigilantes and further alleged that INEC officials took instructions from PDP officials and allowed voting to take place in private houses.

PDP Gets New Women Leader

Amina Arong has emerged National  Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Her appointment is coming after the death of the former leader, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe  Stella died on October 29, 2023. National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Debo Ologunagba described Arong as a prominent women mobilizer.  He expressed confidence that she would bring on board her intellectual capacity as well as experience as a women leader. Arong is from Cross River. She holds a Diploma in Banking and Finance and a B.Sc. in Accounting. “The PDP congratulates and tasks the new national women leader to deploy her capacity and experience in working with other members of the National Working Committee for the continuing stability, growth and success of our great Party”, the statement added.

Benue APC Chairman Suspended

The Benue State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Augustine Agada, has been suspended by the party’s leadership in Ehaje Ward 1 in Owukpa, Ogbadibo Local Government Area of the state. Agada and a ward member of the party were both passed votes of no confidence, effective immediately. The decision, made following the consideration of a petition by Comrade Dan Onjeh, the party’s 2023 Senatorial Candidate, accuses Agada of engaging in anti-party activities during the recent general elections. Citing provisions from the APC Constitution, the ward leadership listed seven grounds for Agada’s suspension. These included his failure to appear before the Ward Disciplinary Committee to address allegations, compelling evidence of working against the party’s interests, campaigning for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Sen. Abba Moro, and losing his polling unit in key elections. The Ehaje Ward 1 leadership also alleged Agada withheld funds provided by the APC at the national level for logistics and election day activities. Additionally, Agada faces accusations of tampering with the list of APC election agents to undermine the party at the polls. The suspension, based on irrefutable evidence presented in the petition, was endorsed by the Ward Disciplinary Committee and subsequently discussed by the APC Ehaje Ward 1 Expanded Exco. The expanded Exco, invoking Article 17 sub-sections V and Vi of the party constitution, passed a vote of no confidence on Agada, suspended him immediately, urged relevant party organs to acknowledge the decision, and advised Agada to refrain from presenting himself as a party member or holding the position of Benue State Party Chairman.

Former Speaker Bright Omokhodion withdraws from APC governorship race

The former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bright Omokhodion, has officially withdrawn from the race for the governorship on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Omokhodion, a top-level contender from Edo Central Senatorial District, announced his decision citing gross discontent with the screening committee’s skewed screening process of APC governorship candidates. The withdrawal was made public in a statement personally signed by Omokhodion. His words: “Compatriots, I wish you a blessed season’s best. It has become imperative to inform you that due to my gross discontent with the SKEWED screening process of APC governorship candidates by the screening committee, I am withdrawing from the 2024 Edo Governorship race. “This decision is purely the outcome of consultation with my campaign team; we have jumped many hurdles and impediments in our quest but regrettably reached this decision after a stormy meeting. “I must thank all of you for sharing in my vision and desire for a greater and productive Edo of our dreams. I will in due course advise our followers of the next line of action, while we continue to support the aspirations of my party, APC. “Once again, thank you for keeping the SMILES-VISION project alive.”