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Trouble as APC leaders reject Akpabio as political leader

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South-South women mount pressure on Akpabio

 

Members of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom state have frowned at the attempt by the national leaders of the party to crown former senate minority leader, senator Godswill Akpabio, as the state leader of the party.

Prince Emmanuel Sam, a stalwart of the APC, on Thursday, said, they can not accept Akpabio as their leader.

“We can not be led by a man who was brutal to us. We have not forgotten that his brutality costs the lives of some members of the defunct ACN who dissolved into what is called APC today. He can never lead us. We will resist it”.

Sam was among members of the party who reacted to Akpabio’s repeated declaration of himself as leader of the party and his wife, Ekaette Unoma, as “mother of APC” in Akwa Ibom state during his reception rally in Ikot Ekpene.
Akpabio was officially received into the APC by the National leader of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday 8th August.

The former Governor repeatedly used the phrase, “under my leadership in the party” in a remark he made extemporaneously to confirm his acceptance of membership of the party.

Members of the party believe that Akpabio’s repeated announcement of himself as leader of the party cowed the national chairman of the party into calling Akpabio the leader of the party without a second thought.

Also, Obong Mike Edem, a chieftain of the APC from Itu said right thinking persons in the party can not indulge Akpabio to superintend over them.

He explained that it will be a broad self contradiction for Akpabio who left the PDP because a new entrant was rewarded over those who stood by the PDP in her trying times, to want to be rewarded over those who laboured and built the APC over the years.

“He can not be our leader. He will be contradicting himself, because he can not reject a skewed reward system which favours newcomers in his former party, yet wants to be rewarded in APC through similar skewed arrangement”.

Edem insisted that Akpabio should not be given preference over senator Nelson Effiong, another APC senator from the state who joined the APC earlier or the 2015 governorship candidate of the state who have been around longer than Akpabio.

“Currently, Akpabio does not have any leadership position which makes him superior to the other senator. When he resigned his position as senate minority leader, he became but an ordinary senator. There are other people in the party who have been senators before, who are more knowledgeable in party leadership and administration than Akpabio”.

The party stalwart said reasonable members of the party will not work with Akpabio.

“We will not work with Akpabio. He persecuted us out of the PDP. When some of us left, Akpabio led the PDP to doom. Now, PDP is no more, he is coming to destroy the APC in the pretext of coming to build”.

He insisted that the APC will fail just as her main opposition, the PDP,  if the party leadership takes to celebrating and rewarding newcomers over old members who have kept faith with the party over the years.

Also, a group, Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch says the APC will be more disunited under Akpabio if he is made leader of the party in the state as rumoured.

The group at a press conference addressed by her chairman, Mr. Innocent Sylvanus, on Thursday, warned that many people who left the PDP to the APC because of Akpabio’s impunity can not work again with Akpabio.

“It will be a disaster to allow Akpabio lead the party. We want the national leader and chairman of the party to know this”.

“We left PDP because of the kind of impunity Akpabio dished out to us. There is no guarantee that he has changed, so he will bring on the same kind of impunity he used which killed his former party”, Sylvanus added.

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to instruct the national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to convene the state caucus of the party for the purpose of choosing a state leader that will be accepted by all members.

It was gathered that very senior members of the APC in Akwa Ibom state are not happy over the seeming preference the national leadership of the party attempts to accord senator Godswill Akpabio.

‘It is unnecessary. It will split the party. He can not lead us’, a caucus member of the party in the state said on Wednesday.

Many members of the APC were killed in Ikot Ekpene in 2011 during a gubernatorial campaign. It is believed that the killings were masterminded by supporters of the PDP. No one has been charged for the killings.

Akpabio’s administration caused the arrest and detention of the 2011 governorship candidate of the party, senator John Udoedehe, over trump up charge of arson.

Senator Akpabio during his reception on Wednesday pleaded for forgiveness from those he offended who are already in the party.

Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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Rivers Crisis: Pro-Democracy Group Demands Reversal of LGA Appointments, Urge Tinubu To Rein in Sole Administrator

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Budget Constraints, Infrastructure Woes Stall Diplomatic Deployment

 

Citizens for Democratic Watch (CDW), a pro-democracy group, has condemned the appointment of administrators for the 23 local government areas in Rivers State by the sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, describing it as “a dangerous abuse of power and a direct attack on the constitution”.

This latest action, which came just 24 hours after a federal high court restrained Ibas from making such appointments, has triggered widespread concern over what CDW calls “the rapid erosion of democratic institutions under the guise of emergency governance”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Dr Hassan Dantani, Executive Director of CDW, called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene before the situation spirals out of control.

“Appointing 23 sole administrators in clear defiance of a federal court order is not only unlawful — it is tyrannical,” Dantani said.

“No state of emergency gives anyone the license to override the judiciary, erase local governance, and act above the law. This must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Dantani noted that the local government system is a constitutionally recognised tier of government, and any attempt to run it without democratic structures sets a very dangerous precedent.

“This action by Ibok-Ete Ibas is a grave violation of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the system of democratically elected local government councils,” he said.

“Our democracy cannot function if unelected individuals are imposed to run local governments under military-style appointments.”

CDW warned that if allowed to stand, the appointments could embolden future political actors to trample on the rule of law and weaken the judiciary.

“The blatant disregard for a valid court order should alarm every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation,” Dantani said.

“When leaders ignore court rulings and impose their will, what remains of the rule of law? If we allow this to stand in Rivers, it could happen anywhere else.”

The group called on the National Assembly to urgently summon the Rivers sole administrator to explain his actions and ensure that all constitutional boundaries are respected.

“We urge the Senate and House of Representatives to treat this matter as a priority,” he added.

“Democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency or political convenience.”

Dantani concluded by demanding the immediate reversal of the LGA appointments and a return to constitutional order.

“The people of Rivers State deserve legitimate, elected representation — not handpicked appointees. We must not normalise authoritarian shortcuts in a democratic society,” the group warned.

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Alia, you’re a priest, don’t neglect Akume that brought you to power, prophet Ikuru tells Alia

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By Collins Nkwocha

The prophetic hall of fame and Ambassador of peace, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry has warned the governor of Benue state,Rev.Fr.Hyacinth Alia of the dangers and consequences of neglecting and being obstinate to George Akume,the Secretary to the Government of the Federation that made him relevant by making him the governor.

Prophet Ikuru warned governor Alia of the dangers of “fighting” with Akume, urging him to respect his priesthood and not behave like a politician “this thing has been a very serious problem in Nigerian political scene,if you support someone and make him a governor, senator or help him to attain any political position, immediately the person grabs power,he becomes obstinate and neglects the person that aided him to attain that seat, governor Alia is not the first to do such,but I’m disappointed that a priest like governor Alia could do this,I want to advise him to respect the anointing of God upon his life and not behave not behave like the normal politicians that are full of ingratitude because only a foolish man drinks and throws away the cup”.

There has been reports of rivalry between Akume and Alia over political control of the state.The face-off was said to have started shortly after the governor was sworn in two years ago.

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Capturing Anambra is mission impossible, don’t waste your money, prophet Ikuru tells APC

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By Collins Nkwocha

The battleground for Anambra 2025 is getting hotter with various political parties producing candidates that will fight for their course in the political tussle to oust governor Chukwuemeka Soludo in the November,8 governorship election.

One of the finest prophets on the African continent, the prophetic hall of fame and Ambassador of peace, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry has advised APC to forget about capturing Anambra state because it will be impossible to defeat Soludo in the governorship election, he has performed magnificently as the governor of the state.

Speaking to newsmen today in Lagos, the prophet of the nation reiterated that APC capturing Anambra state is mission impossible “I want to advise APC,Mr.president, APC national chairman and the candidate in the state,not to squander their resources on the election because APC can’t capture Anambra state, the state belongs to governor Soludo and he’s going to rule for 8 years”

Prophet Godwin Ikuru is a great prophet whose prognostications has been very unerring and lethal,he prophesied many presidents and governors into power, that’s why he’s regarded as the prophetic hall of fame

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