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PDP has not zoned presidency to North – Former National Legal Adviser

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3 years ago

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not zoned its presidential ticket to the Northern part of the country, a former national legal adviser of the party, Mark Jacob has said.

Jacob, who is also a former attorney general and commissioner of justice in Kaduna state disclosed this when he appeared on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, on Monday.

“Nobody has discussed anything on zoning in our party. We have not zoned our party’s presidential ticket to the North. In fact, the feeling among members is that it should be zoned to the Southern part of the country”, he said.

 

According to him,  though it’s democracy and every member has the right to their opinion while the party would not take unpopular opinion from any of its members.

A national newspaper recently reported that there is a high likelihood that the PDP will pick its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections from the northern part of the country.

The paper also said the party’s stakeholders are set to zone the chairmanship position of the party to the South.

But during its 92nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend, the party had announced that it would arrive at a zoning formula for the National Working Committee (NWC) at a meeting billed for September 9.

This comes as the struggle for political power among the political gladiators hots up ahead of the party’s national convention slated for October 30 and 31, the paper had reported.

It will be recalled that as a way of resolving the contestation over which zone produces the presidency in 2023, the leadership of the PDP had earlier in the year appointed the Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed as chairman of the party’s committee charged with a responsibility to review the factors that led to the party’s loss in the 2019 election and to make recommendations for the way forward.

One of the highlights of Bala’s committee report was the recommendation that zoning of the PDP presidential ticket for the 2023 poll be jettisoned.

The report however, added that the committee received numerous memoranda from diverse groups and interests calling for the party’s joint presidential ticket to be zoned to the Northeast and the Southeast.

It is believed that the contestation will be laid to rest after the October 31 elective convention where a new NWC will be produced.

In line with the North/South power zoning arrangement, should the North produce the chairmanship, then the South will be in a position to produce the party’s presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, a political commentator, Adetayo Balogun, has warned the PDP against zoning its presidential ticket to the North.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday,  Balogun said discussions about the region to produce the next President has begun and the PDP shouldn’t make the mistake of giving the ticket to the North.

“In searching for the next President, there’s a debated preference for a Southerner to emerge; however, a section of the populace and those in the political space have clamoured for a united approach to the determination of the next President”, he said.

But on his part, Katch Ononuju, the Director-General of the Heritage Centre, in an interview argued that there’s no politician of the northern extraction that can bring Nigerians together again.

Ononuju said many Nigerians would prefer to see a Southerner become President, as the current administration has shown a nepotistic obsession with the North, which may affect the chances of any Presidential candidate from the region.

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President Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation for Lt. General Oluyede as Chief of Army Staff

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3 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu on Friday wrote the Senate, seeking confirmation of Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede’s appointment as the substantive Chief of Army Staff.

“In his letter sent today, President Tinubu seeks Oluyede’s confirmation in accordance with the provision of Section 218(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement.

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu writes Senate, seeks confirmation of Lt. General Oluyede as Chief of Army Staff.’

Tinubu appointed Oluyede as the Acting Chief of Army Staff on October 30 following the illness of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.

General Lagbaja, however, died on November 5.

Onanuga said, “President Tinubu is confident about the leadership qualities, professional integrity, and experience of Lt. General Oluyede to lead and inspire the army to ensure national security and stability.”

Before he was appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff, Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course, like his predecessor, served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.

 

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Lawyer Alleges Tenure Elongation Plot in Letter to Governor Yusuf

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9 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Barrister Mustapha I. Zubair, a prominent lawyer and politically conscious citizen of Kano State, has written a letter to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, alleging a plot by certain senior civil servants to extend their tenure of service beyond the mandated retirement age. The letter, which expresses deep concern over the issue, highlights the potential implications of such actions on the state’s governance and public trust.

Zubair, a registered voter of Gwale Local Government, begins the letter by expressing gratitude and admiration for Governor Yusuf’s leadership and pro-people policies. “Your exemplary leadership and pro-people policies have continually fostered growth and prosperity, and we, the citizens, are deeply appreciative of your dedication,” Zubair states in the letter.

However, Zubair quickly shifts focus to the matter of tenure elongation, which he describes as a growing concern among the people of Kano State. “It is evidently clear that after the recent posting of permanent secretaries in the state, some top government functionaries who will be due for retirement in December 2024 are now striving day and night to secure tenure elongation only for themselves,” he alleges.

The letter emphasizes the potential negative implications of such actions, suggesting that the attempt to prolong service tenure by a few senior civil servants could undermine the principles of fairness and transparency in the state’s administration. Zubair urges Governor Yusuf to address the issue promptly to maintain public trust and ensure that the state’s governance remains transparent and accountable.

The letter concludes with a plea for Governor Yusuf to take immediate action to prevent any attempts at tenure elongation and to uphold the integrity of the state’s civil service. “We trust in your commitment to justice and fairness, and we believe that you will take the necessary steps to address this issue,” Zubair writes.

The allegations have sparked discussions among political observers and citizens, who are keenly watching how Governor Yusuf will respond to the concerns raised in the letter.

 

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FG Obeys Court’s Order, Stops FAAC Allocation to Rivers State

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20 hours ago

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November 22, 2024

By

Senator Bola Ahmad Tinubu

 

The Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that it has stopped the October monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue payment to Rivers State.

The development comes amid the ongoing face-off between Governor Simi Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike.

According to the Spokesperson of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the decision to stop the payment was made in respect of a court order.

Mokwa disclosed that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) will respect the court order, which barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian government from disbursing monthly allocations to the Rivers State government.

His words: “What I got is that the October 2024 FAAC has not been distributed yet. However, the Federal Government will obey the court order on the matter of Rivers State allocation.

“We are going to follow due diligence as long as there is no contrary order. In case there is a contrary, the status will remain.”

He added, “The process of disbursement of the October 2024 monthly allocation is going.”

The court order was obtained by the factional Rivers State Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, who had filed an originating summons against the Rivers State Executive, under the leadership of Simi Fubara.

The Amaewhule faction had alleged that the Rivers State Executive was yet to comply with the order of a Federal High Court directing it to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill to the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

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