Politics
Don’t Drag Royal Institution Into Power Grab Agenda-PDP Tells Osun APC

By David Owei,Bayelsa
The Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a swipe at the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for desecrating the highly revered traditional institution with its unreasonable attempt to drag it into its desperate power grab mission, saying Yoruba culture and traditions are firmly against tricksters, which the APC clearly represents.
The PDP in a statement signed by its Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, lambasted the Osun APC for trying to associate brazen theft that its effort to snatch power through the backdoor clearly portrayed, calling on it to immediately halt its reign of impunity by calling off its illegal occupation of the secretariat.
Hon. Bisi noted that the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Rivers councils contention has put to paid Osun APC shenanigans, pointing that the apex court ruling clearly affirmed that local councils election not conducted in line with Sections 28 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022, is in breach of the laws and should be voided.
“Truth, no matter the effort to push it away, will always prevail. This was what the Supreme Court judgement in the Rivers LG tussle provided yesterday, affirming what we have always pointed out about the nullified YES or NO election conducted by the past administration in Osun state,” Hon. Bisi noted.
“Although the Osun APC may want to dodge this reality, the clear import of the apex court judgement was that local councils election in the country must observe certain provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, particularly Sections 28 and 150 of the electoral. That means that for an election to be valid, notice of election must not be later than 360 days, an important condition that the YES or NO election failed to meet, as the notice before that election was less than 60 days.
“So, the question the whole world should now ask the APC is, why will Osun bè different from Rivers state because that is the ludicrous position that they keep pushing. As we speak, there exists a judgement in the suit filed by the APP which nullified the October 15, 2022 election and went on to sack every beneficiary of the flawed election. Yet, the APC is disregarding this judgement of a court of competent jurisdiction and validated by the Court of Appeal, but they are illegally occupying the secretariat, and killing several of our members in the process.
“Therefore, we find it utterly insulting that the Osun APC will want to bring our royal fathers into this act of lawlessness, which has no place whatsoever in Yoruba culture and traditions. Only criminals break into buildings as the Osun APC did in our various secretariats, forcing their way into offices and damaging public properties.”
Hon. Bisi defended labour leaders for the proactive steps in safeguarding workers and not falling victims of the Osun APC violence, warning that no amount of cheap blackmails will deny the labour leaders the credit for saving lives of members.
“Only those with disdain for Osun workers and careless about their safety will attack labour leaders for taking proactive steps that kept workers in the councils away from harm. Although, we are not surprised given the Osun APC history of mistreatment of workers, it is shocking that it made it clear that their desperate power grab mission is worth more than the lives of workers,” he said.
“We suspect that Osun APC is not happy that workers are not among the list of casualties in the reign of violence they unleashed on the people during the forceful takeover of councils and want them to resume so they can do as they wished to avenge their rejection in the polls in 2022 and 2023. It is even laughable that the Osun APC mistake the PDP-led government for its wasteful years in the state, misusing public funds to coerce labour and others to do its bidding, however wrong they sound.
“Present set of leaders in the Osun labour movement are people of untainted integrity and don’t need monetary inducement to do what is right. They are not illiterates to recognise the Osun APC path to illegality and lawfully reject to be part of it. No part of the Akure Appeal Court judgement ordered the reinstatement of the sacked YES or NO officials and it is the height of absurdity for the Osun APC to expect workers in Osun state to be involved in the illegal acts.
“The recently elected Chairmen are the lawful officials of the respective councils but obliged Mr. Governor’s admonition for them to stay away from the councils to avoid spilling bloods, which is exactly what the Osun APC want. At the appropriate time and through legal means, the PDP elected council bosses will assess the secretariat but in the meantime, are conducting their official duties with the appropriate officials of the councils.”
Politics
IPU cannot consider Natasha’s petition – Jimoh Ibrahim

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Inter-parliamentary Committee, remarked that the purported petition from the suspended Senator Natasha is “dead on arrival.”
He emphasised that Nigeria, rather than Senator Natasha, is the member of the IPU.
A petition can only be lodged against another member state by a member state.
This implies that the IPU cannot consider petitions from individuals who are not members.
The suspended Senator Natasha is not a member of the IPU, but Nigeria is!
Additionally, the suspended Senator cannot represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I served as the interim president of the IPU in Geneva in 2023, and I am familiar with how the IPU operates after presiding over its proceedings.
Furthermore, as Chairman of the Inter- parliamentary Committee in the Nigerian Senate, I did not approve or authorise the suspended Senator Natasha to attend the IPU on behalf of Nigeria to the Senate President.”
Politics
Senate moves to establish Early Voting for Nigerians on essential duties during elections …..As Bill scales 2nd reading


Senate in session in the chamber
Politics
No Individual Bigger Than PDP, Says Diri

By David Owei ,Bayelsa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was bigger than any individual and that its internal challenges would be fixed once the members resolve to tackle them.
Speaking to journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday after the inauguration of the party’s South-South zonal caretaker committee led by Elder Emma Ogidi, the Bayelsa Governor said the political will to confront those fomenting trouble in the party resided with the members and not solely on the leadership.
Diri, who is also Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, stated that for the party to be competitive as the oldest in the country, it must look inwards and fix its internal issues.
He said: “For me, we have to look inwards before accusing those outside our party. We have to first fix our internal issues.
“It is very easy to point accusing fingers. But the PDP has to sit back and tackle its internal challenges. That is only when we can stand to compete with others.
“I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are the oldest political party in Nigeria. So we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.”
On whether the party’s leadership had the political will to discipline those fomenting trouble, Governor Diri averred that such will resided with the members.
“We are all members of the party. The moment we all resolve that we need to fix our party, there cannot be any one person that is bigger than the party.”
He stressed that the newly inaugurated zonal caretaker committee had the mandate of the National Working Committee to look into every issue affecting the party in the South-South.
The Bayelsa helmsman expressed the hope that the event was a step forward for the party.
“In our zone, which is the only area in the country you have four governors of the party, we have all resolved and are together on this. You can see the deputy governor of Delta State, who represented the governor. I have also received messages from the governors of Akwa Ibom and Rivers. It shows that we are together and what we need to do is to show leadership and work with the zonal committee so that our zone will again become safe and strong for the PDP.”
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