Politics

Jubiliation as Shaibu emerges as candidate in a PDP parallel primary

Published

1 year ago

February 22, 2024

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Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP,) on Thursday, Feb. 22, held a parallel Congress that produced the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, as the winner of a factional PDP primary election.

While some delegates were being accredited to proceed to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium venue of the primary election, another set of delegates met in a facility in Commercial Avenue where they announced Shaibu as the elected candidate of the PDP.

Shaibu was declared the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024, governorship election with 301 votes out of the total number of 559 votes cast at the primary.

The first set of delegates claimed that they went to the venue for accreditation but were chased away by security agencies. They also alleged that the list of delegates published by the national leadership of the party was not the authentic one, alleging that they saw names of people from Bayelsa state and names of people who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Declaring Shaibu winner of the election, Bartholomew Moses said “During the counting of this primary election, Philip Shaibu has a score of 301 votes and therefore, we hereby declare Philip Shaibu as the authentic elected candidate for this election in the PDP”

The exercise was barely over when gunmen alleged to be personnel of the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, invaded the venue. They were dressed in vigilante outfits and came in several vehicles including two black unmarked Toyota Hiace Truck, an unmarked white Sienna, a white Hilux and several other vehicles.

They were shooting sporadically into the air and the people scampered in different directions for safety.

Before the election, the delegates led by Festus Owu had protested at the deputy governor’s official lodge where they complained to him that they had been disenfranchised.

Speaking to the protesting delegates, Shaibu said “I appeal to all of you to be peaceful I don’t want anybody to be injured, I don’t want anybody molested and I am happy the way you have conducted yourselves peacefully and have come to report to me that you were not allowed to be accredited but I want to tell you that no one man can determine the destiny of a people and by the grace of God they cannot disenfranchise you people. The law is clear that you people are the authentic delegates. Now that they have pushed you away, they want to go and replace you but I assure you that your vote must count, they cannot change and replace your names. I assure you that I will take your protest to the committee that is coming but you must remain peaceful in everything you are doing.”

Speaking to journalists later, Shaibu said, “I saw the crowd outside and I asked who they are and they said they are delegates, I said they should be directed to the venue of the accreditation but they said they were protesting because they have been sent away from the venue of accreditation and they won their election and they have their results. The election will hold and if a winner emerges with fake delegates, the election will not see the light of the day but if a winner emerges with the authentic delegate, there will be no problem, I am sure.”

Politics

Obidient movement launches online registration portal, identity cards for members

Published

33 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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The Obidient Movement has launched its online registration portal and identity cards for members in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

This was disclosed on Saturday in a statement signed by Obidient Movement’s National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko and Nana Kazaure, the Director of Strategic Communications and Media of the Obidient Movement.

The movement said the identity card will carry the flag of the country where the holder resides.

According to the statement, the identity card has a QR code on the bottom right hand corner for authentication.

The statement reads: “Obidient registration portal supports Nigerians and fellow Obidients living in the diaspora. You will observe that the ID has a flag on it so, for example, if you’re not resident in Nigeria, the top right hand corner will carry the flag of your country of residence.

“That way, we can all witness first hand, the embodying of our spirit of diversity, comradery, unity and how far reaching the messaging Obidient Movement is.

“The OBX is constant on the ID card. The Diasporan and Nigerian card, all start with the same prefix which is the OBX.

“The following characters which are 2 letters and 2 numbers depending on if you are a Nigerian or a Nigerian voter living in the diaspora, who comes in to vote every election cycle indicates your State and LGA.

“It is worthy of note that there are 4 characters. The first 2 letters are for Nigerian State codes (for example Lagos state is LA and Delta is DE). The others are 2 digit numbers which represent the local government area where you are registered.

“If you are Nigerian and you are an Obidient or an individual who identifies with our struggle, our mantra of better sustainable governance all over the world, and our firm belief especially in our country Nigeria where we reaffirm that “A NEW NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, the card will vary slightly from the Nigerian model because, in this case, the card will carry a 3 letter country code. So in the UK for example, it will be simply read GBR.

“Most importantly, please note that the other numbers on the identity cards are deliberately randomised for the security of our card carriers. So you cannot just guess the Obidient Movement’s codes and numbers. So for example, you cannot expect HE Peter Obi’s ID card to just read 001.

“The QR code on the bottom righthand corner is there to authenticate the authenticity of your card. Which can be scanned with any QR scanner such as a smartphone. This aims, with the intention to give Obidients a secure and confident way of interacting with one another. So if you choose to support or do business with an Obidient, you can scan the QR code or verify the OBX ID online to confirm that the person is who and what they truly say they are and are who they truly claim to be.

“When you sign up and submit your form online, it goes through a verification process. So for example you put in your X handle, it makes it easier for verification.

“In the event you decide to enter into any business dealings or enter into any informal or formal relations we implore you all to please endeavour to carry out your own independent investigations and do your due diligence thoroughly and properly so as to avoid becoming prey to some who may have ulterior and criminally motivated intentions.”

Politics

‘Tinubu’s administration has no achievements since inception’ – Atiku

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has knocked the administration of President Bola Tinubu for its economic policies, saying it has recorded no achievement since its inception.

Atiku, who stated this in a statement on his official X handle, said Tinubu’s administration has no achievements to stand on and no credible record to defend, adding that its only strategy is chaos and division.

“Because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent. And make no mistake— an incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board,” he wrote.

The 2023 PDP presidential candidate’s outburst comes after recent high profile defections from the opposition party.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday left the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, resigned from the PDP and joined the APC on the same day.

While commenting on the next presidential election, Atiku said results would not be determined by political alliances, but by common goals.

“Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired — they are angry, and rightfully so.

“This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another — it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure. We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer,” he added.

The former Vice-President pointed out that the need to speak out on the state of the economy was engineered by calls from concerned Nigerians.

Politics

Kwankwaso: NNPP considering three options – Ladipo Johnson

Published

8 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Ladipo Johnson, the spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has said the party is considering three possibilities ahead of 2027 presidential election.

Johnson said the NNPP was considering joining forces with the APC, the coalition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or standing on its own in 2027.

This comes amid defections from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.

Atiku recently announced the formation of a coalition alongside his former counterpart of Labour Party, Peter Obi; ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai and some other politicians.

The former PDP presidential candidate, had his ex-running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa defecting to the APC.

Also, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State also dumped the opposition party to the APC.

Amid these defections, the House of Representatives member from Ideato Federal constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had claimed that two more state governors and 40 PDP lawmakers will soon defect.

Ugochinyere urged the PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, to urgently take steps towards addressing the imminent danger.

He disclosed this while addressing PDP members in Akokwa area of Imo State on Friday

However, Johnson, in a statement said: “Well, so far, what I’ll say is this: in the NNPP, we tend to, at least from our own history as the Kwankwasiyya movement, wait till midterm.

“May 29th will be the midterm for this administration. It will be two years down, and two years to go. That is when we believe that proper politicking will commence.

“So, yes, we are talking, and we’ve been talking. But you’ll recall that at that time, I told you I didn’t want to mention specifically the groups or persons or movements that are in conversation with us. That is still the position now.

“You’ll recall that there have been many publications in newspapers and online, insinuating that Senator Kwankwaso is moving to the APC, that it is imminent and all that. That is just the nature of the game. Some people are pressing or pushing that narrative for their selfish reasons.

“But the bottom line is that very soon, they will begin to hear from us. We will tell our supporters what we are doing.

“There are basically three cards on the table: either we remain in the NNPP and continue with those who joined us all the way or we form some sort of coalition with Atiku, others; or we form an alliance with the ruling party. I

“I am not saying any of these is the case now. But these are the three basic options that could happen.”