There is tension in the camp of embattled governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode as his supporters anxiously wait for the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. Both men began what observers described as make or mar closed door meeting at 2.45pm at the presidential villa, Abuja. Ambode’s second term bid hangs on the balance following his godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s refusal to endorse him. In Ambode’s stead, Tinubu, who was himself a former governor of the state and now the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has endorsed Sanwo-Olu, a former Commissioner in the state.
Godfather and godson’s disagreement is said to have its locale on the latter’s alleged betrayal. However, party chiefs, including serving APC governors, National Assembly members among others have been interceding on Ambode’s behalf.
The outcome of the Governor’s ongoing meeting with Buhari, many believe, will eventually determine his fate. Credible sources told this Magazine that Tinubu has made up his mind on Ambode’s exit and has told the President so. “What is now being negotiated is what manner of soft landing the governor will be given”, The Source was told
Finally, the fear of skeptics have materialized: Air Nigeria has become the latest still-born child of the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. Three months after the Logo was unveiled in Faraway London, the Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, a former senator who was the chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, announced to a bemused world that the proposed National Carrier has been suspended mid air till further notice.
“I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the National Carrier Project in the interim. All commitments due will be honored. We thank the public for the support as always”, he had tweeted after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. That terse statement ended the dream of that overhyped project. Three months after the unveiling of the logo, and three months before the proposed take of the carrier, the Airline has crashed into the murky waters of political expedience and financial controversy.
The Airline was expected to be private sector driven, but the federal government, which claimed to have only five percent of the share capital-the investors will share the other 95%-disbursed a whooping sum of $5million as a takeoff grant. “It is a business, not a social service. The government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this”, Sirika had said then. This has generated so much controversy as the names of the so called investors were shrouded in secrecy. Now Sirika has claimed that all commitments will be duly honored. “Are there penalties stipulated in the contracts?” wondered Donald Duke, a presidential aspirant and former governor of River State. “Buharinomics at its worst.”
Duke appears to be right. Not a few believed that the airline is just a ruse to enrich certain contractpreneurs and launder money for the 2019 elections. Several contradictory statements credited to the government tended to create the impression that there is more to it than meet the eye. Item: Market research was commissioned by the ministry, which was extensive and far reaching. Focus groups across Nigeria were targeted, and over 100 interviews were conducted with aviation stakeholders and professionals, politicians, Nigerian business owners, students and a wide range of Nigerians across board. Nobody has come forward to confirm he has been contacted for any survey, even when everybody is regarding the assertion with disbelief.
Besides, Sirika has claimed that there have been negotiations with Boeing and Airbus for the purchase of aircraft, which, this magazine gathered, will have been concluded by the purchase of retired aircraft to pass for brand new ones. Refurbished, of course. This coupled with the fact that government was negotiating with Ethiopian airlines as a core investor-an airline that relied on Nigerian Airways for its teething problems in the days of yore. Quarter Airways was also in the picture. Another group is AFREXIM, which has been on the negotiating table with Nigeria for a slice of the pie. AFREXIM recently doled out $750 million to Bank of Industry.
Last July, the Minister was optimistic that the National carrier will meet its deadline by December. “Glad to announce that we received the Outline Business Case Certificate of compliance for the National Carrier project from ICRC. The December kick off date of the project is slowly becoming reality”, he had said. So what went wrong?
First, stakeholders are not comfortable with the 5% Nigerian Equity. The Aviation Safety Round-table Initiative (ASTRI) suggested it be pegged at around 40%. “This shareholding formula will make the airlines national carriers. The FG and States may not necessarily have holdings in flag carriers but the Nigerian public must have minimum of 40 per cent shares, if there would be no foreign technical investors and partners,” their Secretary, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd). This was not in consonant with government position. Also, it was said that they have been able to acquire about eight aircrafts and would be doing most of the checks at Singapore, while poaching some Aircrafts for the national Carrier from Arik and Aerocontractors. The so called stolen Aircraft was said to be geared towards the National carrier. And this may have been the straw that broke the Carmel’s back.
Whatever happens, it is difficult to see the carrier reactivated under this administration.
For years, there had been rumours making the rounds of the rackets going on at the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, warehouse at Ikeja, Lagos . The rumours became more manifest last two years with the regular seizure of Contraband tyres, Foreign parboiled rice and poultry products by the Command patrol team officers on bush and road operations.
The Magazine learnt that traders, vehicle mechanics and vulcanizers and behind the Command office Complex fence practisingg their trades who were said to have been acting as fronts for officers or labouers who have tyres, vehicle parts, bags of Foreign parboiled rice and poultry products to sale at the warehouse. Okada riders were also said to have also been involved in getting Customers for those who have tyres to sale . .
But these had consistently been denied by past Comptrollers and Public Relations officers of the Command including Jerome Attah, an Assistant Superintendent and the Command incumbent image maker , describing it as the handwork of mischief makers.
Unknown to the officers, Aliyu Mohammed, a former Comptroller of Seme Command and now Comptrller of the Command, described in Customs circles as a thorough bred manager of officers has devised a roadmap to sanitise the Command warehouse and clear it of the bad eggs to stop the pilfering of seized goods.
As a prelude to sanitising the warehouse and its environs, he was to have cleared the Mechanics, Vulcanizers and traders behind the Commandoffice Complex fence. The Customs Comptroller was said to have given a standing order to Deputy Comptroller Yaya, who is in-charge of Enforcement to arrest any trespasser found behind the Command office Complex fence trading or doing any other business. The Restaurant operators were also give a quit order by the Comptroller. When the Magazine visited the busy street which share boundary with the Command fence, the usual line up of Vulcanizers, mechanic and traders including agents looking for Customers to link up to officers in the Command were n where to be found.
A resident of the area confirmed that the usual movement of people with vehicles behind the FOU, Zone A, office complex fence for one transaction or the other have disappeared for fear of Mohammed. The unexpected may have happened on Sunday, September 16, 2018, forcing the Comptroller to order the detention of some officers of the rank of Assistant Superintendent to Deputy Superintendent caught in the act at the warehouse.
Trouble was said to have started for the officers when some seized cartons of poultry products from smugglers which were transferred to the warehouse by a patrol team were loaded into a bus to be taken to a site for burial.
It was learnt that some officers in the warehouse had protested taking the seized poultry products to the approved site for burial but insisted that it should be sold to a trader who was said to have been contacted for the deal. the Magazine gathered that there was a heated debate between those opposed to the sale of the intercepted smuggled Poultry products from smugglers and those against it.
in what looked like a set up, Eye-witness account disclosed that when the officers who supported the sale of the hundreds of cartons of poultry products loaded into the van, a call was quickly put to Mohammed, the Area Comptroller who was not in Lagos at the time of the incident. The Customs Comptroller was said to have ordered the arrest and detention of the officers, pending for further investigation. there are indications that the officers may be demoted or dismissed from the Service if found guilty. This is because Customs Comptroller from the onset had made it clear to the officers that he would not tolerate indiscipline and any one found to be an embarrassment to the Service would dealt with. A senior officer who spoke to the Magazine on condition of anonymity said the officers does not deserve any pity but have gotten what they had bargained for.
The Ikeja Customs warehouse incident may have forced the kebbi state born Comptroller to force the labourers engaged in unloading intercepted Containerised Cargoes and truck laden goods for examination and re-loading the goods back into the Container or trucks for proper documentation. The Customs boss was said to have made the situation worse for the laborers, who according to a Customs source, must hproduce guarantors for proper documentation and accountability. With the recent exposed deal in the warehouse, Relations or close friends of the labourers used in the warehouse may not be willing to stand in as any of their guarantor for fear of getting into Mohammed’s trouble who is not ready to spare any person found wanting in the warehouse.
But there are indications that the Customs Comptroller may recall most of labourers back as the Command still need their services in the warehouse. This is because the Command Provost Marshalls who have taken over control of the warehouse would not be able to do the job of the labourers by unloading andre loading goods into inmpounded Containers or trucks. This is given credence by the daily turning in of Containerised goods and truck laden goods that are being transferred to the warehouse by the Command Operations and Lagos Roving team headed by Riks Lura, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and other patrol teams.
Between Monday, September 17, 2018, the Lura led Operations and Lagos Roving team which was said to have impounded over 10 Containers load of cargoes released at the seaport, including some exotic vehicles, released from Five Star terminal at Tin-can Island port and Port Multi-services Terminal limited, PTML would still need the services of the labouers to facilitate the examination of the cargoes in the warehouse.
TOnly recently, an additional two trucks laden with foreign parboiled rice were said to have been intercepted and transferred to the Ikeja Customs warehouse by the Command Rapid Response Squad headed by Jack Okpabi, a Chief Superintendent of Customs. To count the number of the ”50” kg bags of the Thailand rice on each of the trucks, would still require the services of the labourers , an officer remarked.
Many believe that since Mohammed resumed duties at the Command about three weeks ago, there have been intense Competition among the patrol team leaders in the Command to impress him with seizure of Contraband goods including Thailand rice, smuggled from the land border. The good news was that what may have escaped the Command either at the sea port or at the land border had fallen into the hands of the Abdullahi Kerewa, a Deputy Comptroller and National Coordinator, Custom Strike Force, officers in Zone A, lagos at the land border routes scatered in the south west geo-political region.
It would be recalled that the Federal government on January 1, 2017, banned the importation of foreign parboiled rice and vehicles through the land border stations into the country. The foreign rice and vehicle importers who could not cope with the government fiscal policy, wwere said to have resorted to sponsoring smugglers with the assistance of security operatives, particular, soldiers and the police to carry out their nefarious trade.
Muhammed Uba Garba,a former Comptroller of the FOU, Zone A, Command and now Comptroller, Seme Command was said to have made a mockery of the smuggler’s tactics at the porous Ogun and Oyo/Osun land borders . Using the services of informants, he was said to have been instrumental to the seizure of 11 trucks load of rice in the Oyo/Osun alone in less than two weeks .
In one of the operations, the Command was said to have made a seizure of eight trucks load of rice which was Concealed with Nigeria Breweries limited, NBL, bottles of beer at Shaki border Community axis of Oyo state. In the second operation at Ogbomosho, an additional three trucks load of rice were impounded by the Jack led team after clearing the roads of the miscreants hired by the smugglers to forestall the Customs officers from leaving the town with the trucks load of rice. The security back up of the Lura patrol team was said to have helped to in transferring the trucks to the Command premises.
Indeed,with the seizures rolling in daily into the Command Customs warehouse and the ease at which the legal Department are pursuing for the Condemnation of the intercepted items at the High Court in Lagos to turn it into government property, mohammed , the FOU, Zone A, Customs boss, has sent a warning signal to the smugglers to to turn a new lead or lose their goods which they had borrowed millions of naira from the banks to import and clear at Cotonou port in Republic of Benin or any other port in the West African sub-region to the government.
He has made it clear to those that care to listen that there is no going back in the war against smugglers as those who contravene the government fiscal policies would pay dearly for it. The Customs boss has every reason to beat his chest that smugglers in the south west have no hiding pace any longer because the entire south west had been effectively covered by his officers and the Strike Force team.
Already, the Seme axis , has become a no go area for rice and petrol smugglers who have resorted to the Creeks in Ogun state to smuggle the iems. , Muhammed , the Seme Command, Customs Comptroller who is getting the desired Cooperation of the Military operatives and Department of State Security Service, DSS personnel at the land border may be making an impact in the Command anti-smuggling war as the smugglers are no longer finding it funny.
The influx of defectors to the Imo state chapter of the All Progressives Alliance, APGA should ordinarily be a source of strength to the party as 2019 elections draw near but reverse seems to be the case. In the last two months, scores of prominent Imo sons who had occupied important political positions in the past have been defecting to the party with the view of seeking elective offices on its platform next year. However, chieftains of the party in the state who have kept faith and shown loyalty to it during trying moments are not happy at the turn of events.
They allege that Imo APGA have been invaded by what they described as displaced political buccaneers and at the verge of being sold to the highest bidder by the party’s national leadership. This, they rue, is to the detriment of real members who had labored to keep the party alive since 2013 when the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, elected on its platform, abandoned it for the All Progressives Congress, APC. “APGA in Imo is about to be sold to people who will in turn sell our dear party to the APC. APGA national leaders have compromised, they have handed our party to outsiders but we will resist it” , a chieftain of the party told The Source .
Araraume: Questions over his donation
Among prominent Imo politicians that have in the past months abandoned their parties for APGA include former governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Osita Izunaso, Hon.Uche Onyeagucha, Jerry Jerry Chukkwueke among others. Ohakim, Ararume and Onyeagucha have indicated interest for the Imo state number one seat. While Ohakim defected to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ararume, Izunaso, Chukwueke and Onyeagucha came in from the APC.
Recently, Ohakim boasted that about 15 billionaires were on hand to help realize the senatorial ambition of Bianca Ojukwu, widow of former leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Watchers of Imo politics suggest that same billionaires are also ready to bankroll Ohakim’s quest to rule Imo again under APGA. In the same vein, many are questioning the real motive behind Ararume’s donation of #10 million to Imo APGA, apart from for the advertised printing of more membership cards and another #12.6million said to be for sundry expenses for the party’s primary elections. Questions are being asked as to why a man who will be competing for the party’s gubernatorial ticket with other gubernatorial aspirants in a primary election should also be the one making fund available for the exercise and for the printing of membership cards.
Is it news that Policemen beat up officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) discharging their duties? No. Are Lagosians/Nigerians shocked by the news? No. Are they alarmed? No. But are they happy by the disturbing incident whose repetition has continued on yearly basis been the shame of the Nigerian nation? They are divided.
In a chat with the Magazine, Bode Adenike, a commercial bus driver did not express surprise, but joy that it happened. “ My Oga, many people in Lagos are happy whenever either Police or Army, Navy or Air Force officers beat up LASTMA officers.
“ You need to experience the type of brutality these LASTMA officials carry out on people who fall into their trap and who they deceive and lure into those traps. They are criminal in brutalising drivers and destroying their vehicles, because you don’t get your vehicle in one piece after any LASTMA arrest,” he said.
For Olabisi Ogunkoya, the LASTMA officials got what they are use to giving innocent Lagosians, especially before the Governor Ambode forced reforms of the agency. “ Whatever you sow is what you reap. Unfortunately for them, power pass power. Police power pass LASTMA power.
“ It is a vicious circle not only in Lagos State but in Nigeria. If LASTMA is not brutalising the people, Police is doing so to LASTMA, as the military lord it over the police,” she said.
Wednesday, September, 19, 2018,confusion broke out at the Idiroko end of Ikorodu Road, Lagos State, when two police officer attached to a bank in the area reportedly unleashed terror on the LASTMA officers after they arrested a mobile policeman who contravened traffic law. The Policeman who was in a KIA vehicle with number plate, GW 113 AAA, allegedly drove through the reserved lane meant for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT).
To ensure that the erring police officer face the consequent of his action, the LASTMA officers had in their usual way, entered his car and seized his car keys, an action which his colleagues attached to the bank saw as insulting. They allegedly attacked the LASTMA officers and vandalized their vehicle.
According to an eyewitness who revealed the the Mobile Police had caused a huge traffic on the BRT lane while resisting arrest: “The incident happened around 9.30am. The motorist wore a police shirt which had mopol on it. He was coming from Maryland en route to Anthony and took the BRT lane. He was blocked by a LASTMA vehicle at Idi iroko.
“The man refused to drive out of the lane after a LASTMA officer entered his car. Before we knew it, two other policemen crossed over from a First Bank branch opposite the scene. They beat up the LASTMA officials and demanded the key of the man’s car.
“When they did not get the key, they attacked every LASTMA officer in sight until they got the key. They broke the glass of the LASTMA KIA that was used to block the car with the butt of their guns.
“After they succeeded, they opened the LASTMA car and pushed it to the expressway. The mopol then escaped, while they ran back to their duty post.”
The Magazine learnt that two hoodlums who were happy at the incident joined in aiding the escape of the policeman. However, they were arrested and arraigned before a mobile court. The men were reportedly remanded in prison.
Although Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, while speaking to newsmen stated that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Edgal Imohimi had ordered an investigation into the incident, he stated that there was no report of such incident at any of the stations.
“….. The information we got was that the matter was not reported because the men settled their differences amicably.
“However, the CP, who does not tolerate acts of indiscipline, has ordered an investigation into the incident, especially the video being circulated online. He has ordered that the policemen identified in the video be brought for questioning.” he said.
But the Public Affairs Officer of LASTMA, Mahmud Hassan, expressed much disappointment and regret in the conduct of the policemen.
“We are disappointed that men trained to enforce the law of the state are the ones circumventing the law and turning around to beat those they should be supporting. It is a low point for those involved. I don’t know how they would be proud of their action. They should look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they have lived up to the expectation of their profession.
“While we will continue to count on the support and cooperation of the police hierarchy, the action of those officers has done a great damage; it happened in the full glare of the public on the busy Ikorodu Road.”
He said that the injured Policemen are receiving treatment at a hospital which he did not disclose.
Charles Okeke, a political analyst would rather see the incident as a mirror of life in Nigeria. To him, Nigerian has become a jungle whether we like it or not. “ Might is right. It is not only seen in the face-off between those meant to protect and defend the people and the Nigerian nation, it is evident in the way our leaders relate with the led Nigerian masses.
“ Many rich and highly connected are seen to be above the law. They commit offences and go scot free. They can even kill fellow Nigerians and be acquitted of murder “for lack of evidence,” he said, adding that people should not be surprised that the case has already been swept under the carpet. His is however concerned that Nigeria is yet to nip this issue in the bud.
FIFA has given three officials who pleaded guilty to corruption in a US court, life bans from all football-related activities for corruption, the sport’s governing body announced on Wednesday.
The adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee banned former chairman of the North American Soccer League (NASL) Aaron Davidson, former CONCACAF official Costas Takkas and Colombian ex-FIFA match agent Miguel Trujillo for bribery and corruption.
Takkas was an advisor to former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, who was banned from football by the FIFA ethics committee in 2015.
The trio will all also have to pay fines of one million Swiss Francs ($1.03 million).
American Davidson, a 47-year-old former sports marketing executive, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at a Brooklyn court in 2016.
Forty-two people were indicted in the US after the corruption scandal and many pleaded guilty, although others, such as former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, managed to avoid extradition to the States.
Last month, former Conmebol president Juan Angel Napout was sentenced to nine years in prison, shortly after former Brazilian FA boss Jose Maria Marin was handed a four-year sentence.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday fired a Minister responsible for the administration of a social cash transfer scheme after reports of misapplication of funds.
This follows revelations that about 4.3 million US dollars of donor funds for the scheme had gone missing, forcing some donors to suspend funding.
Chief Government Spokesperson, Dora Siliya, confirmed in a tweet that the Zambian leader has fired Emerine Kabanshi, as Minister for Community Development and Social Services.
“His Excellency, President Edgar Lungu has acted swiftly, relieving Hon. E. Kabanshi as Minister of Community Development following misuse of funds allegations in her ministry,’’ she said in a tweet.
She has since been replaced by Olivia Phiri, a governing party lawmaker.
Meanwhile, a statement from Lungu’s office said he has ordered for a clean-up of the ministry.
The Zambian leader further met with heads of investigative wings to inform them of the administrative changes.
He also directed them to constitute criminal investigations to establish whether there was criminal liability over the social cash transfer.
On Monday, British High Commissioner to Zambia, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, confirmed that his government has suspended funding to the social cash transfer scheme after reports of misapplication of funds meant to benefit the poor.
Sweden and some donors have also announced the suspension of funding to the scheme, according to a statement released by the Swedish Development Agency.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Wednesday, announced the suspension of the planned national carrier, Nigeria Air.
On his Twitter handle, @hadisirika, Sirika tweeted: I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the National Carrier Project in the interim. All commitments due will be honoured. We thank the public for the support as always.”
This is not the best of time for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Osun State, governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The PDP gubernatorial candidate has been told to report to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, with immediate effect, over allegation on examination malpractice, criminal conspiracy, and impersonation.
Adeleke was asked to report to the Special Investigation Panel alongside one Sikiru Adeleke, the Principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau, a worker who facilitated the registration of candidates for the National Examination Council in the school, Mr.Gbadamosi Ojo and a teacher who allegedly facilitated the crime, Mr. Dare Olutope.
The force in a statement on Wednesday by the force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said it had filed charges of examination malpractice, criminal conspiracy, impersonation, breach of duty and aiding and abetting against the aspirant and his four co-accused.
The charges were filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja under the Examination Malpractice Act, CAP E15, 2004, today.
Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state and now minister of transportation and Nyensom Wike, a former minister of State, Education, under former President Goodluck Jonathan Administration and the current governor of the state appear to be back to the trenches for control of the state in the 2019 general election.
Amaechi had made the first attempt to take over the state from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP when he decamped to the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the 2015 general election because of his frosty relationship with Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of the then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Adol Dakuku Peterside, an indigene of Opobo -Nkro local government area and the APC, governorship Candidate in state sponsored by him had lost to Wike of the PDP. The minister did not find the loss of the state to the PDP funny as he had assured the national leadership of the party that he would deliver the state to the party. But that was how far he could go.
The Rivers state born minister of Transportation may have gone back to the drawing board to redeem his sinking image in APC political circles by being a politician of note by ensuring that the party take over the state from the grip of PDP in 2019.
Given the state party officials impression that what happened in July governorship election in Ekiti state might happen in the state with the support of the Federal might, the party leadership, may have zoned the governorship Candidate to the Riverine Area of the state and the Deputy governorship Candidate to be selected from the upland.
Nyensom Wike: Seeking Relection Bid ON pdp Platform
It was not surprising why the party leadership had thrown the door open to all governorship Aspirants from the Riverine area to go ahead and buy the governorship Form . The Magazine learnt that the last count Toye princewill, Tonye Cole, Chairman of Sahara Energy, Dumo Lulu- Briggs, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and Peterside, Director General, National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, had paid the N22.5 million each to collect the party governorship nomination Form.
The Magazine learnt that there have been pressures on Cole, Princewill, Lulu- Briggs to step down for the Amaechi’s annointed Candidate, Peterside. The fear in party circles was that if the Riverine governorship Candidates who had collected the party nomination fail to heed to elders appeal to step down for peterside who had slugged it with Wike in 2015, Senator Abbe, may get the upper hand in the primaries and which might give Wike a smooth ride back to Brick House , the Seat of power in Rivers state.
The argument in party circles was that the Amaechi’s annointed governorship Candidate , from Opobo/Nkro local government was the only APC governorship Candidate among the lot who could easily beat Wike in the 2019 general election.
Given the determination of President Muhammadu BUhari and the APC National leadership to take over Rivers state from PDP, The emergence of a new National Working Committee, NNWC, in the party, led by Adams Oshimhole, was ostensibly to gurantee an exciting and democratic contest for the nomination of the party’s Candidate for the 2019 general elections in the state and other states of the Federation through the introduction of direct primary mode of electing Candidates, an offficial said. The intervention of the National leadership in supervising the party governorship primaries in the states may have provided a level playing field for the Candidates in Rivers state, who feared that Amaechi and his handpicked state party Executive might impose Peterside on them to slug it out with Wike of the PDP in the 2019 general election.
Oshimhole was said to reassured the governorship Candidates in the states including those of Rivers state that not ”only would the NWC instill internal democracy in the party, but that nomination of Candidates will be by direct primaries, where all the registered members of the part will be eligible to vote for the party’s Candidates to test their popularity”.
The arrangements, according to a party source, may have put to an end a situation in the past where one or few godfathers had handpicked Candidates and imposed them on the party, described by many as an arbitrary method which caused the party to lose in past elections in the states due to ”imposition of unpopular Candidates”, particular Rivers state.
Information filtering out from Peterside and other APC governorship Candidates Camp in Rivers state shows that the situation was getting to a feverish pitch as the Aspirants prepare to slug it out at the primaries. It would be recalled that Amaechi, the minister of Transport and the leader of the party in the state had unilaterally handpicked Peterside, the NIMASA Director General as the party governorship Candidate in the 2015 general election against Senator Abbe, described as the most popular among the governorship Aspirants. There are fears in both official and unofficial circles that the NIMASA boss may lose to Abbe this time around because of sympathy votes from members. It is not surprising why Amaechi had been talking to Lulu-Briggs, Princewill and Cole to step down for Peterside to be able to beat his former political son, Abbe, in the party primaries.
A close source told the Magazine disclosed that Amaechi had been waxing very cool since the party came up with the direct primaries mode of electing the party governorship Candidates in the states. He had expected as usual to be allowed to handpick the party governorship Candidate, who could have been, Peterside and impose him on the party in the state.
Many had had expected him to endorse the new party arrangements like Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the National leader of the party did in the south west geo-political region. H e was said to have asked both serving governors and other potential governorship Aspirants to be ready to present themselves in the party primaries to test their popularity.
But Wike, Amaechi’s arch political rival in the state said APC has no reason whatsoever to worry about presenting a governorship Candidate to slug it out with him in the 2019 general election, stressing that something is fundamentally wrong with the party. The governor declared apart from plot by the party to rig in the state, the Candidate may not have the platform to Campaign upon in the state. He expressed regrets that as the APC does not believe in credible polls, but ”rigging and fraud , a credible would not emerge in the party primaries to challenge him the 2019 polls. .
He has raised alarm that the party want to win the state at all cost but warned of the dangers ahead. ” All their meetings and all their gatherings at the Federal level ,they must have Rivers state in their agenda, he said. He fears that the party optimism of taking over the state s from the PDP was anchored on the deployment of sodiers, Federal Anti Robbery Special Squad, FSAR, and DSS personnel to the state, to maintain security during the election. The governor Challenged Amaechi, as minister of Trasportation to show the projects he has attracted to the state. Wike, who could beat his Chest , thatas the minister of State, Education, under the then President Jonathan Administration, claimed he brought Faculty of Law to University of PortHrcourt . He also claimed to have brought a grant of N500 million to Ken Sarowiwa Polytechnic and Inatius Ajuru University of Education in the state.
He disclosed that for the APC and its state leadership to have even think of bringing up a governorship Candidate this time around to challege him, whether, he has something to show or not, was an indication that something was fundamentally wrong with the party .
Many ebelieve that the governorship contest may end up being a straight fight between the incumbent state governor, Wike, and Abbe or Peterside because of the powers behind them. Political observers posits that February 16, 2019, would determine new occupant of the Rivers state Brick House in Port Harcourt: PDP OR APC governorship Candidate.
ircraft, which, this magazine gathered, will have been concluded by the purchase of retired aircraft to pass for brand new ones. Refurbished, of course. This coupled with the fact that government was negotiating with Ethiopian airlines as a core investor-an airline that relied on Nigerian Airways for its teething problems in the days of yore. Quarter Airways was also in the picture. Another group is AFREXIM, which has been on the negotiating table with Nigeria for a slice of the pie. AFREXIM recently doled out $750 million to Bank of Industry.
