Television Nigerian

Adebayo Alao-Akala

Olufemi Olaniyi, Ibadan

Published 6 July 2021

Former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, has said the people of the state are eagerly waiting for the All Progressives Congress to return to power in the state.

Alao-Akala said this on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting of the party held in a preparation for its nationwide congresses starting on July 24 with the ward congresses.

Akala was quoted to have said this in a statement by Mr. Wole Sadare, who is the Personal Assistant on Media to the APC caretaker committee Chairman in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke.

Alao-Akala said, “The good people of the state are expecting much from us in APC as they can’t wait to have us in power again following the many disappointments they have got in the hands of the present PDP administration.

“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to justify the confidence reposed in us.

“All we are asking all leaders, chieftains and members to do is to cooperate among themselves and fashion out acceptable modalities with which we could achieve the desired success at the end of the day.

“As you have had from Chief Oke, let’s all go to our individual Wards and participate in the exercise as mature minds and democrats which we are.”

Oke on his own part said the leadership of the party will not give room for any undemocratic conduct from any quarters before, during and after the congresses.

He advised party members to remain focused and accommodate one another without any recourse to what happened in the past.

He said, “We are fascinated by the turn out of critical stakeholders and the calibre of party stalwarts in this all-important meeting which was organised to enable us to forge a common front ahead of the forthcoming Congresses of our great Party.

“I am therefore using this opportunity to assure all party faithful of transparency and fairness in the conduct of the congresses which we intend to use as a threshold for us to reclaim power in 2023.

“Now is the time for everyone to go to their wards and sort things out democratically and harmoniously.”

File copy: Members of the House of Representatives during plenary

Four members of the House of Representatives from Zamfara State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

They are Bello Shinkafi of the Shinkafi/Zurmi Federal Constituency; Ahmed Bakura, Bakura/Maradun; Ahmed Shehu, Bungudu/Maru; and Suleiman Gummi, Gummi/Bukkuyum.

The members officially announced their defection at the plenary on Tuesday.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, read their letters of defection at the opening of the session.

Sani Dan-Galadima had earlier on Wednesday declared his defection in the chamber.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State had formally announced his defection to the PDP to the APC in Gusau, the state capital, on Tuesday last week, along with members of the federal and state legislatures.

All the 24 members of the state House of Assembly, all the three senators and six out of the seven members of the House had followed the governor to the ruling party.

However, the Deputy Governor, Aliyu Gusau; and a member of the House representing Anka/Talata-Mafara Federal Constituency, Kabiru Mafara, have remained in the PDP.

The lawmaker representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Senator Hassan Gusau, had on Tuesday last week announced his resignation from the PDP in plenary.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, read Gusau’s letter informing his colleagues of his action at the plenary.

File copy: Members of the House of Representatives during plenary

Four members of the House of Representatives from Zamfara State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

They are Bello Shinkafi of the Shinkafi/Zurmi Federal Constituency; Ahmed Bakura, Bakura/Maradun; Ahmed Shehu, Bungudu/Maru; and Suleiman Gummi, Gummi/Bukkuyum.

The members officially announced their defection at the plenary on Tuesday.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, read their letters of defection at the opening of the session.

Sani Dan-Galadima had earlier on Wednesday declared his defection in the chamber.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State had formally announced his defection to the PDP to the APC in Gusau, the state capital, on Tuesday last week, along with members of the federal and state legislatures.

All the 24 members of the state House of Assembly, all the three senators and six out of the seven members of the House had followed the governor to the ruling party.

However, the Deputy Governor, Aliyu Gusau; and a member of the House representing Anka/Talata-Mafara Federal Constituency, Kabiru Mafara, have remained in the PDP.

The lawmaker representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Senator Hassan Gusau, had on Tuesday last week announced his resignation from the PDP in plenary.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, read Gusau’s letter informing his colleagues of his action at the plenary.

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has rejected the position of the Southern governors that the South should produce the President come 2023. According to the Forum, the North would not be compelled into yielding a democratically elected office. The NEF sees the decision of the southern governors.

According to the forum, “We are running a democratic government and decisions over where the next president comes from are basically decisions that will be made by voters exercising their rights to choose which candidate best serves their interest.”

Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed explained that the southern governors come from the two dominant parties: APC and PDP, saying that they must have some influence in those parties.

He noted that the way it should be done was that the southern governors should influence their parties to zone the presidency to southern states and then work to convince Nigerian voters from all parts of the country to vote for that candidate.

He opined that the democratic rights of Nigerian citizens to vote for a candidate cannot be snatched by threats or intimidation, stressing that politicians were becoming very lazy to think they will be given leadership in a manner that suggests an ultimatum.