Ahead of the forthcoming council and Councillorship elections, youths of the Ezza North local government Area of Ebonyi state have vowed to retire old and selfish politicians to pave the way for the younger generations.

The Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, had fixed July 20th,2024 for the conduct of Local government Election in the state.

They lamented that the old politicians were responsible for bad governance in Ezza North local government, stressing that they would do everything humanly possible not to elect such persons to be at the helm of affairs in the local government area election.

They made their position known during their visit to the state Commissioner for Environment, Victor Chukwu to prevail on him to vie for the local government election.

The youths who were led by their National President, Emeka Nwokporo and Publicity Secretary, Polycarp Obinna Alegu, lamented that Ezza North local government Area has always been disadvantaged and afflicted with leadership malady which they said was why it is the most underdeveloped in the state without any meaningful project for people.

“The good works of the state governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru which is anchored on the “people’s charter of needs” should be replicated at the grassroots and at Ezza North in particular to ensure even development in the state.

“We have had leadership failure in the council steered by old politicians and we can’t risk having an old person again as our council boss. We need youth with vision to lead the council for the good of the people.

The decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Yobe State to boycott the state’s 25th May, 2024 local government election is nothing but for the fear of defeat.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Buni on Digital and Strategic Communications, Yusuf Ali mocked the opposition party in a statement issued to newsmen.

He claimed that “It is a known fact that the opposition PDP in Yobe has nothing to offer to the people and has foreseen its impending defeat in the upcoming local government poll, and in its usual characteristics, resorted to blackmail.

“The truth of the matter is that PDP cannot win any post in the local government election even if APC members do not participate in it, because the people will still reject them at the polls.

“Instead of them to embark on rigorous grassroots campaigns to redeem their dented and battered image, they are dishing out unfounded allegations on the State Independent Electoral Commission that has done everything possible to conduct free, fair and credible polls.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission, YBSIEC, has adequately informed political parties in the state about the upcoming election activities schedules” he said.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the All Progressives Congress, APC, to steer clear of Rivers State, saying the party should perish thoughts of forcefully taking over the state.

This is even as the PDP claimed that the recent statement by the APC on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has further exposed its hallucinating and manipulative plots to force itself into government in the state against the will of the people.

PDP spoke in a statement by Debo Ologunagba, its National Publicity Secretary, on Saturday.

Ologunagba said APC laboured without success to subvert the Constitution on the vacation of seats by former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who, according to him, have lost their membership of the legislative house upon defection from the party.

He said it was pathetic for the APC to think that the facts and true import of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to the effect that the former lawmakers have since lost their seats can be muddled and lost in litigations and lengthy press statements.

Ologunagba further stated that the former House members for reasons best known to them, wittingly vacated and summarily lost their seats, insisting that nothing protects or allows them to retain their membership of the House after decamping to another political party.

According to him, the APC should come to terms with the vacation of seats by the former lawmakers.

The statement partly read: “It is indeed pathetic for the APC to think that the facts and true import of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to the effect that the former lawmakers have since lost their seats can be muddled and lost in litigations and lengthy press statements.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution is clear in providing that “a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if – being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before expiration of the period for which that House was elected.

“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

“The former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, for reasons best known to them, wittingly vacated and summarily lost their seats as nothing in the proviso protects or allows them to retain their membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly after decamping from the political party upon which they were elected.

“These former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have only themselves to blame for Constitutionally vacating their seats; a course which cannot be reversed or remedied. They should admit their miscalculation and bear the inescapable consequences.

“For the umpteenth time the PDP cautions the APC to steer clear of Rivers State; it should perish the thoughts of forcefully taking over the State and stop exasperating the public space by seeking to reverse the irreversible.

“The APC should come to terms that with the vacation of seats by the former lawmakers, the quorum of the Rivers State House of Assembly will be determined by the number of the remaining lawmakers as provided by law; until a bye-election is conducted to fill the vacancies now existing in the Rivers State House of Assembly as a result of the defection by the former members.”

Youths of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Zamfara State has lambasted the House of Representatives member representing Birnin Magaji/Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency, Aminu Sani Jaji, who recently countered their position about a hired crowd that protested at the premises of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Youths of the opposition party in Zamfara had accused the lawmaker of renting the crowd that protested against the failure of the anti-graft agency to arrest and prosecute former Governor Bello Matawalle just as it is following up with ex-Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

However, the governor came out publicly to deny his involvement in renting the youths who protested at the EFCC headquarters Abuja.

The Zamfara APC youths, in a statement signed by Abubakar Ibrahim Gusau, said that Aminu Jaji, who ought to be in the National Assembly making laws for good governance that will provide dividends of democracy to the suffering masses, laboured in vain claiming that he knew nothing about the protest.

“Jaji’s politics of bitterness and fear leaves nobody in doubt that he might have a hand in it in collusion with Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

“It is all about 2027 elections and the [plot] to jeopardise APC’s chance of reclaiming Zamfara State and reelection of President Bola Tinubu.

“It is obvious that once elections are over, it is time for nation building and delivery of democracy dividends to the people in tandem with the provision of Section 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“We urge politicians to close ranks in national interest. Nigerians are watching as power resides in the people!.”

Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the state leadership of the Labour Party has unveiled its governorship campaign council.

DAILY POST reports that the state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi unveiled the campaign council members while addressing newsmen after a stakeholders meeting of the State Working Committee with senatorial, local government leaders and executives across the 18 local government areas of the state.

The meeting which was held at the party’s secretariat in Benin City was also attended by Barrister Olumide Akpata and Prince Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, the party’s governorship candidate and running mate, respectively.

Ogbaloi said members of the campaign council would be inaugurated on Monday, May 13, 2024.

He said the campaign council would be led by Reverend Sam Omede as the Director-General, with Dr Ehikioya Agboga as Deputy Director as well as deputy director general for Edo central senatorial district.

Other members of the council are Senator Ned Imasuen, representing Edo South senatorial district in the Senate, Hon Esosa Iyawe and Hon Murphy Osaro Omoruyi, representing Oredo and Egor/Ikpoba Okha federal constituencies, respectively, in the National Assembly.

“In preparation for the upcoming election, we have meticulously selected individuals of impeccable character to lead the State Campaign Council and local government campaign committees,” he said.

The state Labour Party chairman, who condemned the alleged invasion of the secretariat last Thursday by the Youth Leader of the party, Ken Omusi, noted that he (youth leader) had since been suspended for anti-party activities.

He announced Dan Ero from Oredo Local Government Area as his replacement.

Ogbaloi added that the State Working Committee, in the spirit of brotherhood ahead of the governorship election, has lifted the suspension earlier slammed on some membersm

According to him, a reconciliation committee would be set up by the state executive to make peace with any of the aggrieved members before the election.

He, however, appealed to members of the party to leverage on the forthcoming new voters’ registration exercise to expand the voters base as well as ensure broader participation in the electoral process.

“A robust membership drive shall be launched to attract new members and reconcile with the disenchanted individuals who have legitimate grievances”, he added.

He equally urged all members of the party, as well eligible voters in the state, to rally behind the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Barrister Olumide Akpata and his running mate, Prince Yusuf Asamah Kadiri, in the election.