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Atikus Borno Attack: Views From Another Side

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Atikus Borno Attack: Views From Another Side

By: Inuwa Bwala

It is a common sight during political rallies, to see young men dangerously hanging on moving vehicles: often displaying dangerous weapons while assaulting passers by and onlookers, who fail to cheer them on or respond to their party chants.

They are known to beat protocols and force themselves on people, often clinging to vehicles without any form of invitation.

They are intolerant of any form of opposition chants and loath any form of orderly conduct by others from their own group.

They are not peculiar to any particular political party and they are often available for hiring: if only to checkmate rival political thugs from disturbing VIPs during rallies.

Reports from the reported attack on the convoy of the presidential standard bearer of the opposition Peoples Democratic party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar had it that, such people

 were not in short supply during the PDP rally in Maiduguri last Wednesday.

The first question I asked when the news of the attack on the convoy of 

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar broke out, was, whether the reporters witnessed the violence or were informed.

 When they informed me that they quoted Dino Melaye, Spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, doubts started creeping into my mind, as to  the accuracy of the reports.

Curiously, all reports ignored the fact of the presence of armed thugs on the convoy of the visiting PDP, rather everybody looked in the direction of the Government and the ruling APC as the culprit.

Knowing the character of Dino Melaye and his capacity to dramatize issues out of proportion, I decided to look beyond Melaye’s claims and I discovered that there was actually a clash between rival thugs, on the convoy of the visiting party and others stationed in their traditional shade, along the airport road.

By implications, what transpired was a clash between two groups and not a premeditated attack on Atimu, as we were initially made to believe.

Police confirmed to me that they had their personnel spread out along the highway from the airport to the Shehu of Borno’s palace and the Ramat Square, venue of the PDP rally; who witnessed all that transpired.

According to the police, some youths holding brooms and APC flags, instead of that of the PDP, seemed to have caught the attention of the PDP boys, who in turn started pouring invectives on the state Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum and the APC.

The APC boys responded by throwing their brooms at the PDP supporters, while the PDP supporters also threw objects at their APC counterparts, leading to a pandemonium.

The speed with which Melaye, churned out figures of the wounded and vehicles vandalized, even when the rally was still ongoing, and the immediacy with which  it went viral, was in itself suspicious, yet most reporters chose to flow with the tide, to avoid queries from their eager editors.

On my part, I have always been of the belief that, there are always two sides to a story, and something did not seem to have fallen in place properly,

READ ALSO: https://dailypost.ng/2022/10/29/frsc-hails-borno-gov-zulum-for-supporting-command/

In blaming the Government and the APC in the state without proper briefing, Dino Melaye seemed to have pulled the wool over the public eyes by quickly creating a narrative, which gained currency and acceptance: thereby shutting out any likely counter narrative on the true genesis of the incident.

Our correspondent had reported long before Atiku Abubakar’s arrival in Maiduguri, that people were being ferried out of town, ostensibly to depopulate the city center.

When I enquired from a state Government official, why people were being taken away, he explained that Governor Babagana Zulum had charged them to ensure a hitch free PDP campaign, and that, out of fears of the likelihood of what transpired on the airport road, they decided to reduce the population of their own supporters by taking them away from the city center.

According to him, the Governor had to go to Abuja on official duty and had left instructions that Borno must live up to its name as the center of peace, by allowing a hitch free rally by Atiku, even as an opposition figure.

While exonerating the Government and the APC from any form of complicity in the incident, the state official who prefers anonymity told me that, it was actually Atiku’s supporters: apparently ovetehelmed by events during the visit, that provoked APC supporters standing by the side of the road.

Even without the benefits of the emerging facts about the incident, I would still not have believed that, Professor Zulum, whom most Nigerians hold in reverence could descend so low as to disturb the peace or prevent a rival rally for whatever gains. 

It is obvious that, the State Government has maintained the studied silence, so as not to lend credence to the skewed narrative over the incident.

Atikus Borno Attack: Views From Another Side

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Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC

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Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the camp of the ruling APC in Gombe State received a boost as over 1, 000 opposition political leaders and members from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state, on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The opposition leaders and members are from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP).

They were received by Mr Inuwa Garba, member representing Yamaltu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in company of Mr Adamu Lambam, APC chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG.

Speaking during the ceremony in Lubo community in Yamaltu Deba LG, Malam Tasiu Isa, the Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the council said joining APC was to strengthen the good governance being delivered by the party.

Isa said that Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and President Bola Tinubu have done well for the people through the execution of live-changing projects.

“We, the executives of the SDP from this LG and all the ward executives are joining the APC today and we are more than 500 officials.
“If we join our supporters and members, then we will be talking of thousands of SDP members; we are convinced that APC is the party to be because the party has good governance as evidence,” he said.

Isa commended Rep member Garba for his people-centric approach to representation, saying that Garba’s leadership style was complementing that of Gov. Yahaya.

For Mohammed Hinna, Labour Party chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG, joining APC remained the best option for any patriotic Nigeria who wants to see a better future for the country.

Hinna said with the efforts of President Tinubu and Gov. Yahaya, it would be difficult to remain in opposition, “if you truly a political leader that has the love of the people at heart.”

Mr Adamu Lambam, the APC chairman for Yamaltu Deba said more opposition leaders and members have been joining the APC at the council because of the good governance being delivered by Yahaya in their LG.

Lambam said that the party would continue to welcome anyone who wants to join the APC, adding that “APC is the people’s party because of the developmental strides of Tinubu, Inuwa and Garba.”

Reps member Garba said with the defection, the structure of opposition parties in the council has been weakened and “this is good for APC ahead of 2027.”

Garba said that the performance of Tinubu and Yahaya would make campaigning for APC ahead of 2027 election easier for them when the ban on campaign is lifted in August.

He appealed to members of the APC to remain united while mobilising more members at the grassroots by informing them of the many good things that Mr President and Yahaya have done.

Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC

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Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman

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Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri's Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman

Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman

Faults Akpe’s Nomination, Says Governance Now A Family Enterprise

A chieftain and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Barr. David Perebo has expressed deep dissatisfaction over Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri segregational, sidelining mode of conduct of the party ward and local government congresses.

Condemning in strong terms of the segregational mode of conduct of the APC ward and local government congresses across the state, the chieftain described the congresses as witch-hunt of a selected group of stakeholders, leaders in the party.

The APC member condemned the governor deliberate segregation of key stakeholders in various wards and local government areas are geared towards generating division.

Pursuant to the marginalized mode of conduct of the congresses, ward and local government executives of APC in Sagbama addressing the press, expressed dissatisfaction over non-inclusion of critical stakeholders who stood firmly as an opposition in building the party in Bayelsa state.

The party executives said Senator Diri inability to conduct all inclusive congresses in various wards, local governments across the state, has proven beyond shadow of doubt of the governor incapability to manage affairs of the party in Bayelsa state.

Governor Diri who couldn’t manage insignificant affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leading to Mr George Turnah factional leadership in Bayelsa, has transferred the same attitude from the PDP to the APC barely four months of defection.

The statesmen said the governor has deceptively taken total control of the APC leadership structure in various wards and local government areas across the state, by installing his followers who defected to the APC from the PDP, while excluding old APC members who built the party.

Diri who preach all-inclusiveness in leadership, has deceptively taken over the leadership structures of Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, while allowing Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and David Lyon to nominate the Chairmen of Ekeremor, Ogbia and Southern-Ijaw as compensation.

Furthermore, the governor whose intentions failed woefully to use his relative, Mr Gesiye Isowo as at then Bayelsa PDP Secretary, as Bayelsa APC Caretaker Chairman before any official defection to the APC, has perfected preparations to use him as Chairman of APC in Bayelsa State.

Senator Douye Diri has perfected preparations to produce the Bayelsa APC Chairman, Secretary, including other relevant positions to take total control of the party structure in the state, as deliberate steps towards producing a governorship candidate in the next gubernatorial election.

Unknown to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku who are rumoured to have governorship ambitions in 2027, Governor Douye Diri will never support any of them as successor, rather he is nurturing a relative from Nembe extraction whose father is from Sampou to succeed him as Bayelsa Governor.

In the same vein, the APC chieftain has condemned the decision of the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri over nomination of his maternal relative from Ayamasa town, Pastor Peter Pereotubo Akpe as Deputy Governor with motives to revolve the government as a family enterprise.

The chieftain who that stands for justice, fairness, and transparency in governance, has expressed intense dissatisfaction over Governor Douye Diri’s nomination of his relative as deputy governor against Bayelsans.

The sudden passing of the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo whose cause of sudden death still uncertain, created room for timely replacement of the office of the deputy governor according to Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said the governor has privatized governance of Bayelsa as a family enterprise with Akpe nomination as deputy when expected to choose from other competent Bayelsans.

Senator Diri has virtually privatized governance of Bayelsa by appointing only relatives in sensitive positions: Chief of Staff now Deputy Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Domestic, Director of Transport, and other government house appointees.

The aggrieved party stakeholder said successive administrations since 1999 has credibly and transparently distributed political appointments across the three senatorial district, but the reverse has been the record in Senator Douye Diri administration.

The governor take decisions without putting into consideration of those who consciously built his political reputation. He defected to the APC without considering the feelings of leaders working closely with him.

Bayelsans has witnessed that the governor has no conscience and empathy, enveloped with greed and ingratitude against those who helped in building his political career and reputation; such as former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Timi Alaibe, Senator Seriake Dickson.

Senator Diri political trajectory has been driven by pettiness, rumours, propaganda, capitalizing on illiteracy, poverty and stomach infrastructure syndrome of some Bayelsans, while privatizing and managing resources of the state as a family enterprise.

In self-delusional, deceptive pretense of building peace, unity, he brought in opposition members to replace those who fought (some lost their lives) for his emergence, instead of acknowledging, and compensating them for their support and sacrifices.

Douye was very selfish to abandon Jonathan, Alaibe in PDP, especially Dickson who believed and trusted him as successor. Yet, he embraced the people who fought against those who worked for him in the election.

The way and manner the governor had shown ingratitude to Jonathan, Dickson, Alaibe, and others, same thing he will do to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku, Lyon, and other leaders in the APC.

Douye doesn’t understand that those who are praising him, are doing so for political patronage (monetary terms), and desert him after office.

Signed:

Barr. David Perebo
APC Chieftain Writes From Yenagoa

Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman

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National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure

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National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu's Second Tenure

National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure

By Comrade Philip Ikodor

The National Progressive Hub (NPH), a leading support group for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on all Nigerians to rally behind President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for a successful second term in office come 2027.

In a statement, National Coordinator/Convener, Honorable Bukie Okangbe, praised the APC administration for its efforts towards nation-building and economic stability. Okangbe highlighted the NPH’s previous support for President Tinubu, including a National Security and Endorsement event in 2022 that contributed to the party’s successful general election outcome.

The NPH is gearing up for a Grand Endorsement event for President Tinubu’s second term, scheduled to hold on February 26th at the Musa Yaradua Center, CBD, Abuja. The event will also feature the inauguration of 36 state coordinators, including the FCT, and address critical national issues.

“We invite everyone to join us at this significant event,” Okangbe said. “Your presence will be a testament to our collective commitment to Nigeria’s progress and the APC’s vision for a better future.”

The event promises to be a landmark occasion, showcasing the NPH’s dedication to the APC and President Tinubu’s leadership.

National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure

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