By Justin Udie
Born on February 2nd 1985, 37 years old
Sakaja Johnson Arthur is the Governor-elect of Nairobi County. Elected on 9th August 2022. He was the Senator of Nairobi. #GoAndVerify
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, 18 – 70 years old men and women are drumming “on your mandate we shall stand” behind old extremely exhausted and sick people up and down. It’s a big shame 😞 Take your future more seriously my people. Your primitive and tribal assets will not help build the future you desire.
Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike few moments ago (Friday) distanced himself from a purported suit said to have been filed by him seeking the removal of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general election.
This comes few hours after some media outfits had reported that Wike had ordered the removal of PDP flags in Rivers State government house, which also turned out to be false.
In an exclusive chat with THISDAY, the Governor denied knowing anything whatsoever about the purported suit or even knowing the lawyers who filed the suit in the first instance. “I don’t know anything about the so called suit. I did not ask anyone to file any suit for me”
The media was on Friday morning awash with reports that Governor Wike and one Chieftain of the PDP, Mr Newgent Ekamon, had dragged the PDP to court seeking the removal of Atiku as Candidate of the PDP in next year’s presidential polls.
According to the purported suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs were said to have hinged their claims on the grounds that the PDP primary conferred undue advantage on Atiku which aided his emergence as candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.
Reacting to the publication, Wike flatly denied the suit said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. He described the suit as the handiwork of mischief makers who merely want to use him to score cheap political goals.
He stated emphatically, “I don’t know the lawyers”. Continuing, he said, “am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time. I had 14 days after the primary within which to have filed any suit. I didn’t do that then, is it two months after primary I will file a suit?
He also recalled that, “just yesterday they came up with the claim that I ordered my Chief Security Officer to pull down PDP flag in Government House. This is all false, it’s all propaganda. Some people are trying to use me to win the election. Please disregard all these lies”.
ThisDay
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY CROSS RIVER STATE.
9th August 2022.
Press Statement:
AMB. SONI ABANG: THE IGNORANCE OF A POLITICIAN ON SABBATICAL.
Our attention has been drawn to a scathing and vitriolic comment credited to Amb. Soni Abang, the factional Director General of one of the many APC Gubernatorial Candidates in Cross River State, wherein Amb. Soni Abang, mischievously insinuated that the Peoples Democratic Party is coming into the 2023 elections with a very heavy moral baggage as a result of the Gubernatorial Candidate of the PDP coming from the Central Senatorial District.
In a bid to score cheap Political point and whip up ethnocentric sentiment, Amb. Soni Abang who just returned from political sabbatical threw caution to the wind and spoke disparagingly about the PDP, the same Political Party that gave him the platform to become who he is.
Abang as erstwhile chairman was the most dictatorial and undemocratic in the history of party politics in Nigeria. The same Abang who is today talking about brotherliness and natural justice, fought against His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke and nearly truncated Imoke’s 8years tenure as Governor. So, where’s the brotherliness?
As Amb. Soni Abang appears to be recovering from the rude shock that visited him following his loss of favour with Senator Liyel Imoke since his ignominious ambassadorial posting to the Republic of Chad, that sent him on Political exile, we would love to ask him what he negotiated for the Six Local Government Areas of Central SenatoriaI District where he comes from, as someone interested in Political inclusiveness. Where is the equitable distribution of offices in his beloved APC, when the Senatorial District with a sitting Governor is still imposing a deputy Governorship Candidate on his party for the sole purpose of shoring up his failed bid to return to the Senate, an ambition that he can see clearly is bedeviled with bad omens indicating that it is already stillborn.
If we may ask, why is Ambassador Soni Abang working tirelessly to give his younger brother the ticket of the PDP to contest the Federal House of Representative seat of his Constituency Ikom/Boki, instead of his party the APC, if he considers the APC a just and preferred platform?
Maybe the APC needs to interrogate these inconsistencies of a pretentious returnee Political gangster with the reputation of trading only on electoral goods.
Ordinarily, we would have chosen to remain calm and let the tantrums thrown at us slide but for the sake of clarity and emphasis, we wish to reiterate that we are not interested in playing the Politics of ethnocentric agitation. We have, for the umpteenth time, reminded Cross Riverians that while others are preaching ethnicity, we are preaching unity and oneness, hence our philosophy of Back To Us.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record that the Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State carried out the most transparent, free and fair primaries in the history of our state, unlike the APC where a group of persons sat down over some bottles of alcohol, drank themselves to stupor and unilaterally forced other aspirants to step down for the preferred Candidate of a cabalistic few, even against the interest of their party faithfuls, which has led to series of litigations.
We are bemused that the APC can muster the effrontery to talk about moral baggage against the PDP. What can be more burdensome than the fact that APC handpicked all its Candidates in an unjust and unfair manner. What can be more burdensome than the fact that the APC took both their Gubernatorial and Senatorial ticket in the South to one Local Government Area, while excluding the other six Local Government Areas. What can be more disturbing than the fact that the APC in a bid to fruitlessly safeguard the Governor’s already embattled Senatorial ambition, took the position of the Deputy Governorship Candidate of their Party to the Northern Senatorial District. Where is the justice and fairness Amb. Soni Abang is sanctimoniously trying to preach when a particular Local Government Area occupies the Governorship seat, Ministerial seat and currently battling to lay claim to the Senatorial ticket of the Northern Senatorial District. What happens to other Local Government Areas in the North and Central Senatorial District?
While we do not wish to involve ourselves in the malicious diversionary Political antics of the APC, we enjoin them to prepare themselves and meet us in the field as we are confident that the good people of Cross River State are eagerly waiting to vote them out and reclaim our dear state.
Signed.
Prince Mike Ojisi
State publicity Secretary.
By: Odenke-Odemonke Ibiang
As the drive for reconciliation by the Efiok Cobham Led PDP reconciliation Committee continue to yield result across the state, party faithfuls, aspirants for Obubra and Etung State House of Assembly as well as the candidate for Obubra/Etung federal constituency have assured the team of their readiness to put aside all grievances and work for the success of the party in all the 21 wards of Obubra and Etung Local Government Areas.
Party faithfuls present at the meeting took turns to trace the history of the PDP in Cross River state and Obubra, and harped on the need to stay United in other to Reclaim it’s stolen mandate from the failed government occupying leopard house in Calabar.
They also recounted the sacrifices made by their illustrious son, late John Okpa to bring PDP and democracy to Cross River state and so were not in the hurry to betray their son by voting other parties in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
The stalwarts emphasized that it was their responsibility to ensure that PDP Obubra remains one indivisible body, and assured the reconciliation committee that as the federal constituency that houses the Gubernatorial candidate, they would leave no stone unturned in turning out massive votes for the PDP from their various units in the forthcoming general elections.
The battle for the soul of Cross River state has continued to gather momentum as about 5, 000 All Progressives Congress (APC) members have defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the northern senatorial zone.
The defectors include former APC wards and chapter officers, women leaders, leaders of Hausa community in Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Oabnliku and Obudu as well candidate
in the last Ogoja/Yala federal constitiency and aspirants in the làst congresses.
Receiving the thosands of defectors at TTC field Igoli-Ogoja on Saturday, the Vice Chairman of PDP Northern Senatorial district, Chief Austine Edibe, commended them for their courage to join the party at this nick of time.
He enjoined them to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023, adding that the wards that deliver highest votes would re-warded with more dividends of democracy.
Also welcoming the defectors,
Sen Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, advised them to be loyal to party leadership at their various wards and be steadfast, assuring them of more empowerment programmes to accommodate them.
According to him, “this is the time for the defectors to tie their belts and reject any form of inducements in readiness for the battle ahead.”
Earlier, the former Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham, said the defectors should join the “operation vote APC out”and called on them to get their PVCs ready to bring back PDP.
Some of the defectors expressed their readiness to work for PDP, saying “we are back to our root.”
One the defectors and a former chapter treasurer of APC Obudu, Agim Joseph Agim, said they came back to PDP because of the love for Sen Jarigbe and to be part of the succes story ahead of 2023.
Also speaking, Ushie James Odey, former APC secretary Ukpah ward in Bekwarra, said: “We have worked for APC for seven years and i got nothing neither was I empowered. So, I decided to defect to PDP where I can be given human treatment.”
For John Brown Ugbada from Yala, he said: “I came over with about 300 APC members. We are returning to PDP to enable us work for PDP and reposition Yala local governement area.”
For Dominic Ebi, a former LP candidate for the last Yala/Ogoja federal constituency by-election, he said: “I have returned to PDP because it is a family that has a reward system.”
The Ogoja LGA chapter of the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, have endorsed Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe for Senate ahead of the 2023 general election.
The group which made the briefing earlier today during her PVC Sensitization Campaign and Mobilization, have called on the people of Cross River Northern Senatorial District to re-elect Senator Jarigbe for another term to enable him consolidate and continue his transformational projects and policies.
They explained that, the refined lawmaker has done exceptionally well in critical sectors such as; law making, education, youth empowerment, health, infrastructural development and many others.
The group further declared support for all PDP candidates in the State, ranging from the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Governorship, as well as the Presidency.
TEAM JARI MEDIA
By Dominic Kidzu
A frontline politician and Director General of the Caterpillar Movement, Chief Joe Obi Bisong has identified the lack of creative ideas and innovation as the reasons for the paralysed socio – economic atmosphere in the state.
Chief Obi Bisong who spoke with
CROSS RIVER STATE TODAY SERIES explained that “there are no activities to keep the economy booming, rather the entire economy from the state to the federal level is characterized by inflation,
Insecurity of lives and property and unemployment. We have reached a near total collapse in all sectors of our lives while physical infrastructure are at very deplorable levels in our state “.
He identified poor leadership and wrong – headed policies by the APC government at the centre and the appointment of unqualified personnel into very sensitive areas of governance in the state as the reasons for the poorstate of affairs. “The lack of cognate experience and appropriate skills by these square pegs in round holes has killed the entire civil and public service sectors in the state “.
He warned Cross Riverians not to stand by and watch the government as it attempts to succeed itself in office and continue with business as usual. ” What we need is free and fair elections to bring in a rescue team that shall return our dear state to its glory days “.
Chief Joe Obi Bisong has been a Supervisor, Leader of Council, state publicly secretary of the PDP and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment.
The Director General of the Senator Gershom Bassey Campaign Organization (Team-Gersh), Barr Ekpo Asuquo Ada has reteriated the need to reclaim and restore Cross River State.
Barr. Ada made this known on July 21st, 2022 during a welcome rally in his honour at the Caterpillar Movement Campaign Secretariat, #143 Ndidem Usang Iso Road, Calabar Cross River State.
Welcoming Barr Ekpo Asuquo, the DG Caterpillar Movement, Chief Joe Obi Bisong the leader of Team Gersh on behalf of his principal drew the attention of the supporters to the supremacy of the party as he said, “As party men and women we ‘re conversant with the tone that the party is supreme. The political journey is a journey that you start alone and as you grow you continue to gather more people to join you. If you’re not well behaved, those around you will continue to leave until you get to your destination alone”.
Chief Joe Obi further explored the harmonious relationship that existed between Barr Ekpo and himself and maintain that “We started this journey for the search of the governor of our state together with my brother and bossom friend, Barr Ekpo Ada. Chief Gershom Bassey appointed him DG, while Senator Onor appointed me DG. All through the period of campaigns, we never had disagreement because we believe politics is the people and politics is interest. At the end of the primaries we made frantic efforts as brothers and friends and as colleagues which brought us to this position. We spoke extensively with Senator Gershom Bassey and his team, we had several meetings. Let me state on record that Senator Gershom Bassey gave us a deputy governor and today, the big fish has arrived”.
He assured Barr Ekpo Ada of equal stake as DG in the quest to reclaim Cross River State. “On behalf of our principal and candidate of our great party, Dist Senator Prof Sandy Ojang Onor, I welcome you and be rest assured you have equal stake and equal stand as DG because you’re a good DG”.
Responding, Barr Ada charged his supporters to work for the success of the PDP in order to be relevant and likened politics to the game of soccer when he said: “In this business it is like a football Match. If you’re not in the field to play constantly you would loose your form. We must take the scene. We must support Prof. Sandy Onor and Lady Emana Duke. We must reclaim Cross River State.”
The legal luminary further outlined his expectations when he said: “All we ask from our candidate is good governance. A government that is all inclusive, a government that would not have refuse all over the streets, government that would not be full of lies, government that would not deceive our people that we have projects that are nowhere to be found. A government that won’t be geo-ethnically nepotic”.
He concluded by saying, “I ‘ve been working very closely with the DG Caterpillar Movement. He’s my brother, he’s my friend, he’s my colleague, we were councillors together. And let me tell all of you, I had the course to sit with Senator Prof. Sandy Onor, I told him clearly that my people of the south we’re still watching to see what he would do. The fact that he has called me, as small as I am and he picked up his phone and called me and said let us have a chat and I sat with him, there’s a lot that I ‘ve seen. It’s not about your brother. Sometimes your brother can be on the street. All of us are from the south and we know what we have passed through in the south. Let’s stand up and work. PDP must win!”
Caterpillar Movement Media
The Senator Representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Distinguished Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, today arrived Cross River North Senatorial District to a resounding carnival-like welcome by party faithfuls, leaders, supporters, and constituents.
The lawmaker who was visiting the Senatorial District for the first time after the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Primary elections, met a crowd of thousands of supporters from the Senatorial District.
The lawmaker proceeded to the construction site of the Mini-stadium and Recreational Centre, where he inspected the ongoing projects alongside other candidates of the Party. He also interacted with the site Engineers where he was assured the projects will be completed within 6-week and handed over to the People for use.
While addressing supporters, Sen. Jarigbe thanked the party faithfuls for the reception and their support so far for the party.
“I want to thank you all for the continuous support for PDP and the warm welcome”
“PDP na our own, we will continue to support party members especially those that rejected Food on the table and stood by the Party.
“The next governorship election in our state will be decided by Cross River North because no party has performed more than PDP in the senatorial district”
“On my part, I’ll continue to empower you, influence projects, support those in business, I’m not interested in acquisition of wealth meant for everyone”
Some dignitaries present include; members of PDP State exco, Barr. Godwin offiono (Ogoja/Yala Rep candidate), Barr. Dorncklaimz Enamhe DG Sen. Jarigbe 2023 campaign Organization, Hon(Chief), Rita Ayim(Ogoja state Constituency candidate), Dr Paul Ebiala Esq(Yala 1 state Constituency candidate), Dr. Martin Achadu( Yala 11 state Constituency candidate), Rt.Hon Mom Olom, Emma Odidi (PDP Chapter Chairman Ogoja), Hon. David Obule(PDP Chapter Chairman Bekwarra), Hon. Egar Mgbantul, Pst John Naku, Gospel Agom, and thousands of supporters.
TEAM JARI MEDIA
DO THE GODS WANT TO DESTROY CROSS RIVER APC?:
By Okoi Obono-obla
The cross-river state leadership of the APC is in shambles.
The leadership is grossly biased and discriminatory against members of the legacy parties in the APC in the State (defunct CPC, ACN, and ANPP that amalgamated in 2013 to form APC).
The agenda of the leadership is to perpetuate the interest and hegemony of defectors from the PDP that joined the APC in 2021.
This trend manifested clearly in the manner the leadership manipulated primaries for the nomination of candidates to fly the party flag in the next general election.
During the compilation of the names of delegates, the leadership ensure that only those that joined the party in 2021 were selected.
The selection of delegates constitutes an abuse of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022; which stipulates that delegates shall be democratically elected.
The leadership continued to tinker with the list of delegates to the extent that aspirants (other than the ones from the 2021 defectors) knew the electors even right to the day of the primaries.
The APC in Cross River is presently rudderless and purposeless.
How does the leadership except for the unity of purpose, direction, discipline, and cohesion that a political party going into an election is required to have even show manifest bias against a tendency within its rank and file?
I see a heavy defeat staring at the party in the next general election unless something drastic is done to heal the wounds inflicted on party stakeholders, leaders, and members alike.