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APC becoming worse than PDP, canvasses constitional review, valid membership list – Lukman

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The Director-General, Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, said to resolve the internal squabbles in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor Mai-Mala Buni Caretaker/Convention Working Committee has to setup a constitution review committee and present proposals for amendments to the Extraordinary National Convention.

Lukman said this in a statement Sunday in Abuja that beyond proposals for constitutional amendment, there is the urgent need to consider developing proposed code of conduct for elected and appointed officials of the party as byelaws to regulate conduct of party leaders.

He said the code of conduct is necessary in order to prevent situations whereby officials of the party will not abuse their office and conduct themselves in manners that could undermine the party’s commitment to the principles of public accountability or even get stretched to issues bordering on criminal conduct and the probable extension of strategies of political bullying to include the deployment of state law enforcement machinery and officials against fellow citizens and party members.

The PGF boss said the Buni Caretaker/Convention Working Committee needs to be given every support within the party and by extension patriotic Nigerians sympathetic to the APC to be able to put the party on the part of progressive politics.

He said: “As it is today, APC is the only party with the potential of promoting progressive politics based on ensuring that the party is able to put in place credible and verifiable membership register as basis for membership and citizens’ participation. The management of the membership must be such that it makes it easy for records to be updated and accessed.

“For the party to guarantee participation, processes of leadership emergence should be transparently democratic involving wider scope of members. Beyond electing leaders, the internal rules of the party should be strengthened to ensure that all party organs are made functional and the conduct of party leaders, including elected and appointed officials, are regulated to ensure that they project truly progressive conducts and credentials.”

Lukman asserted that, being progressives should mean that APC leaders are taking all the measures required to ensure seamless political contests within the party as a result of which political conflicts are giving way to healthy political contests.

“This would suggest reversal in the process of decline of the party. Should this become the new reality, the APC then could begin to transform itself into a mass-oriented party with expanded membership, developing relationship with organised interest groups.

“Are these going to be the issues for
debate as we move towards having a national convention to elect new leaders of the APC? Or are we going to submit ourselves as party members to the antics of political bullies whose only mission is to force every party member to silence and allow structures of the party to be manipulated to produce candidates for 2023? Time will tell.

“The struggle to make APC a progressively democratic party must not be surrendered to forces of reaction acting as political bullies”, he said.

Lukman also observed that APC is being corrupted by every passing day and therefore becoming more and more closer to PDP and in some cases even worse than PDP.

According to him: “Unlike PDP however, it needs to be recognised that in terms of accommodating dissent within the party, APC is more liberal, largely because President Buhari truly ‘belong to everyone and belong to no one’.

“Many have criticise the liberal disposition of President Buhari when it come to the issue of internal party management and present it as the problem of the party. This is wrong and instead, in fact, it is the democratic strength of the APC, which is making it to stand out as the only party in the country with political contests taking place.

“The major issue is that instead of manifesting as political contests, we are having political conflicts. How can we ensure that what we are having in the APC is political contests and not political conflicts? This is the big task ahead of APC leaders to ensure that the party is truly a progressive party.

“It was because of the very singular liberal disposition of President Buhari that made it possible for the struggle against the arbitrary conduct of the Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC to get to the level of democratically dissolving the NWC and appointing the Mai Mala Buni Caretaker/Convention Working Committee. But is that enough to guarantee that the APC will be opened up to wider participation of members?.”

He further said: “Given that the most important mandate of the Mai Mala Buni Caretaker/Convention Working Committee is to organise a National Convention where a new leadership will be elected, what are the steps required, which the Mai Mala Buni Committee should take to ensure that the national leadership of the party that will emerge are not nominees of potential Presidential candidates?

“The best way to check whether new leaders are nominees of potential Presidential candidates could be perhaps whether they emerge from electoral contests. How fair was the contest and to what extent could the issue of credible and verifiable membership register support the process of electing the new leadership of APC at the coming national convention? A very credible process should be recommended to sprout from membership registration/verification.

“This should mean that immediately following the membership registration/verification, party Congresses at ward, local governments and state levels hold to elect new leadership. This will have the advantage of ensuring that some levels of political negotiations are activated within the party to facilitate the emergence of new leaders.

“It is possible that, the process may still tilt in favour of some of the emerging power blocs within the party. However, if managed very well, it will be almost impossible for any single power bloc in the party to comfortably dominate the structures of the party across all the 36 states of the country and FCT. This will help to humble all the potential aspirants especially for the 2023 Presidential election, thereby democratising power in the APC. Because power is democratised, no one person can monopolised leadership and therefore impose himself/herself as presidential candidate of the APC. As a result, the issue of monopolising membership register such that it is the candidates that produce party members will begin to be minimised. Also, the party can bounce back and become appealing to citizens.”

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Politics

Soludo Appoints Law Mefor as Anambra Commissioner for Information

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By Elizabeth Okwe

The governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has appointed renowned media consultant and Forensic Psychologist Dr Law Mefor as the state’s commissioner for information.

In a statement on Tuesday by Christian Aburime, the chief press secretary (CPS) to the governor, Soludo expressed confidence in Mefor’s ability to foster a robust information environment in the state.

The governor also commended Nwosu for his contributions as commissioner for information during his time and wished him the best in his future endeavours.

“The governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has approved the appointment of Dr. Law Mefor, who has been sworn in as the new commissioner for information in Anambra state,” the statement reads.

“Dr. Mefor replaces Sir Paul Nwosu, who has moved on after over ten years of meritorious service to the Anambra state government.

“Dr. Law Mefor, a distinguished academic and public intellectual, brings a wealth of experience to his new position.

“With an impressive academic portfolio, he holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, alongside degrees in General and Applied Psychology from the University of Jos, Forensic Psychology from Nasarawa State University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar, and a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja.

“Over the years, Dr. Mefor has established himself as an educator and media consultant, lecturing for over a decade at the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja.

“He has also made significant contributions as a syndicated columnist, publishing thought-provoking articles in TheCable and various online and mainstream newspapers.

“Wishing him success as he assumes his new role, Governor Soludo expressed confidence in Dr. Mefor’s ability and extensive experience to strengthen the communication machinery of the state and foster a more vibrant information environment for the government’s developmental strides.

“Also, the governor commended Sir Paul Nwosu for his dedication and contributions during his tenure as Commissioner for Information, wishing him the very best in his future endeavours.”

A perfect choice 

Meanwhile,  the choice of Dr Law Mefor as the state’s commissioner for information by Governor Soludo has been described as a fit-to-type one which will raise the bar in the state’s information management.

According to Public Affairs Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Sunrise Media Limited, publishers of SunriseNigeria magazine and sunrisengr.com, Dr James Odaudu, Dr Mefor is not only a consumate academician but also a thoroughbred media professional with a wide reach who will definitely deploy his wealth of experience and professional expertise to make a difference.

In a congratulatory message to the new commissioner, Odaudu expressed the hope that he will continue in his well-documented trajectory of devoted service to his people which has been his hallmark even as a private practitioner.

The SunriseNigeria publisher assured the Commissioner of his organisation’s readiness to partner with the Anambra state government to achieve its desired goals in information dissemination and public engagement.

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International

Some Top Republicans Secretly Pray for Kamala Harris Massive Win

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By Dan Ladden-Hall

It seems it’s not just Democrats who are hoping that Donald Trump will be dealt a devastating defeat in November.

Several notable Republican figures also want the former president to lose to Kamala Harris but aren’t saying so publicly, according to Politico. Some GOP lawmakers see the possibility of a new Trump term as bad news for the party, the outlet reports.

Among those concerned are proponents of free market economic policies who are concerned by Trump’s proposed import tariffs, while abortion rights opponents are also skeptical of his inconsistent messaging on that issue, according to Politico.

They’re also reportedly concerned that Trump winning in 2024 could hurt the GOP’s electoral chances in the future.

“There’s a lot of anxiety about what Trump does to Republican ability to win in 2028—and what he also may do to the party in terms of policy long term,” one anonymous conservative leader told Politico. “There is just this concern that like, ‘OK, if the party just goes in that direction, then what kind of party is it going forward? And can conservatives, then, have a home going forward?’”

The outlet also claims concerned Republicans hope Trump’s loss is by a wide margin in order to help stifle any attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of his hypothetical defeat.

In a separate column, Politico’s columnist Jonathan Martin claimed the best outcome for the future of the Republican Party is for Trump to “lose soundly” in November.

“For most Republicans who’ve not converted to the Church of MAGA, this scenario is barely even provocative,” Martin writes. “In fact, asking around with Republicans last week, the most fervent private debate I came across in the party was how best to accelerate Trump’s exit to the 19th Hole.”

In a statement, Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes told the outlet that Trump has “unified the GOP like never before” and “expanded his coalition of support across partisan lines to Democrats and Independents.”

“Our campaign and down-ballot Republicans are poised for a great result in November, despite a few hand-wringing, anonymous sources who are not bold enough to attach their names to this drivel,” Hughes added.

* Reuters

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Politics

Former Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman Emerges Labour Party Caretaker Chairman

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As part of efforts to bring the seeming intractable crisis that has bedeviled the Party since the 2023 elections, the Labour Party on Wednesday announced the composition of a 29-man caretaker committee to be chaired by former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman.

Similarly, the Immediate-past Senate Minority Deputy Leader, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, was appointed to serve as Secretary to the committee which will midwife an election of a new leadership of the party within the next 90 days.

This development effectively ended the tenure of the party’s erstwhile National Chairman, Julius Abure and members of his executive Committee.

The party reached the resolution at the end of the Party’s NEC/Extended Stakeholders meeting held at Government House Umuahia, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Abia State, Ukoha Njoku,

He said that the Terms of Reference of the Committee include, ensuring the conduct of Ward, Local Government, State Congresses and National Convention as soon as possible and in accordance with the Constitution of the Labour Party.

READ ALSO: More Moles Will Be Exposed, Fumigated Out — Labour Party

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At the end of the NEC/Extended Stakeholders Meeting held in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital, a roll call was conducted and the meeting was confirmed to be duly convened that a 29-member Caretaker Committee was constituted immediately to ensure that there is no vacuum in the Leadership of the Party.

Other members representing various interest groups including NLC, TUC, Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly, and Gubernatorial Candidates in the last election.

The meeting equally commended Governor Alex Otti for his leadership in hosting the meeting and enjoined members of the party to support the Caretaker Committee to achieve its mandates.

The resolution named other members of the Committee to include 3 Senators, 4 members of House of Representatives, 3 members from States House of Assembly, 3 members from the Nigeria Labour Congress, 3 members from the Trade Union Congress, 3 members from the Gubernatorial Candidates in the last election among others.

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The Governor of Abia state, Alex Otti, said that the meeting was convened to deal with the existential problems confronting the party and chart a way forward for the Party.

He noted that the tenure of the National working Committee of the Party headed by Bar. Julius Abure had elapsed since 10th of June 2024 and called on all stakeholders of the party to join forces together to resolve every internal problems of the party.

Governor Otti said that the overall interest of all Labour Party Stakeholders is the survival of the party and not necessarily the composition of the NWC as far as it is constitutionally composed.

Also Speaking, the National Leader of the party and Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, said that all they are doing is to follow the guidelines established by law to save the party from total collapse.

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He noted that Labour Party being the third largest party in Nigeria has the potential of being the brightest if things are put in the right perspective and urged members of the party to give the caretaker Committee the needed support to enable it succeed in its assignments.

Responding on behalf of members of the caretaker Committee, the Chairman, Senator Usman thanked the National Leader of the party Mr. Peter Obi and other stakeholders for finding them fit for the task and assured that they will justify the confidence reposed in them.

Highlights of the meeting was the reaffirmation of the solid confidence in the leadership of the National Leader of the party Mr. Peter Obi and the resolution that all members with legal case against the party should withdraw same for the overall interest of the party.

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