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Vote For PDP, SOKAPU Youth Tells Kaduna People
By Sunday Isuwa, Abuja
The Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), National Youth Wing, has urged the people of Kaduna State to vote for the gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Rt Hon Isa Ashiru in the Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
According to the youth, the present administration might have done it best, but added that during the PDP administration from 1999-2015, there was deliberate efforts at uniting the people of Kaduna State which the APC administration has failed to do.
A statement issued by the National Youth Leader of SOKAPU, Comrade John Isaac, said the people of Kaduna State should vote for the PDP for unity, growth and development of the country.
“We call on our youths to come out in their large numbers and cast their votes for the PDP candidate in order to end the reign of hopelessness and despair sweeping across our dearly beloved state. A vote for the PDP this Saturday is a vote for peace, security, unity, progress and development of Kaduna State, ” Isaac said.
The statement titled: “Appeal To Southern Kaduna Youths,” the SOKAPU Youth leader commended the youths for coming out en masse to peacefully exercise their civic rights during the Presidential and National Assembly elections that took place on 25th February 2023.
“The SOKAPU Youth Wing National wishes to remind and reiterate to our members the consequences of what we shall be doing this Saturday, 18th March, 2023.
“The SOKAPU Political Committee and the Southern Kaduna Leadership Council, comprising high profile personalities drawn across the length and breadth of our dear region, was saddled with the responsibility of engaging governorship candidates of various political parties with the aim of recommending the direction to follow. They have done that in clear terms.
“As the apex youth body of our dear region, we have observed that in the last seven-plus years of this administration, citizens have been subjected to various challenges, including the horrendous killings and decimations of our communities. The current administration may have done their best in tackling these problems, but their best has become the worst ever witnessed since the creation of this state as seen in the gruesome killing of no fewer than 3,500 Southern Kaduna people by criminal herdsmen and terror gangs.
“Thousands have also lost their means of livelihood, with hundreds of thousands displaced from their ancestral lands. The increase in tuition fees in state tertiary schools has led to many students dropping out of school. Education, which should have been a right for citizens, is now a privilege for only the well-to-do.. Many of our youths are roaming the street without job opportunities. The few engaged by the previous administrations have been sacked by the current administration. The All Progressives Congress-led government in Kaduna State has done more harm than good to our people through its anti-people policies.
“However, there is no doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the past proved more friendlier and progressive more than what we have now. When the party was in power from 1999-2015, there was a deliberate attempt at inclusion and carrying everyone along in the affairs of governance.
“Having done an in-depth and extensive consultation with regards to the frightening scenario that is making life difficult to the citizens of Kaduna State, we have unanimously resolved to endorse the governorship candidate of the PDP, Rt. Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan in the 2023 Kaduna Governorship poll slated to hold this Saturday.
“We call on our youths to come out in their large numbers and cast their votes for the PDP candidate in order to end the reign of hopelessness and despair sweeping across our dearly beloved state. A vote for the PDP this Saturday is a vote for peace, security, unity, progress and development of Kaduna State, ” the statement added.
General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has assured that all security challenges facing the nation will be effectively addressed by the year’s end.
This statement was made during the launch of attack drones and the demonstration of locally produced bombs, developed by a homegrown technology firm.
The event was attended by security specialists and senior government officials, as General Musa showcased the indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the audience.
Accompanied by Ajao Adewale, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, and Caleb Mutfwang, the Governor of Plateau State, General Musa emphasized the ongoing bureaucratic obstacles in acquiring military equipment from abroad.
Governor Mutfwang stressed the urgency for decisive measures against insecurity, calling on leaders to prevent any entity within the nation from possessing military capabilities.
The operational features of the UAVs were also demonstrated, with General Musa expressing satisfaction with this advancement, labeling it a pivotal step in combating insecurity in the country.
A coalition of youth organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reconsider its wanted tag on socialite, Dr Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, OFR.
The organisations, Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative said this in a joint press statement they issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to them, the declaration of Achimugu wanted by the anti-corruption agency came to them as a rude shock.
The joint statement was signed by Comrade Emma Niboro and Ali Ameh for Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative, respectively.
They described Achimugu as a dedicated friend of the youths, who had always shown commitment to the welfare and care of the downtrodden.
According to the youth coalition, “we know the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as a man who came with utmost zeal to sanitize the agency. He has already demonstrated this and we are proud of his achievements so far.
“However, we urge him to resist pressure from politicians, which is a plague that has dwarfed EFCC for several years of its existence.
“The commission had hitherto remained a tool for politicians to undue their perceived political foes and this has always rubbed off on the credibility of the agency.
“The case of Achumugu doesn’t appear to be different in any way, as the haste with which she was declared wanted showed there is a hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.
“Our appeal is that the commission should withdraw the wanted tag on her and give her ample time to report to the commission, as she has never been indicted of any offence whether in Nigeria or outside the country.”
While noting that Achimugu is a global figure, they added that they can always vouch for her integrity.
“We know her, she has always been of immense help to the youths and other members of the society.
“Her closeness to certain politicians should not be used as a tool to persecute or harass her,” the youths further stated.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.