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Rivers: 3 SDP Assembly Candidates, 10 Ward Chairmen, Others Defect To APC

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Three House of Assembly candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election in Rivers State, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

10 ward chairmen of the SDP in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state and hundreds of party members and supporters also joined the APC.

The three House of Assembly candidates were Choker Orlu (Obio/Akpor Constituency 1); Bright Amadi (Obio/Akpor Constituency 2) and Owaji Augustus (Andoni Constituency).

Receiving the decampees at the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt yesterday, chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Chief Tony Okocha, described the party as one family.

Okocha expressed the hope that the decampees will bring value into the APC in the state, pointing it that there was no negative pressure on the former SDP members to join the APC.

He said: “My business is to receive formally, our brothers who have come contentiously. They have come on their own without any duress, without any negative pressure from anywhere. My business is to welcome you with your positive energy.

“I would say to you that what you have done here today is actually not new in the history of politics and politicking. I say so because, I have noticed and I have seen and we are hearing about a people who want to enter a house that the door is open and they want to enter through the window.

“We have decided that anybody who wants to enter a house that the doors are open, cannot be a good visitor. I will not have any aota of resistance to receive you into the APC family. I am aware that you bring value and you have already started to show that you will bring value to the system.

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“The APC that I lead in consent with my colleagues here, we work in unison; we are a family and because we are a family, we have also told ourselves that our business will be to build a robust APC in Rivers State. There will be no factions, no factionalism and no factionalisation. All of us are one; APC is one.”

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Obasa Presides Over Lagos Assembly With 4 Members

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Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa has launched a comeback into the Lagos State House of Assembly and presided over as a speaker with four members in attendance.

Obasa was impeached while on a trip to the US, but there have been controversies and insinuations about his coming back, which manifested yesterday, Thursday.

However, other Lagos State House of Assembly members have rejected Mudashiru Obasa’s claim that he remains the speaker.

This development coincided with the recent withdrawal of Meranda’s security aides, but the police said they had restored Meranda’s security details last night.

Speaking with journalists at the assembly complex, the lawmakers reaffirmed their support for Meranda’s leadership.

Stephen Ogundipe, a member representing Oshodi-Isolo constituency 1, who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers, called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos to intervene in the leadership crisis.

“Our leaders approached us with the idea that we should remain calm and take things easy. But we are surprised to see what is happening here today,” he said.

“We won’t take laws into our hands, just as we told the staff not to do so. However, we all belong to different constituencies and have our mandate. Whatever happens, the leadership should speak with us and not this charade we are seeing.

“We are not happy; we have been law-abiding. We have not gone out of our way against the state.

“We also want to be respected, to be given our dignity. To be shown that we are elected. I’m appealing to the leadership of our party that we cannot continue this way.”

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PDP elders caution against unguarded utterances on political happenings in Benue

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Elders of the Benue chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have cautioned against unguarded utterances on the ongoing political happenings in the state.

The elders spoke on Thursday through the Chairman of G14, Dr Laha Dzever, and G9 Chief Elisha Amali during a press conference in Makurdi.

The PDP elders caution was a reaction to the APC elders press conference wherein they supported the removal of the Chief Judge and castigated all those against it.

The PDP elders urged other elders in the state to be statesmanly in their outings, especially on state issues.

Dzever said they found it disturbing that esteemed elders would choose to criticise the unassailable position of the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Aba Moro, whose statements were firmly rooted in the rule of law.

“The primary concern of elders is to embrace, support and promote peace, which is necessary for societal stability currently desired in our dear state, Benue. It is unelderly to do otherwise.

“We therefore advise that those in positions of authority should act with decorum and responsibility to promote genuine development, progress and prosperity for the entire people of Benue.

“Democracy thrives on the rule of law, not on the whims and caprices of any arm of government,” he said.

Dzever said that they were concerned about the actions of the Benue State House of Assembly and therefore advised them to return to status quo.

He said many of the suspended members of the assembly were PDP members and should be allowed to diligently discharge their duties.

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“The judiciary, as a separate arm of government and a cornerstone of democracy, must not be diluted with politics.

“We advise the Benue State House of Assembly to act judiciously and responsibly, always ensuring that decisions concerning judicial officers are made with integrity and fairness but above all to be rooted in the rule of law and due process,” he said.

Dzever, who acknowledged the significance of good governance, urged the people to understand that blind allegiance does not amount to tangible improvements in the lives of the people.

“Our major challenge in Benue State now is insecurity.

“The APC government in the state and at the federal level should therefore concentrate largely on securing the state immediately.

“We equally emphasise the need for transparency and accountability in governance,”he added. (NAN)

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Lagos Assembly crisis: Speaker Meranda’s security aides withdrawn

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All security aides attached to Speaker Mojisola Meranda of the Lagos State House of Assembly have been withdrawn.

ELANZANEWS can report that as of Thursday morning, security details attached to the speaker including police officers have been withdrawn.

ELANZANEWS cannot immediately verify who authorised the withdrawal but a source close to the Speaker confirmed that Meranda was now vulnerable.

All the Speaker’s security aides have been withdrawn. All the security aides attached to the House of Assembly have also been withdrawn,” the source said, lamenting that the “the speaker is now vulnerable.”

ELANZANEWS reports that the development comes amid information that Meranda may resign from the position as Speaker.

The move follows intervention of the heavyweights of the All Progressives Congress including Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who are former governors of Osun and Ogun states respectively.

The meditating panel led by the duo met last Sunday with key stakeholders at the House including members of the Governance Advisory Council at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina.

The panel, according to GAC members at the meeting, are recommending the resignation of Mudashiru Obasa and that Meranda should also step down for a new lawmaker from Lagos West to take the mantle of the House leadership.

Another source in the Obasa camp also said all aides attached to Obasa have now been restored.

“They have been restored all Obasa’s security aides as of this morning,” the source said.

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