Confusion has dogged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over their decision to name Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as member of their campaign councils for the Bayelsa governorship poll.
On the official campaign list released by the APC and signed by the National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu, for Bayelsa State, Wike’s name is number six while on that of the PDP signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Olugunagba, the former governor’s name is number 12.
Wike, who has not resigned as a member of the PDP following a fallout with the party in the lead up to the February presidential election, was recently sworn in as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.
The APC also listed Gombe Governor Inuwa Yahaya as chairman of the party’s governorship campaign council in Bayelsa with Defence Minister, Abubakar Badaru; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, as co-chairmen.
Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun will lead the 135-member campaign council for the Kogi Governorship election. The council has three co-chairmen – Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, his Niger State counterpart, Umar Bago, and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
For the Imo election, the APC named Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State as the chairman of the council. The co-chairmen are the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru; Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu; and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
Meanwhile, former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has warned politicians not to blackmail or squeeze the judiciary and the society, else they risk a revolt from young Nigerians.
In a video seen on social media, the former president was seen speaking at an event, admonishing the audience on the importance of keeping the rule of law.
“While we are doing the job that we are meant to do, let us not, because the judiciary is very conservative, try to blackmail them or squeeze them. Sometimes when we have political power, we become so blinded, especially when you are in the security forces. But society is changing, so we must admonish ourselves.
“Civil society is becoming very active and certain things that we do and get away with, we may not get away with tomorrow. If we take laws into our hands and try to squeeze society, the young people will react. It happened when I was president, in a sister country, Burkina Faso.
“By their law, when a president is absent, the speaker of the parliament takes over because they have no vice president, the President wanted to amend the constitution so that he can go for a third tenure. From the thinking of society, the parliament was compromised So, the young people in that country mobilised themselves and went to the national parliament to kill the speaker and the security couldn’t stop them but the speaker ran away.
“The mob then moved to the State House to kill the President and he ran to Cote D’Ivoire. There was no one to run the country because the President and the Speaker had run away, so, the military had to step in. So, we the politicians and those of us who are holding sensitive positions should know that the society is changing so much. We must do everything to follow the rule of law,” he said.
Source: The Sun
