Headlines

PDP Crisis: Sheriff/Makarfi Know Fate This Week

Published

9 years ago

June 6, 2016

Our Reporter

By Peter OSSAI, Abuja

Solution Party, SP, Seeks INEC Registration

Barring any further adjournments, the two Federal High Courts in Lagos and Port Harcourt, which gave contradictory orders on the leadership crisis bedeviling the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will make definite pronouncements on the matters before them.
Our correspondent reports that, the courts have given Tuesday the 7th and Thursday the 9th of June as date to rule on the applications before them, one of which gave legitimacy to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the leader, while the other recognized a Caretaker committee, put in place at the instance of some governors in the party, headed by Ahmed Makarfi.
When eventually ruled upon, the tension generated in the party since its botched convention in Port Harcourt on May 21st may be put to rest, paving way for the reconciliatory moves promised by each of the warring parties as the way forward.
It may be recalled that the convention of the party was put off by the Chairman of the Convention who is also the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, citing plethora of court restraints, including a full judgment, to the effect that, certain national offices in the party will not be vacant for elections into them until 2017 and 2018.
Some members of the National working committee had approached the courts arguing that their tenures will not expire until 2017, and obtained judgment to that effect, and in another development, the federal High Court in Lagos had also ruled shortly before the botched convention that the offices of the national Chairman, National Secretary and National Auditor will not also be vacant until 2018.
Relying upon these and after due consultations on the necessity or not to go ahead with the convention, which was slated to be elective, senator Sheriff addressed a Press conference in the morning of the planned convention, putting off the exercise until the matters in the courts are addressed.
Sheriff who also received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intimating him that they will not supervise elections into the offices cited by the courts at the convention, even if it had gone ahead, argued that, it will be better to play safe and project the PDP as law abiding by putting off the convention.
Apparently not impressed with Sheriff’s obedience to the court orders, Governors of the party, who have been scheming to hijack its operations invited people to the Sharks stadium in Port Harcourt, where they purportedly dissolved the National Working Committee, and put in place a Caretaker Committee, headed by former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi: knowing that there is no provision for a caretaker committee in the constitution of the PDP.
In a seeming judicial drama, another federal high Court in Port Harcourt, ostensibly not aware of the earlier ruling by a court of coordinate jurisdiction in Lagos, went on to confer recognition to the Caretaker Committee led by Makarfi, and restraining Sheriff from carrying out his official functions.
The decision has since been challenged by Sheriff to the effect that the Port Harcourt court was duely notified of the possible consequences of his orders to the integrity of the high Court in the matter, as well as the fact that Caretaker committee is an aberration in the PDP, and there was no convention in Port Harcourt as such.
While this drama was unfolding in Port Harcourt, a quasi political gathering was also taking place in Abuja which came up with the same caretaker committee contraption, with Senator Ibrahim Mantu as its caretaker Chairman. This group which sole agenda was to stop Sheriff from becoming Chairman, if the Port Harcourt convention were to hold, was equally laying claim to the party leadership.
Following these developments, there was so much apprehension amongst party members that, the PDP may be heading for an implosion, given that the crisis this time around poses real threats to its cohesion.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase had in apparent fear of the breakdown of law and order, should all parties meet at the PDP secretariat cordoned off the office, but later went against his orders by allowing some party members to enter the building and held a meeting, even as non functional organs of the party.
But even before the court verdicts, legal luminaries gave it to sheriff for the mere facts that the courts had earlier ruled that his tenure subsists till 2019 and that there is no provision for a caretaker in the PDP constitution. This they also argue against the fact that the process that brought about the caretaker contraption was flawed as the convention at which they were purportedly appointed had earlier been put off. The court resort in Port Harcourt may as well be a face saving move, Ahmed Gulak, one of the lawyers argued.
In the meantime, against permutations that some new political parties may be in the offing as a fall back for some aggrieved party members, Solution Party, SP, has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC seeking to be registere4d as a political party.
Our correspondent stumbled upon their letter of application and a draft constitution on Sunday evening, and reports that while there may be no visible hands behind SP, its interim leaders comprises of young technocrats, most of whom are still in government service.
A source in the new party told us that some of the governors in the embattled PDP have approached them for possible partnership in 2019, even as one of the south West Governors has pledged to pick the bills for the party’s registration and office accommodation.

Headlines

“Nigeria Is in a Hurry to Celebrate Victory Over Enemies of the State,” Says Tinubu as He Decorates New Service Chiefs

Published

3 days ago

October 30, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the newly appointed service chiefs to discharge their duties with utmost dedication and renewed commitment, declaring that “Nigeria is in a hurry to celebrate victory over enemies of the state.”

The President made this statement on Thursday during the decoration ceremony of the new service chiefs with their ranks at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Those decorated were General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.

The ceremony was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the newly promoted officers, who joined the President in performing the decorations.

In his address, Tinubu underscored the central role of security in fostering national development and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians.

“Security is an essential element without which everything else becomes meaningless,” the President stated. “There can be no sustainable development if this fundamental need is not met. Our people and our nation must remain secure to enjoy the dividends of governance.”

The elevation and decoration of the new military chiefs followed their confirmation by the National Assembly on Wednesday, after a closed-door screening session with lawmakers.

It will be recalled that, in a recent overhaul of the nation’s military hierarchy, President Tinubu appointed:

Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff,
Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff,
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff,
Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and
Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye retained as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

The new appointments mark a strategic restructuring of Nigeria’s security leadership aimed at strengthening the fight against insurgency, banditry, and other threats to national stability.

Headlines

FG Dismisses Coup Rumour, Reaffirms Confidence in Nigerian Military

Published

2 weeks ago

October 20, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Federal Government has dismissed widespread rumours of an alleged military coup plot against President Bola Tinubu, declaring its full confidence in the loyalty and professionalism of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known in an interview with The Punch on Sunday, insisting that the administration has “no reason whatsoever” to doubt the assurances given by the Defence Headquarters, which had earlier denied reports linking the detention of 16 military officers to a coup attempt.

“The Federal Government has no reason to doubt the military on what it has said,” Idris stated.
“We believe the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed to protecting the nation’s territorial integrity and strengthening the fight against insecurity. The government commends their sacrifice and will continue to support them in safeguarding the country.”

The minister’s remarks came a day after the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, firmly debunked a report by Sahara Reporters alleging that the detention of 16 officers was connected to a failed coup plot and the cancellation of the 65th Independence Day parade.

Gusau described the publication as “false, mischievous, and deliberately aimed at creating unnecessary tension and public distrust.”

He clarified that the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade was a purely administrative decision — taken to allow President Tinubu attend a key bilateral meeting abroad and to enable military units sustain ongoing counterinsurgency operations nationwide.

On the issue of the detained officers, Gusau said their case was “an internal disciplinary process” and not related to any political matter.

“The investigation involving the 16 officers is routine, aimed at upholding discipline and professionalism within the ranks,” he explained. “An investigative panel has been constituted, and its findings will be made public in due course.”

Reaffirming the military’s constitutional role and unwavering commitment to civilian rule, Gusau stressed emphatically:

“Democracy is forever.”

Headlines

FG Moves to Reform Civil Service Disciplinary System for Greater Efficiency

Published

3 weeks ago

October 14, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Federal Government is set to overhaul the disciplinary control system in the civil service to promote efficiency, accountability, and timely resolution of cases.

The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, made this known during a one-day joint retreat between the FCSC and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commission’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Taiwo Hassan, Olaopa emphasized that the review would drive culture change, value reorientation, and improve the overall disciplinary framework in the public sector.

He likened the relationship between the FCSC and OHCSF to that of “Siamese twins,” noting that both bodies share crucial responsibilities in policy implementation, regulatory enforcement, and leadership across the service.

Olaopa also underscored the need for stronger collaboration and communication between the two institutions to avoid misunderstandings, build trust, and enhance service delivery.

The FCSC chairman further advocated for an integrated system that links merit-based recruitment, competency-driven human resource management, and performance evaluation with the civil service wage structure, saying such reforms would help reposition government as an “employer of choice.”

Speaking on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Esther Walson-Jack praised Olaopa’s reform initiatives, describing the retreat as a renewed commitment to strengthening collaboration and efficiency within the civil service.

The renewed push for reform follows rising concerns about bureaucratic bottlenecks, delayed disciplinary actions, and weak accountability mechanisms in Nigeria’s public administration.