Politics
Abia PDP secretary suspended as crisis deepens ahead primaries
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State has suspended the State Secretary, Mr David Iro.
Iro was suspended by the State Working Committee, SWC, of the party at its meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at the party secretariat Umuahia.
PDP in a statement Wednesday, said Iro was suspended for one month for making unguarded utterances that brought embarrassment to the party.
The statement signed by the Vice Chairman of the party, and Chairman for Abia North, Elder Abraham Amah, said the Secretary overstepped the bounds of his office.
PDP’s statement sighted by Vanguard in Umuahia read in part:”That the state Secretary should proceed on one month suspension with effect from May 10, 2022, for acting outside the purview of his office which caused an embarrassment to the image of the party”.
This is coming barely 72 hours after the Secretary in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, insisted that the party had not conducted its three-man delegate congress contrary to claims by the Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
Gov. Ikpeazu had in a viral video, commended the success of the exercise in his Ward 7 in Obingwa, but the Secretary in the interview insisted that the exercise had not taken place in any part of the state.
He equally said that the members of the panel sent from the party’s National secretariat had not even been formally introduced to the state leadership of the party.
Meanwhile, PDP in the statement conveying the suspension of the Secretary, admitted that the process of choosing delegates for the party’s primaries had not been concluded, thus vindicating the suspended party Scribe.
An insider at the State Working Committee, SWC, meeting where the decision to suspend the Secretary was taken, confided in Vanguard, how the voting went.
The source which pleaded for anonymity said that after hearing from the Secretary his defense over the said press interview, a motion for his suspension was moved and put to vote.
According to the source, out of the 14-member SWC, only four voted in favour of his suspension while two voted against.
” Five persons declined while one person was absent. Two of those who voted for his suspension are aspirants and you can be sure they were simply obeying directives”.
Protests and counter protests have trailed the conduct of the party’s three-man delegate congress with some aggrieved party members calling for the sack of the State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere.
Some party elders including the immediate- past Secretary to State Government, SSG, Dr Eme Okoro; and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, have both petitioned the National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, seeking his intervention.
Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, had also expressed displeasure over the decision of the party to simultaneously zone its governorship ticket in 2023 to Abia Central and Abia North senatorial zones, a move he alleged was a ploy to actualise the much-rumoured Ngwa self succession agenda.
He warned that PDP might lose Abia in 2023 if the party gave its ticket to an Ngwa against the prevailing power arrangement in the state.
In less than 12 house after media publication of his warning, Senator Wabara was also fired as the Chairman, Governing Council of the Abia State University.
Meanwhile, former Chairman of PDP in the state, Senator Emma Nwaka, has expressed worry over the recent developments in the party which he said, could badly affect the fortunes of the party in the 2023 polls.
Nwaka who said people had been asking him why he had remained quiet over the growing tension in the party, explained that he had been trying to find solution to the “zoning-induced in-fighting through the back channel”.
He, therefore, appealed for a cease fire and peace to avoid the party playing into the waiting hands of the opposition.
Senator Nwaka who is also seeking the Governorship ticket of the party said he felt sad that the party he nurtured was engrossed in in-house fighting.
“You all know how much I laboured to reposition the party and return it to its winning ways. So what’s going on grieves my heart.
“As a democrat and a man of peace, I’ve chosen the backroom approach in trying to douse the inferno.
“I’ve been meeting and talking to stakeholders to see how we can find a common ground. It’s not an impossibility to come to an amicable solution for the good of ndi Abia who have kept faith with PDP over the years.
“We owe them the responsibility to install a government that will serve their economic and social needs.
“Politics should not be a zero-sum game. It’s human to make mistakes and very honourable to know when to change course in the best interest of our people.”
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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