PDP GOVERNORS' FORUM

His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed alongside his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and President of the 8th, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Hayatuddeen visited the Nigeria's former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in his residence in Minna, Niger state. Senator Bukola Saraki who spoke on behalf of the members of the delegation alongside said the visit was to seek blessings and advice on their aspirations. He added that they embarked on an intensive consultation with leaders and other critical stakeholders of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) on the need for consensus. Responding, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd) appreciated them for the visit and assured them of his support. 

Following renewed attacks on Benue communities, the state Governor, Samuel Ortom has reiterated his call on the people  to rise up and defend themselves against forces bent on taking over their land.  He gave the charge in Zaki Biam, Ukum Local Government Area of the state Thursday, March 31st, 2022 at the burial of the Second Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Akaai Chaha.  The Governor who lamented how Fulani herdsmen in the past few days carried out  coordinated attacks in some local governments said his call on the people to defend themselves was backed by the Bible and constitution.  He said "Self defence is recognised by the Constitution and its legal."  Governor Ortom maintained that the Government on its part was doing everything necessary to secure the people and the land, saying it was the reason why the Community Volunteer Guards was formed to complement conventional security agencies who have been completely over...

Brekete Family, a human rights and good governance advocacy media group in Abuja, has purchased the 2023 Presidential election nomination form for Governor Udom Emmanuel with a call on the Akwa Ibom State Chief Executive to accept their appeal and step forward for the contest. The form was purchased, Wednesday at the PDP National headquarters, Wadata Plaza in Abuja. Addressing the press, leader of the delegation, Mr Innocent Orji, popularly known as Daddy Scaffold, said their decision to buy the Presidential nomination form for Governor Emmanuel was informed by the need to ensure credible leadership for Nigeria in 2023.  He explained that they found Governor Emmanuel most suitably qualified to govern the country at a time like this. "We are mandating him to contest. This is the only way we can make this country better.  "Our reason behind this is that since we got independence as a country, we've not really fared any better.  "There is nothing to write home about. We...

 …showcases Edo's business potential The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki at this year’s Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Dubai, thrilled investors with his pitch for investments in the Benin River Port, the Enterprise Park, and the Benin Inland Container Depot/Dry Port, among other big-ticket projects, in a drive to deepen development and open up the state’s economy for productivity and industrialization. The governor is among members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) participating in the annual summit and seeking foreign direct investments from businesses and organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Others on the delegation include Governors of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto and Yobe States. Obaseki, during his presentation, said industrialisation is one of the core pillars of his administration, adding, “We have created much impact in this regard and we will continue to provide the needed envir...

 Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has appealed to foreign investors to come tap the economic potentialities of his state beyond its depleting oil resources. Governor Diri, who spoke on Tuesday evening at one of the closing sessions of the annual global investors meeting known as the Dubai Expo 2020 holding at the picturesque Dubai Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates, said Bayelsa is an amazing state with several investment opportunities waiting to be harnessed. The Bayelsa governor said the state, which was created in 1996, seeks investors to develop its agricultural potential in areas it had comparative advantage such as in rice, cassava, plantain, sugarcane, oil palm production as well as in fisheries and aquaculture. He invited investors to partner with the state to exploit its rich mangrove forests and natural beaches to make it a tourists’ haven. Diri stressed that Bayelsa’s sprawling coastline, which is the longest in Nigeria, provided vast opportunities ...

 By Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (CFR, Mutawallen Sokoto) For more than two hours on Monday evening the entire nation was shocked and traumatized as the story of over 900 passengers besieged and trapped on an Abuja bound train filtered out slowly. Later the full picture came out. It was that terrorists heavily armed in their hundreds had waylaid the train and proceeded to bomb the engine room. Simultaneously, they shot sporadically wounding and killing hapless citizens. A number of those entrapped are still missing while scores are dead and some mortally wounded. This was one of many such attacks within hours in and around Kaduna city. For the umpteenth time this single dastardly act, like its similitude, is not only abominable, evil and callous, but also a reflection of the systemic failure that has characterized the misgovernance of the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the past few years. It is very disheartening that such carnage and brigandage, seen...

By Maxim Uzoatu The Governors’ Forum of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for unleashing excruciating hardship and suffering on hapless Nigerians in its 7-year rule. The Forum rose from its meeting  Aba, Abia State, with  damning communique stating that the APC represents a failed government. The body which comprises of all elected governors of the PDP issued a quit notice to “a failed APC-led Federal Government.” There is the debilitating dimension of “the near collapse of the APC as a viable political party.” The Forum then alerts Nigerians of “the readiness of the PDP to take over and offer qualitative leadership options to rescue the nation.” In its constitutional role as a major fulcrum of the opposition party waiting in the wings, the PDP Governors’ Forum averred: “We lament the terrible pain and hardship facing Nigerians in virtually all aspects of life.” It stands to reason that all fair-minded commen...

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has expressed grief over the sustained invasion and killing of Benue people by Fulani herdsmen.  The governor who was reacting to the recent murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen in Benue with scores hacked to death in unprovoked attacks called on Benue communities to rise up and defend themselves.  There were coordinated attacks on Guma, Kwande and Gwer West local government areas of the state on Tuesday, March 29th, 2022.  A report from the team leader of security agencies in Kasekyo near Tse Torkula village in Guma local government said that suspected Fulani herders at about 0930 hours on Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 shot one Turner Ajar and an unidentified elderly man who were on a motorcycle going to the farm.  The team of Agro Rangers who were on patrol in the area ran into the attack,  unfortunately, the victims had already been killed. Their corpses were taken and deposited at a hospital in Gbajimba, Guma local governmen...

Chairman of the PDP Zoning Committee and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said that they will come out with an acceptable position for all.  The Governor who briefed journalists at the end of their second meeting which lasted for more that three hours at the Benue State lodge, Asokoro, Abuja disclosed that "the meeting was peaceful without any tension."  In his words, "The meeting is yet to be concluded. We have adjourned till Tuesday next week the same time, same venue. And untill we conclude the proceedings, there is not much to say. So far, all the  members are quite understanding. There wasn't any form of tension."  Governor Ortom who was flanked by Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and Chief Bode George and other members of the committee said "all the members understand ourselves that zoning is very key and we  are looking at it that at the end of it all, we will do something that everybody will accept and we will go ahead as one...

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has described the death of a former diplomat and chairman of Ibadan Elders' Forum, Ambassador Olusola Sanu, as a great loss to Ibadanland, Oyo State, the diplomatic community and Nigeria. The governor, who condoled with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Lekan Balogun, Ibadan Elders, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes and the immediate family of the late Ambassador, said that the late Sanu gave his best towards the progress of Ibadanland, Oyo State and Nigeria. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that Amb. Sanu's commitment and passion for Ibadan's growth and development were exemplary. “I was saddened by the news of the passing of the chairman of the Ibadan Elders' Forum, Amb. Olusola Sanu. “While giving gratitude to God for the great life Baba lived, we cannot but mourn because his death at this time is a great loss to Ibadanland and Oy...

  …commends Makinde on policies, programmes The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on Monday, donated 100 hospital beds and other equipment to aid healthcare delivery in Oyo State. While presenting the items received from the SDGs Office in the Presidency, Abuja, to the Oyo State Ministry of Health, the  Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Sustainable Development Goals, Hon. Kunle Yusuff, said that the items were received due to the cordial relationship between the  Oyo State SDGs Office and the Office of the OSSAP at the Presidency. During the presentation held at the Ministry of Health's premises, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Yusuff explained that the items were meant to cushion the negative effects of COVID-19 and to fulfil the Goal 3 of SDGs in ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. He applauded the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration for building his policies and programmes around the  17 Global Goals of SDGs, using his ...

 Three Presidential aspirants for the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have met with Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom in continuation of their consultations to pick a consensus candidate ahead of the party primaries.  The aspirants, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Governors Bala Mohammed and Aminu Tambuwal of Bauchi and Sokoto states respectively met over an hour with the Benue State Governor behind closed doors at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi to strengthen their campaign for a rancour free contest. Fielding questions from reporters after their closed door meeting, the former Senate President Saraki said the initiative was borne out of their desire to consult widely among the stakeholders as well as other aspirants to select one of them who would be supported by the rest of the party to rescue Nigeria from the ruins the nation has been taken into by the APC .  Saraki expressed optimism that all the aspirants on the...

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said that he has no reason to resign as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zoning Committee ahead of the 2023 general elections.  He has maintained his resolve to complete the assignment without blemish saying “I have no reason to resign”.  The Governor was reacting to a news item credited to a faceless Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) led by one Yerima Shettima who had accused governor Ortom of compromising his position for receiving his Rivers state counterpart, Governor Nyesom Wike in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.  Wike was in Makurdi Sunday, March 28th where he declared his presidential ambition to contest for the 2023 presidential elections.  Shetima had alleged that the N200million naira donated by Governor Wike to help rebuild the burnt Katsina Ala and High Level Makurdi markets in Benue state was to compromise Ortom.  But in swift reaction, Ortom berated Shetima for being insensitive to the...

Elders from the Masev, Ihyarev and Nongov Development Association, MINDA, have presented Expression of Intent and Nomination Forms for Senate to Governor Samuel Ortom. The purchase and presentation of the forms to Governor Ortom is in continuation of calls for him contest for the Benue North West Senatorial seat in the 2023 general elections. Secretary of the MINDA PDP Elders Forum, Hon Charles Torbunde, led other members of the forum cutting across Guma, Makurdi, Gwer-East and Gwer-West to make the presentation. Receiving the forms, Governor said he was humbled for the honour done him. He stated that the MINDA elders led him to solicit the support of Jemgbagh for the Senate aspiration. Governor Ortom pledged to represent the people well and speak for them without fear or favour, stressing that he will represent the interest of his constituents.

Taraba State Governor, Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku, has promised to work for the emergence of a credible presidential flag bearer that could make the return of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, to power at the federal level in 2023 an easy project. Gov Ishaku gave this assurance on Monday when the three aspirants called on him for consultations at the Taraba State Governor's Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja. Gov Ishaku expressed delight that the three aspirants were collaborating to produce a strong presidential candidate for the party and called on leaders of the party to support the initiative. He said Nigerians of all interests and backgrounds were waiting for the PDP to take over the leadership of the country come 2023 and called on all party members to embrace the initiative being championed by the three aspirants. Speaking earlier, Senator Bukola Saraki who led the three aspirants on the visit, said they came to consult with Ishaku being one of the most respected elders and a crit...