Politics
APC knocks Obasanjo over comment
A group of supporters under the banner of the Obidient Movement has rejected the appointment of Theo Abu Agada as Director of New Media and Strategic Communications of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing the decision as an affront to the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his supporters.
In a statement signed by Karigwe, who identified himself as the “Prophet of Thoughts” and said he was speaking on behalf of Obidients, the group accused the NDC leadership of disregarding the interests of the movement by appointing an individual they claimed had a history of making critical remarks against Obi and his supporters.
The statement alleged that Agada had, on several occasions, publicly criticised Obi and members of the Obidient Movement, questioning the former Anambra governor’s leadership qualities and making comments that the group considered offensive.
According to the group, the appointment sends the wrong signal to millions of Nigerians who have identified with the Obidient Movement, which they described as being founded on the principles of competence, accountability, justice and people-centred governance.
The group argued that no political party that genuinely values the support of Obi and his followers should elevate an individual perceived to have been hostile to the movement into a strategic communications role.
It further expressed concern over what it described as a recurring pattern of disrespect towards the Obidient Movement across political platforms associated with Obi.
The statement also questioned the role of Tanko Yunusa, identified as the leader of the Obidient Movement, asking him to explain why such developments had continued to occur without any apparent intervention from the movement’s leadership.
“The Obidient Movement cannot continue to be treated as a crowd for rallies, online engagement and political optics, while those who openly insult the movement are put in strategic positions,” the statement said.
The group subsequently issued a number of demands to the NDC leadership, including the immediate reversal of Agada’s appointment and a public explanation of the process that led to his emergence as Director of New Media and Strategic Communications.
It also called for a formal apology to Peter Obi and members of the Obidient Movement, as well as assurances that individuals with what it described as a public record of hostility towards Obi and his supporters would not be appointed into sensitive communication positions within the party.
In addition, the group demanded that Yunusa provide a detailed explanation of his role as leader of the Obidient Movement and address concerns over what it termed repeated acts of disregard for the movement’s interests.
The NDC leadership and the individuals mentioned in the statement had not responded to the allegations at the tim
e of filing this report.
Senator Seriake Dickson has appealed for patience and understanding among aspirants of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following complaints over alleged irregularities in the party’s recently concluded primaries.
In a post on X after an interview with Arise Television, Dickson acknowledged that the exercise was not without flaws but urged aggrieved aspirants to consider the challenges facing the relatively new political party.
According to him, the NDC, which is barely four months old, had been compelled to conduct membership registration, congresses, a national convention, primaries, appeal processes and reconciliation efforts within a limited electoral timeframe.
He argued that the difficulties encountered by the party were not unique, noting that even more established political parties had faced similar challenges.
Dickson blamed the situation partly on provisions of the Electoral Act mandating direct primaries, maintaining that complaints about irregularities in such exercises had become widespread across political parties.
“The APC-led majority were wrong in foisting compulsory direct primaries on political parties and the country,” he said, adding that the issues arising from the process were “not peculiar to the NDC.”
The former Bayelsa State governor said that despite its limited lifespan and the large number of aspirants involved, the NDC had performed creditably in managing the exercise.
He disclosed that since the party’s formation, he had been working to strengthen internal confidence while welcoming prominent politicians into its fold. Following the primaries, he said he had been engaging stakeholders across the country to address grievances and disagreements.
Dickson also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that winners had emerged from the party’s primaries, insisting that no official announcement had been made by the NDC.
He urged members of the public to disregard unofficial claims and await formal communication from the party through the appropriate channels.
“The results of party primaries are not announced like school results; they are communicated through formal channels,” he stated.
The senator revealed that the party’s second National Executive Committee meeting had already approved the establishment of a Reconciliation Committee to work with state caucus leaders and other stakeholders in resolving disputes arising from the primaries.
He assured party members that future primary elections would be improved through the adoption of technology.
“This is our first set of primaries, and it will also be the last to be conducted manually. The next primaries will be technologically driven and will have none of these issues,” he said.
Dickson expressed appreciation to party supporters for their financial contributions and sacrifices, noting that the NDC was entirely self-funded and did not have the advantage of incumbency.
He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the success of its presidential ticket, comprising former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Calling for unity, Dickson urged members and supporters to avoid internal conflicts and rally behind all candidates of the party, from the presidential level to other elective positions.
He further called on state leaders and stakeholders who supervised the primaries to take responsibility for the reconciliation process, stressing that many of the candidates emerged through recommendations from local party structures rather than the national leadership.
“It is not a time to shift blames or dodge responsibilities,” he said, urging party leaders to work collectively to strengthen the ND
C ahead of future electoral contests.
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has threatened to file a N5 billion defamation lawsuit against his former ally and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, over alleged defamatory statements made during a television interview.
In a pre-action letter issued through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, SAN, Obi accused Okonkwo of making false and damaging claims during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television, on Monday.
Obi said the statements portrayed him as being involved in bribery, fraud and financial misconduct, describing the allegations as “reckless imputations” aimed at damaging his reputation and public standing.
Both politicians were once close allies, having worked together in the Labour Party before moving to the ADC, after which Obi later defected to the NDC.
During the interview, Okonkwo allegedly claimed that Obi and the NDC’s South-East caucus demanded a N10 million bribe from House of Representatives aspirants in exchange for party tickets. He also referenced claims linked to an aspirant, Obunike Ohaegbu, who was said to have sent him messages and receipts supporting the allegation.
Okonkwo further alleged that after payments were made, aspirants were instructed to contest in primaries rather than being handed automatic tickets, and accused Obi of influencing the preparation of candidate lists at a hotel in Abuja.
However, Ohaegbu, who was cited in the claims, later denied making such allegations during a separate appearance on the same programme on Tuesday, insisting he never accused Obi or any party officials of bribery or extortion.
He clarified that he only referred to general “allegations” without attributing wrongdoing to specific individuals.
In his legal letter, Obi demanded that Okonkwo withdraw the statements, issue a public apology on Channels Television and across all social media platforms within seven days, and publish a retraction.
He also demanded N5 billion in damages, describing the alleged statements as highly injurious and capable of exposing him to public hatred and ridicule. Obi further requested a written undertaking from Okonkwo to refrain from repeating or circulating the allegations.
The letter warned that failure to comply would leave Obi with no option but to pursue legal action, including claims for aggravated and exemplary damages, injunctive reliefs, and full legal costs.
As of the time of filing this report, Okonkwo had not issued any public response to the allegati
ons or the legal threat.
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