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Isoko APC leaders decry marginalisation, seek commission’s MD

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All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Isoko, Delta State, have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the marginalisation of the ethnic nationality.

According to them, Isoko, the second place oil was discovered in the Niger Delta after Oluibiri, has not had any federal presence or any of their sons or daughters appointed as minister or into any federal executive position since 1999.

They said the only thing representing federal presence in Isoko is a police station and street lights by the NDDC.

In contrast, the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups have had ministers and others appointed to executive positions and enjoy other essential infrastructure.

The leaders are urging President Tinubu to appoint an Isoko person as the Managing Director of the newly created South-South Development Commission (SSDC) for the sake of equity and fairness.

 

They stressed that their peaceful agitation for inclusion at the national level, if continuously neglected, could give rise to violent agitation, which they have been working to avoid.

They made the call on behalf of the Isoko ethnic nationality at a briefing in Lagos.

Delta State APC Secretary, Chief Peter Akarogbe, said it will become difficult to sell the party to voters and convince people to work for it if the injustice persists.

He believes there is no better opportunity to address the neglect than to appoint an Isoko person as the SSDC MD.

He said many eminently qualified sons and daughters of Isoko can head the new commission.

Akarogbe said: “Our people have been marginalised for too long. In Delta South, there are three ethnic nationalities: Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri.

“Only Isoko has not gotten anything – either appointment or federal government presence. And it’s making it difficult for us to sell the party to our people.

“We believe it is an oversight by the President, so we want to draw his attention to these anomalies.

“The SSDC has been created. The chairman has been appointed from Cross River State. The headquarters is also in Akwa Ibom State. The board has not been constituted.

“We are calling on the President and all those in authority to look in the direction of the Isokos – for a son or daughter of Isoko to be appointed as the Managing Director of that commission for the sake of equity and fairness.

“We’re major stakeholders. Isoko is the largest onshore oil producer in Nigeria, producing close to 400 barrels per day onshore. So why should we not be considered for a federal appointment?

“We’re drawing the President’s attention to the oversight and pleading with him to appoint our own as the MD of the SSDC.”

Delta South APC Youth Leader Hyacinth Ewariezi described it as “painful and disheartening” that Isoko has not had a Federal appointment since 1999.

“I feel the SSDC was created for the Isoko to be accommodated because we have been blacked out despite our significant contribution to the economy.

“Party-wise, we have contributed our quota. So, the President should remember us by appointing an Isoko son as the MD. That is the agreement of the Isokos.

“When this is done, Isoko will surely reciprocate by voting him en masse in 2027.”

State APC Welfare Secretary, Mrs Hoplyn Akpotu-Ayu, stressed that the Isoko ethnic nationality cannot continue to be neglected.

She said: “Considering our contribution to the economy, this marginalisation saddens us, so we want the Federal Government to remember us this time.

“The entire Isokos agreed that we should be given this appointment, and we plead that nothing should sabotage that unanimous plea, especially given our enormous contribution to the economy.

“That way, we will be able to convince our people to vote APC in 2027.”

According to Mrs. Akpotu-Ayu, if an Isoko person is appointed MD of SSDC, he will be in the best position to attract the much-needed infrastructure and projects that have been lacking.

“It will also give our people hope that, having appointed their son to that position, other appointments will follow.

“In the Senatorial district, the President had the highest number of votes from the Isoko nationality.

“So, there is no justification for continuously neglecting us just because we have no person at the top speaking for us.

“The President needs to know that such a level of marginalisation is being carried out against a populous ethnic nationality with great voting strength.

“The best way the President can correct it is to give this MD-ship to an Isoko son.

“Ijaws and Isekiri have produced many ministers and senior special advisers, chairmen of commissions and federal commissioners. Isoko has never gotten one. It’s like man’s inhumanity to man. It’s not fair.

“So we urge the President to address the issue to avoid violent agitation because when peaceful agitation is resisted, it could give rise to violent agitation.

“Isoko leaders are already suppressing the youths from taking arms. There should be a reward for being peaceful.

“When there was no offshore oil production, it was the Isokos and a part of the Urhobo that were sustaining the country, but today, the nationality is being neglected. The reward for their making peace should not be neglect.”

APC Isoko South Chairman, Vincent Egbogbo, said other ethnic groups have enjoyed a lot of political patronage from the Federal Government over the years.

“So, we’re appealing to the President to please wipe our tears by appointing our son as the SSDC MD. That is the only way the Isoko can be carried along.

“In fact, the gods of our land will go after anyone who obstructs this request from coming to fruition,” he said.

The leaders said many representations have been made to the Federal Government over the years, with letters also sent to President Tinubu, but none have yielded a positive outcome so far.

They are hopeful that the President will listen to their appeals this time.

 

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PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.

According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.

Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.

Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.

The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.

The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.

According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.

It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”

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Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed

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A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.

Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.

Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.

He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.

The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.

Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.

He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.

“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”

However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.

It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.

On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.

Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.

The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.

He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”

He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.

Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.

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Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary

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The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.

According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.

The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.

Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.

Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.

APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.

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