“The PPA has severally condemned the process of selecting delegates to the forthcoming national conference, saying it is not a true representation of the views of the masses, but those of the friends of the governors and Mr. President. Our party expresses its support for the conference as we are not against anything that will foster dialogue among our people.”

Even though governors elected on its platform have declared that they would send delegates to the forthcoming national conference, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is insisting that as a party, it will not send delegates to the conference.
It said that it’s major grouse about the bad timing for the conference remains unchanged.
The modalities of the conference provides for political party representation based on their presence in the National Assembly. They are to send two delegates each. The parties eligible to send delegates are the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Accord Party, and the Labour Party.
Speaking for the APC, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lai Mohammed said the party will not send delegates but will not stop its state governors from doing so for their states, adding that the view of the party will not be imposed on everybody.
“APC as a party will not send representatives. But the governors, since they are not governors of APC members alone, can appoint delegates to the conference. When a man is in charge of a state, he also leads members of other political parties in the state; they (APC governors) can appoint whoever they want to appoint. We, in APC, hold our partisan views and we have been consistent on our stance on the national conference. But the governors are leaders and citizens of
their states. We cannot impose our views on everybody.” he said while
speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH.

By Paul Osas

From EMMANUEL UZOR, Onitsha
Security agents in the commercial city of Onitsha and Anambra State in general are having hectic time controlling the series of clashes in the city between street urchins at various motor parks ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the city today.
Saturday Sun gathered that the crisis between Ndi Ukwu Aziza and Ndi Ukwu Otosi over the control of Aba park at Onitsha-Owerri road escalated yesterday resulting in blocking the Onitsha-Owerri Road for several hours before team of soldiers, navy and policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Okpoko police division, Mr. Emeka Ugwu restored normalcy to the area.
The clash was coming even as President Jonathan is expected to land at Asaba International Airport from where he will use Air Force helicopter to land at Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha to pay courtesy call on Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe before departing for Owerri, Imo State.
Meanwhile security has been beefed up in the commercial city of Onitsha ahead of the president’s visit. The Area Commander in charge of Onitsha Police Area Command, Mr. Benjamin Wordu was seen patrolling the city with team of policemen as part of security measures.
However, a visit to the Imeobi palace of Obi of Onitsha showed heavy presence of security personnel as well as others who were seen working round the clock to make sure that there was serious security during and after president’s visit.
The Chairman of Onitsha North council area, Mr. Osite Egbuna, said there was heavy security ahead of Mr. President’s visit, adding that the entire commercial city of Onitsha is in great expectation to receive the president.
Mr. Egbuna also commended Governor Peter Obi for his support and leadership style that endeared him to the people, saying that the visit of the president will further bring development to the city.
Meanwhile, the police have deployed Anti bomb squad to the commercial city of Onitsha to ensure peace and security during and after the president’s visit.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe proved abortive.

The Yoruba assembly on National Conference has unveiled its agenda for the National Conference coming up later in the year with issues of parliamentary system, fiscal federalism and regional police taking pre-eminence.
The meeting which held at the residence of Sir Olanihun Ajayi in Ishara, Ogun State, was attended by the Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi and other notable Yoruba leaders from the six states of the South West.
 
by: Channels Television

 The apex pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze (SAN) to grow up, live his age and be a statesman rather than dropping comments in the media that are capable of undermining the interest of the Igbo race. The Anambra State chairman of the group, Elder Chris Eluemunoh, who made this known at a media briefing on Monday in Awka, the state capital, said that Prof Nwabueze’s comments of late were geared towards undermining the progress of Ndigbo, with the aim of supporting the Yorubas, who he alleged pays the elder statesman’s bills. Eluemunoh said “Nwabueze’s comments are outright falsehood against Ohaneze and Ndigbo, and keeping quiet will mean accepting them. Since he is our son, and hails from this state, there is need for us to clear the air on his falsehood”. The state chairman said Ohaneze was the only group speaking for the Igbos, and for Nwabueze to parade himself as the leader of The Patriot and creating the impression that Ohanaeze Ndigbo was divided and incapable of speaking for the Igbos, was outright falsehood. “He is simply playing the music of the Yoruba people, there is no case in court concerning Ohanaeze, we are not divided and Chief Garry Igariwey remains our President-General. “Nwabueze is a good constitutional lawyer who is selfish. He has grown and does not want anyone else to grow, but he should know that Igboland has good lawyers today”, Eluemunoh said. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader also took a swipe at Governor Rochas Okorocha for purportedly parading himself as the new Igbo leader. “What he is doing is a childish prank because he knows he will never become Igbo leader. The earlier he realizes this and stop selling Igbos to his Yoruba friends the better. Ohanaeze is not APC, so he should be advised to retrace his step”, Eluemunoh said. by: daniel

The Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS) on Wednesday dissociated itself from any resolution arising from the Yoruba Constitutional Conference organised by some Yoruba leaders in Ibadan.
Addressing a news conference in Ibadan, the Chairman of the community, Alhaji Is-haq Sanni, said the organisers of the conference were not true representation of the Yoruba people.
“How can you talk of Yoruba leaders in Yoruba land where at least 70 per cent of the population are Muslims without a single Muslim in their midst,’’ Sanni said.
He specifically faulted the composition of the conveners of the conference without the likes of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Kola Daisi, Prof. Daud Noibi, Shuaib Oyedokun, Dr Jubril Martins-Kuye,  among others.
Sanni urged the public to disregard any resolution of the conference organised by the group.
”They are not serving the interest of the Yoruba people, let alone the Muslim Community in the Yoruba speaking states,” he said.
It will be recalled that the Yoruba Constitutional Conference group under the auspices of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Coalition of O’dua Self Determination Groups (COSEG), O’dua National Coalition (ONAC) met in Ibadan on Wednesday to set the Yoruba agenda a head of the national conference.
Others were Atayese, Covenant Group (CG), Afenifere Youth Forum (AYF), Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Agbekoya Reformed Society and Oodua Foundation (Diaspora).