Index to Nigerian Newspapers

A leadership crisis is brewing in the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following allegations of misconduct against the party chairman, Mr. Ezekiel Nwogwugwu. Some party stakeholders accused the party chairman of running the party as a personal business and trying to sell it to moneybags ahead of the 2019 general election. Following the allegations, the planned inauguration of the new executive committee and the opening of the party secretariat at the council headquarters in Omoba was aborted by the state chairman, Donatus Nwankpa, who swiftly petitioned security agencies. Nwankpa said the party had set up a six-man committee to look into the matter and petitioned the security agencies to stop the formal opening of the party secretariat to avert a breach of peace and order. Former chairman of the Isiala-Ngwa South council, Uzoma Uwa, said the sack of the party chairman was in line with the APC Constitution.

Former Borno State governor and factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has warned the party's Board of Trustees (BoT) to abandon its move to the functions of the National Working Committee (NWC). Sheriff, who claims the BoT is an advisory body, argues that the party's constitution is intact and that the BoT's role is advisory. However, Sheriff's claim to party leadership has been set back when eight members of his NWC decided to abide by the proclamation of the national convention, which created a caretaker committee with Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi as chairman and secretary, respectively. The NWC members, including the former deputy national chairman, deputy national secretary, and national legal adviser, have also agreed to accept and work with Makarfi's team.

Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi, the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), met in Abuja to discuss their intentions to end the party's perennial crises. The meeting was held at an undisclosed venue and was attended by some members from both factions. At the end of the meeting, representatives of each faction jointly addressed a press conference, stating that their leaders were working together to reposition the party. The meeting was held at a neutral venue away from each faction's offices. In a joint statement, the two leaders said that their meeting was without prejudice to all outstanding matters in court. They emphasized the need to heal the wounds and bring about a united, focused, and constructive opposition party that can bring sanity to the democratic process. Both Ojougboh and Obi refused to entertain questions after the briefing. The meeting was held without prejudice to all outstanding matters in court. briefing.