IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

By Emeka Eze, Abuja.

Following the call by party members to allow other political blocs in Owerri Zone present PDP Governorship candidate in the 2023 election, the party’s 2015 and 2019 candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo state, Chief Emeka Ihedioha has stated that he would not run on PDP platform in the interest of equity, justice and fairness in the zone.

Chief Ihedioha made this open Thursday while responding to questions from newsmen at the PDP National Headquarters, Abuja shortly after the party’s NEC meeting.

Ihedioha said that since party leaders, critical stakeholders and members are agitating for the rotation of PDP Governorship ticket in the four blocs in Owerri Zone, it would be unfair and act of greed to contest on the party’s platform in 2023 since his candidature may not be accepted by party leaders.

According to Ihedioha, “I will not deny the fact that PDP has favored me more than any other person in the party, and it will amount to ingratitude, selfishness and greed if I continue to allow my personal interest to destroy the party. I have decided to step aside but my decision will be made open soon”

Ihedioha therefore promised to disclose his next political sojourn at the appropriate time, urging his supporters to reduce the rate in which they promote PDP in Imo state until he makes his decision known to them, he also boasted that wherever he goes the state executive of PDP in Imo state will surely go with him. 

While reiterating his earlier stand not to support Labour Party and its Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, Ihedioha maintained that he would continue to ensure that the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar wins the 2023 poll.

“Any Nigerian who lives abroad, funding the campaign of Peter Obi shall be arrested. It is against our electoral laws...one thing Nigerians who based abroad failed to understand is that they cannot stay there and dictate to us how to govern our country. Someone will seat in United States of America and be telling us what to do and what not to do as if we don’t know what we are doing in this country".

“If you violate the electoral law, you will face the penalty squarely and we will do everything within our power to prosecute both you and the candidate you are funding his campaign..."

“We’ve received a signal that some individuals, mostly Nigerians living abroad have taken it upon themselves to fund the campaign of Mr Peter Obi who’s the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming Presidential election..."

“What these individuals failed to understand is that Nigerian is a democratic nation governed by democratic rules and regulations. It is against the electoral act for those living abroad to sponsor any candidate in an election. Those involved should desist from such act or have us to contend with. We will resist it by all means. Such fund cannot enter Nigeria. Although we have put measures on ground to apprehend those who will get themselves involved in such an act.”

Liz Truss on Tuesday officially became Britain’s new prime minister, at an audience with head of state Queen Elizabeth II after the resignation of Boris Johnson. The former foreign secretary, 47, was seen in an official photograph shaking hands with the monarch to accept her offer to form a new government and become the 15th prime minister of her 70-year reign.

The symbolic ceremony took place at the sovereign’s remote Balmoral retreat in the Scottish Highlands, as the queen, 96, was deemed unfit to return to London due to ill health. “The queen received in audience the right honourable Elizabeth Truss MP today and requested her to form a new administration,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

“Ms Truss accepted Her Majesty’s offer and kissed hands upon her appointment as prime minister. The last time the handover of power took place at Balmoral was in 1885, when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Normally, the outgoing and incoming prime minister meet the queen in quick succession at Buckingham Palace in central London.

It has only been held once outside London since 1952, when Winston Churchill met the new queen at Heathrow Airport after the death of her father, King George VI.

Wolves have launched an appeal to the Football Association after failing to gain a work permit for Diego Costa. Costa is travelling to Wolves' Compton training base as the Premier League club wait for news of their appeal.

The former Chelsea striker has been on trial with Wolves this week as the club look for cover following injuries to Sasa Kalajdzic and Raul Jimenez.

Costa, 33, is a free agent having been without a club since leaving Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in January.

He has not played a professional game since 12 December and his lack of action in recent months meant he did not automatically qualify for a work permit.

Chelsea have sacked manager Thomas Tuchel following Tuesday's night's Champions League defeat by Dinamo Zagreb. The 49-year-old former Borussia Dortmund and Paris St-Germain boss leaves Stamford Bridge after 20 months. Owner Todd Boehly has placed Tuchel's coaching staff in temporary charge until a replacement is found.

A club statement said the owners believe it is "the right time" to bring in a new head coach. "As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition," the statement read.

"On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea's history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here."

Tuchel was appointed on 26 January, 2021, replacing Frank Lampard, and guided the club to their second Champions League title just four months later. He went on to add the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup later that year.

At least 18 governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in next year’s elections on Tuesday night met with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in a new attempt to resolve the impasse in the party.

The candidates arrived the private home of the Rivers governor in Port Harcourt, the state capital, at 8pm on Tuesday for a closed-door meeting that lasted till about 11pm. The candidates in attendance include that of Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Benue, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borneo and Yobe. Others are, Kwara, Kanu, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers. 

After the meeting, the Chairman of the PDP Governorship Candidates Forum and Governorship Candidate of Kaduna State, Isa Ashiru, told journalists that they are hopeful the discussion with Wike, which comes a few days after their meeting with the Presidential Candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, will go a long way in resolving the internal crisis.

He said their next line of action is to meet with the National Working Committee of the party.