ADP seeks autonomy for councils, lauds Senate on CJN

Disgruntled politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some other parties led by former Senate Chief Whip, Roland Owie, yesterday launched the Edo state chapter of the expected mega-party, Action Democratic Party (ADP).

With representatives from neighbouring states of Delta, Rivers and Cross River, Owie said the new party would adopt an all-inclusive process of picking candidates for elections through direct primaries.

He called on the National Assembly to use the proposed review of the country’s constitution to grant autonomy to local governments and bar state electoral commissions from conducting local government elections. He said INEC should be allowed to conduct local government elections in the country thereby freeing the councils from the grip of state governors.

Commending the Nigerian Senate for confirming Justice Walter Onoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, a new executive committee for the party headed by Oloruntobi Gabriel was inaugurated. The high point of the event was the opening of a new state secretariat for the party in the state capital.