Politics Archives - Page 66 of 88

Anambra Election: Court To Decide On Authenticity Of Andy Ubah’s WAEC Certificate

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday , fixed December 10, 2021 to pass judgment on a political matter instituted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate in the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election, Senator Emmanuel Andy Ubah.

Other respondents in the suit are the APC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

In the suit filed by SDP’s counsel, Chief James Onoja SAN, he urged the court to declare “that the Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 1974 Statement of Result purportedly issued by the 4th Respondent through Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, Enugu, Enugu State to Uba Emmanuel Nnamdi with candidate number 05465/08 submitted by the 1st and 2nd Respondents to the 3rd Respondent for the 2021 Anambra State gubernatorial election is false.”

Making his final argument on Thursday, Chief Onoja SAN told Justice Taiwo Taiwo that Andy claimed to have acquired his WAEC (SSCE) certificate in 1974.

He insisted that the examination council only started issuing SSCE in 1988.

He also alleged that Ubah had several names on various certificates he tendered to the APC and INEC, including that of WAEC.

He said it was a contravention of the electoral act, adding that “This court has the authority of preventing such people from accessing public office.”

APC Stakeholders Blame Buni For Anambra Defeat, Demand Dissolution Of Caretaker Committee

In his objection, APC’s lawyer, Vincent Otaokpupu, urged the judge to dismiss the submissions of the plaintiff for being statute barred (out of time).

He also argued that Onoja abandoned his false information allegation and was busy “changing the goal post” by attacking the placements of Andy Ubah’s name.

“So their argument is statute barred, and we invite the court to decline jurisdiction. I implore the court to discountenance their submissions and strike out this suit with impunitive cost of 100 million naira,” he added.

On his part, Ubah’s lawyer, Chris Kelechi Ubeoyibo Esq, said that any controversy regarding the name of his client in the result in question was resolved when he swore to affidavit to capture the changes.

“My Lord, the adoption of the name Andy; there is an affidavit of fact sworn before a notary public,” he added.

INEC was not represented in court.

“Judgement is adjourned, all things being equal, for 10 December , 2021,” presiding judge, Taiwo ruled.

WAEC’s counsel, Rita K. Awuru, later told our correspondent that she tendered evidence before the court showing “We conducted SSCE and GCE in 1974 up till 1988.”

Expel Me And Watch APC Scatter, Marafa Dares Buni

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is unabating as former Senator, Kabiru Garba Marafa, on Wednesday warned Governor Mai Mala Buni, who is the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, to expel him and watch the party crumble.

Marafa, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, dared Governor Buni to throw him off the party and watch the party sink into more crisis.

Marafa advised the Yobe State governor to stop deluding himself as the national chairman of the APC, declaring that he is only chairman of the party’s convention planning committee.

Marafa, who represented the Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the last assembly, had on Sunday, threatened to institute legal actions against Governor Buni’s CECPC over what he termed gross violations of the party’s constitution in the conduct of party affairs.

“APC is a political party, not a committee. Committees are created to serve specific functions not to usurp the powers of the entire legal entity,” he stated.

“The function of the Mai Mala committee is to plan a convention just as its name implies. Mai Mala is the chairman of the APC convention planning committee and not APC itself,” he added.

Quoting section 12.3 of the APC constitution, he said the provision lists the party’s National Executive Committee NEC members “and it made the National Chairman of the party and not the chairman of any committee by whatever name as the chairman of the organ while Section 12.3 (xxxi) lists the President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as members only, so the question is; who approved the constitution and subsequent extensions of tenure of office of the illegal and obnoxious CECPC?”

“This is the situation we find ourselves. The Chairman of APC today is an overzealous chairman of convention planning committee only and a sitting governor”, Marafa declared.

Marafa’s latest response followed a statement from the CECPC that was issued on Monday through its Secretary, Sen. John James Akpanudodehe, warning Marafa to desist from anti-party activities or risked being expelled from the party.

Responding to that threat, Marafa said, “Expelling me from the party will only aggravate the problem. It will herald the beginning of the agitation; rule of law must be respected.

“The committee is illegal and alien to the constitution of the party. We are building everything on nothing. Rather than the expulsion threat, the committee or the chairman should respond to issues I raised,” he said.

“What does our party constitution says that renders Buni’s committee null and void? Section 17 (4) of the constitution of our beloved party, says ‘no officer in any organ of the party shall hold executive position office in government concurrently’. Article 20 states the only way the leadership of the party can evolve.

“Section 13.3(iv) which was relied upon to create the illegal body called CECPC talked about the power of NEC to create committees.

“Mai Mala should choose between Yobe or APC. The combination of the two is no longer tenable”, Marafa declared.

Marafa reiterated his determination to institute legal actions to save the party from what he tagged, “over ambitious Buni” if he refuses to revert to his original assignment as chairman convention planning committee.

“We will show him the way out dishonourably. We will not allow the party we contributed immensely to develop to be destroyed by over-ambitious, self-centred and enemies of the party, and the country.

“This is the party we laboured, toiled and laid the foundation for its success. We will not allow those who have little or no stake in the party to destroy it or to please certain individuals and achieve their selfish interests,” he said.

Marafa, while insisting that he has committed no offence, said the party should revert to the path of constitutionality and rule of law or face extinction.

See All Yoruba Obas Supporting Tinubu For 2023 Presidency

Former Minister of Works and National Chairman of the South-West Agenda for Tinubu, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has said prominent Yoruba traditional rulers are baking Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to win the 2023 presidential election.

Although Tinubu has yet to make his aspiration public, the moves he has been making suggest he is interested in contesting the poll on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Adeyeye, who is a former spokesperson for the Afenifere, on Tuesday while inaugurating SWAGA in Gbongan, the headquarters of Aiyedaade Local Government Area of Osun State, said the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo Adedotun and over 300 other monarchs in the South-West were routing for Tinubu.

Adeyeye said, “You are representatives of SWAGA and you must continue to advocate for Tinubu’s ambition. By God’s grace Tinubu will emerge as the president of this country in 2023.

“All the traditional rulers in Yoruba land are supporting Tinubu, over 300 of them are backing Tinubu including the Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo and Alake of Egbaland.

“They are stressing that he is the best candidate in Yorubaland to occupy the seat. Everybody is backing him. Asiwaju (Tinubu) will bring development to the country and Osun. You will all benefit from supporting him. Great things will happen in his time.”

Adeyeye, who is also a former spokesman for the Senate, said Tinubu was the right person for the job, saying as a highly detribalised politicians with proven track record of performance, he would bring his wealth of experience to bear to transform the country..

A former member House of Representatives/ SWAGA coordinator, Osun State, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, urged SWAGA members in the state to work for the re-election of Governor Gboyega Oyetola, saying that would make Tinubu to win convincingly in the state and.beyond

‘Buhari Will Retire To Prison, Not To Duara – Reno Omokri Blows Hot Over EndSARS Panel Report

A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has called Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari names. This comes after the Lagos panel report indicted the Nigerian Army and Police on the Lekki Massacre.

He wrote; “When I called Buhari an oloriburuku, some people said I was being rude to the President. Do you know what oloriburuku means? A person with a wicked and useless head. Where is the lie? Go and read the Lagos #EndSARS panel report to see how he wasted human lives during #LekkiMassacre
“
Recall that the Federal Government through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had consistently denied reports of a massacre at the toll gate.
However, the Panel in its report submitted on Monday disclosed that not less than eleven people were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

The panel in the report titled, ‘Report of Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020’, noted at least 48 protesters were either shot dead, injured with bullet wounds or assaulted by soldiers.

He had earlier said he will make sure that Buhari ends up in prison.

Read his words below; “Can everybody who doubted and insulted me when I said that the Satellite Sentinel Project was able to prove that the Nigerian Army, under the DIRECT command of Buratai and Buhari, killed innocent, peaceful, and unarmed protesters during the #EndSARS #LekkiMassacre now apologise to me? Go back and watch or listen to my video on the very day the massacre occurred. The Lagos State Panel on SARS has vindicated me. Muhammadu Buhari, as long as I am alive, you will retire to prison, not to Daura. Cowardly man like you that only has balls when you have a gun. Murderer. Olodo without WAEC! May God punish you and Buratai”

PDP Rendered Homeless In Lagos State As Landlord Evicts Party Over Unpaid Rent

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been evicted from the property which houses the party’s secretariat in Lagos State over unpaid rent.

It was learnt that the landlord of the property located at 56A Adekunle Fajuyi Road, GRA, Lagos claimed the party is owning rent running into several millions of naira.

However, in its immediate reaction, the Lagos PDP has described the development as sad and a grand plan to embarrass them.

The party in a statement through its state publicity secretary, Taofik Gani claimed they just recently paid N8m with an agreement to settle the balance soon.

The statement added that they are unaware of the court process ordering their eviction, and vowed to take up the matter legally saying its all part of attempts to destabilize the PDP in Lagos.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, I know there were demands for outstanding rent and infact some payments made with balance to be paid soonest, but not aware of any court process to evict at all.

“This must not be a ‘kangaroo’ process aided to embarrass and destabilize the main opposition in the state.

“All sensitive documents of the party must have been destroyed or deliberately taken away to break our strategies towards 2023. This is Vendetta.

“We shall put in all legal efforts to get justice.”

Meanwhile, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh has called out the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2021 Anambra governorship election, Senator Andy Uba, telling him to bury his thought of going to court to challenge the outcome of the election.

Umeh said the people of Anambra State have openly chosen the leader they want based on the outcome of the November 6 election which produced Charles Soludo of APGA.

The APGA chieftain further chided Umeh over his threat to challenge the election result in court by telling the APC candidate that ‘Anambra is not Imo’ where a candidate who came fourth at the polls eventually became the State Governor through a court order.

He mocked Uba, reminding him that he didn’t win any of the 21 local government areas in the state, hence his claim of a ‘stolen’ mandate is not sensible.

Breaking: APC sacks publicity secretary for congratulating Soludo

The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has sacked its public secretary, Mr. Okelo Madukaife over alleged anti party activities, including congratulating the winner of the just concluded governorship election, Professor Charles Soludo.

The state chairman of the party, Mr. Basil Ejidike stated this at a press briefing in Awka. He said that Okelo was suspended in June this year and therefore has no reason to be parading himself as an official of APC.

But the embattled publicity secretary said the chairman is on his own, adding that he has been performing his duties as the spokesman of the party.

According to the party chairman, Okelo has continued to parade himself to the public as publicity secretary to the extent that he appeared on a national television to congratulate Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the winner of the governorship election when the party hierarchy was still studying the outcome of the exercise.

He recalled that Okelo did not challenge his suspension after a panel found him guilty.

Ejidike said: ” kelo was suspended in June this year. Someone who was suspended from the party went on air claiming to be making statements on behalf of the party and we feel disturbed. We feel that such a situation should not be allowed.

“If you are not with the party, you are not with it. You cannot be out of the party and still be speaking for the party.

“Since June 2021, Okelo has been raining abuses on APC and its leadership and to put the records straight, he has not been attending meetings and activities of the party.

“His suspension followed his indictment over his involvement in anti party activities.

“He has since then been replaced by the state assistant publicity secretary, Mr. Nonso Chinwuba in line with the constitution of the party.

“The party therefore enjoins the general public and the media in particular to desist from dealing with him as agent of APC. As it stands, Okelo Madukaife does not belong to APC.

On behalf of APC, I want to state that the statements credited to the suspended publicity secretary, Mr. Okelo Madukaife were not the position of the APC in Anambra State.

“We wish to state categorically that as far as the Anambra Governorship poll is concerned we have not congratulated anybody as the party is still studying the situation with a view to approaching the court to challenge the poll”.

Reminded the the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and Director General of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Chief George Moghalu who are chieftains of the APC in state had already congratulated Soludo, Ejidike said they did that as individuals and not as officials of the party.

When contacted on the telephone, Madukaife said he remained the state’s publicity secretary.

He said: “I am still doing my work very effectively; discharging my duties as the publicity secretary of the party in the state.

“Our party cannot be sold to anybody. Our position that there were no governorship primaries in Anambra as stated by our chapter remains firm, fixed and unshakable. It’s the truth registered in the minds of all members of APC in the state.

“Ejidike is on his own. The whole chapter has discovered that he is a sellout; We have been managing him for the sake of our own image”.

APC Faction In Rivers Roots For Tinubu, Says Age Is Not Barrier But Competence

The Presidential aspiration of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Bola Tinubu, received a boost on Saturday when some frontline members of the party in Rivers State announced their unalloyed support for him.

Mr Magnus Abe, who is leading the factional group of the party in the state opposing the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, came out in large number to announce their unbridled support for Mr Tinubu, who, even though has not announced his intention for the Presidency in 2023, has seen his ambition ballooned lately.

Currently, there are over 100 support groups advancing his political interest to capture the 2023 presidential election.

Abe, staking a claim for Tinubu, promised to deliver Rivers State for the man regarded as laying modern foundation for Lagos State.

He said Tinubu’s victory was sure once he secure the party’s presidential ticket in 2023.

Consequently, he alongside some party bigwigs floated the Bola Tinubu Vanguard in Port Harcourt.

Speaking alongside Abe was Worgu Boms, who is the former Attorney General of Rivers State and Director General of Freedom House. He said it has become clear that the APC national leader will emerge president come 2023.

“It has become clearer that Tinubu will be president. When Tinubu becomes president, everybody will chop; it’s not like this one that only one man is chopping.

“We were the ones that made Buhari president; we will make Tinubu president.”

On his part, Senator Wilson Ake said one thing Tinubu has going for him over his contenders for the priced APC presidential ticket is competence.

“When Tinubu was working for APC, nobody talked about his age. Now they are saying he is old. When you say ‘age-age-age’, you are not serious. Competence should not be traded for age. The young local government chairmen that we have, are they doing anything spectacular?”

INEC Presents Certificate Of Return To Soludo

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has presented a Certificate of Return to Mr Charles Soludo, the winner of Anambra State governorship election.

Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was declared winner of the November 6 election by INEC.

He was accompanied by Anambra State Commissioner for Public Utilities and Water Resources, Hon. Engr. Emeka Ezenwanne and Igwe Moghalu (Igwe Isuofia) and other APGA dignitaries.

The ceremony, which is still ongoing, is taking place at the INEC Headquarters, Awka.

‘’Anambra Election Was Rigged, We Will Use Legal Means To Restore Our Mandate ’’ – APC Candidate, Andy Uba

The Senator Andy Uba Campaign Organisation has rejected the result of the just-concluded Anambra state governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The campaign organisation described the outcome of the election as a charade, adding that it did not reflect the wishes of the people of the state.

In a statement signed on Thursday in Abuja on behalf of the campaign organisation, Ambassador Jerry Ugokwe, alleged that the candidate of the APC, Senator Andy Uba is a victim of widespread electoral fraud and manipulation by INEC.

“The elections were characterised by widespread irregularities, intimidation, and voter suppression in order to clear the path for the inglorious ‘victory’ of APGA in the polls.

For instance, in polling units where the Biometric Voters’ Accreditation System malfunctioned, INEC went ahead to conduct the elections manually. There were numerous cases where votes announced by INEC exceeded the number of accredited voters in polling units.

“Another clear manifestation of collusion between the Obiano administration and INEC was the publishing of results on the social media handles of APGA even before the official announcement by INEC. Yet mysteriously, the votes announced in advance by APGA always corresponded correctly with the official figures released by INEC. “It is inconceivable that our candidate, who polled over 200,000 votes in the APC primary election would be allocated slightly above 43,000 votes by INEC.

“It is surprising that APGA that lost almost 80% of its stalwarts through defection to the APC before the election came out ‘victorious.’” According to the statement, the only people remaining in APGA at the time of the election were Governor Obiano, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and their households. Ugokwe added: “There was definitely no way the carcass of APGA could have defeated the APC without the active collusion and manipulation by INEC and the Obiano administration.”

The campaign group appealed to the APC supporters to remain peaceful and calm, saying the party will use legal means to recover its electoral mandate.

Anambra Election: President Buhari Reacts To Soludo’s Victory

The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on his victory at the 2021 Anambra governorship election.

The President in a message on Wednesday by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as security operatives for the roles played in ensuring the success of the polls.

It will be recalled that the Returning Officer of the election, Professor Florence Obi had in the early hours of Wednesday, declared Soludo of APGA as the winner of the election and governor-elect of Anambra State.

In his reaction, President Buhari called on Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and work with all stakeholders in ensuring the challenges facing the state and the entire southeast are overcome.

He told Soludo he looks forward to working with him in his new role.

The full statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as he emerges winner in the gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

“The President praises the security agencies for their determination to ensure that the election went on as smoothly as possible, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conclusion of the exercise despite the initial challenges encountered.

“President Buhari enjoins Prof. Soludo, member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Committee, to rally other stakeholders to tackle the enormous challenges confronting the State and the Southeast in general.

“The President looks forward to working with the incoming governor for the peace, security and development of not only Anambra State, but the entire country.”