Category: South East

Supreme Court unanimously in a landmark judgment delivered yesterday, upheld the 2020 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward, local government and state congresses.

Some members of the party had approached the Imo State High Court, sitting in Owerri, in a suit, PDP vs Chief Joseph Ugwulegbo and 63 others, challenging the 2020 congresses that produced the Charles Ugwu-led executive.

Imo PDP in its submission, through its counsel, Chief Ndukwe Nnawuchi, SAN, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit on the grounds that it was a pre-election matter, since congresses of parties are domestic affairs of the party and therefore not justifiable because courts lack the power to interfere with the internal affairs of parties.

The Owerri High Court agreed with PDP and subsequently dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction.

The plaintiffs, led by Chief Ugwulegbo, however, headed for the Court of Appeal, Owerri to challenge the ruling of the lower court.

The Court of Appeal, in its ruling, set aside the judgment of the lower court and ordered for a retrial.

Imo PDP thereafter approached the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the Appeal Court.

Delivering its judgment, read by Justice C. C. Nwaeze, the Supreme Court in a unanimous judgment agreed with the objection of PDP, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and upheld the party congresses of 2020 as credible.

A frontline aspirant for Awka North and South Federal Constituency in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Azubuike Ekweozor, has warned intending couples to ensure they undergo proper genotype tests before marriage.

He said such steps were necessary to avoid further procreation of people living with sickle cell disorder.

Ekweozor spoke yesterday in Agulu, Anambra State, during a visit to the Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home, for on-the-spot assessment, to find out ways to partner them and alleviate their plight.

He assured the founder of Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) and members, of his continued support and partnership with the Home.

“I will never relent in assisting the challenged, orphans and vulnerable groups, as well as the poor and downtrodden in the society,” Ekweozor said.

The Founder, and National Coordinator, APLSCD, Mrs. Aisha Maureen Edward-Maduagwu, described Ekweozor as a grassroots politician with listening ears.

She urged him to make the Home part of his humanitarian foundations where support could be periodically given as well as push towards enforcing sickle cell law, if he secured seat in the Green Chambers.

The Spiritual Director of the orphanage, Dr. Cosmas Ebebe, enjoined stakeholders to join forces with APLSCD to ensure sickle cell disorder was eliminated in the society.

PHILANTHROPIST and businessman, Mayor Lucky Igbokwe has announced fresh plans to turn the fortunes of Abi State around as he picks expression of interest and nomination form purchased by a group of friends under the aegis of ‘Concerned Friends of Mayor Lucky Igbokwe.’

Speaking on behalf of the group, Kaycee Onuzuruike, Deputy-Chief Whip of the Abia State House of Assembly, stated that the support stems from goodwill and a desire to serve the good people of Abia state.

The gubernatorial hopeful, also known as Don Lulu, is a renowned businessman and philanthropist from Abia State, Nigeria. He is the CEO of the media and entertainment company, 2Flame Media Group. He is also the CEO of several other companies, including Lucion Towers Construction, Kedu TV LLC, the Don Lulu Foundation, and Green Peace Nigeria.

Speaking while receiving the form, Igbokwe declared that through transformational leadership, Abia State would be revolutionised to a level that it would become the envy of other states. He also stated that Abia will have a council of eminent personalities drawn from all strata of society to help oversee its policies under his leadership.

“My decision to run is borne out of hunger and desire to add value and impetus. This is against the backdrop of the yearnings of the entire people of Abia State, who believe in the youths as an option and to take Abia to the much-desired place. The cries and wishes for good governance and inclusiveness is that Abia take its rightful place in the comity of States. I decided to run following calls from stakeholders, including the downtrodden, traditional rulers and eminent sons and daughters of Abia State. I, therefore take up the gauntlet, to stand in the gap to shield our people from any form of hopelessness.”

SENATOR John Owan-Enoh has said that the recent victory of the Cross River State Governor, Prof.  Ben Ayade in the court case on the governor’s defection to APC was defining for the party ahead of the 2023 election.

Speaking at the state party secretariat when he consulted the party’s State Working Committee members to inform them of his aspiration to seek for the governorship ticket of the party for the 2023 elections, Owan-Enoh said the court victory was a morale booster and defining for the APC in the state ahead of 2023.

According to him, the 2023 elections will be keenly contested in every constituency across the state. “We have an opposition party that has men and resources to match us in very step we take. So, the APC’s ability to win will depend on the competitive edge over the PDP.”

He said issues of competence, ability, content, capacity and competitiveness will be in the front burner.

He averred that the margins of victory in the 2023 election in Cross River State will be very narrow just as it was recently during the February 26th By-elections where APC won the contested national assembly seat with a slim margin and lost the state assembly seat with 500 votes difference.

In his words, “APC must field the best candidate to secure victory. The election is not going to be about our digital governor. With the new electoral law and the introduction of BVAS by INEC, the advantage of incumbent government is diminishing.”

Owan-Enoh made a strong argument for himself as the best choice the APC should look up to not minding argument for zoning of the Party ticket in some quarters.

He said, “The Central Zone (where he comes from) has remained the most competitive compared to other places, 2023 is not for taking chances.”

APC needs a united party, front and everyone having access to what the party has to offer.

Responding, the State deputy chairman of the APC, Mr.  Eka Williams, who stood in for the state chairman, welcomed Owan-Enoh to the party secretariat and advised that all APC aspirants should go about their consultations and lobby peaceful and none should rundown themselves. Rather use the opportunity to seek new members into APC and campaign for more voter registration.

POLITICAL groups under the All Progressives Congress (APC) have drummed support for Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, as he joins the presidential race. They declared that Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, is one of the best sons from the South-South for the job.

The groups, comprising Legendary Women of the APC, under the auspices of Ameachi I Believe Initiative (AIBI), converged on Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, yesterday, to make a passionate appeal to Nigerians to support Amaechi, whom they described as a round peg in a round hole.

AIBI also used the opportunity to inaugurate its Bayelsa chapter, noting that its membership spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, the Coordinator of the coalition, Mr Phil Arepadei, assured Nigerians that the body was setting up a template that would set the pace for many positive things that would play out in the country.

Arepadei said: “What we are doing here is to inaugurate this body and to rally support for Amaechi as he has finally hearkened to the voice of the people to run for the President of Nigeria. We believe he is one of the best of our sons in the South-South and the cap will perfectly fit him.”

He said the achievements of Amaechi as former Governor of Rivers State and currently the Minister of Transportation spoke volumes of his ability and capability to steer the ship of Nigeria to greater lofty heights.

Also speaking, the National Administration Officer of AIBI, Mr. Tonye Tom-George, said that the group would go from house-to-house to talk about the good things Amaechi had done as a minister.

Tom-George stated: “We will let the people know that they stand to gain and they should give Amaechi the needed support to change Nigeria. The AIBI is a coalition that believes that Amaechi did well as a governor of Rivers State. He is a wonderful role model that should be supported by all.”

ANAMBRA State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo yesterday swore in 20 commissioners and other senior aides of his government with a call to serve and not for celebration.

Soludo swore in 20 of the 21 nominated commissioners after being administered with the oaths of allegiance and office respectively at Government House, Awka.

Addressing the commissioners, the governor charged them to discharge their responsibilities with commitment and dedication.

He said the process that brought them to office may appear very unusual because all the Commissioners were sought out from the gamut of applicants who indicated interest in the job through the talent hunt recruitment process.

He said: “This is a call to work and not a call to celebrate. When I say congratulations to you, I also say commiserations. You have offered to serve Anambra, and you must provide service.

“The challenges are enormous, and that is why you have also offered to serve. During my campaign, I told everyone that the work put in to get office is just five percent, 95 percent of the work comes after swearing in, and you must bear that in mind.

“I charge you to read the oath of office and oath of allegiance very carefully and follow them. Where people see it as celebration, you see it as work. Your eyes must be on the ball always.

“Always think of how will your ministry, how will Anambra be better. If I were you, I will like to write down how will I like to be remembered after serving as commissioner.”

AN Igbo group in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Southeast Renaissance Assembly (SERA) has said that the Southeast geopolitical zone will no longer fall in the pecking order in the nation’s strategic political calculations and affairs ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The group also said that it will ensure that the Southeast never shies away from stating its rightful position and holding its ground in Nigeria.

Addressing a press conference in Enugu, national coordinator of SERA and popular Enugu politician, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, said the group was working hard to restore the glorious heritage and dignity of Ndigbo standing firmly on Igbo interests and ensuring that “our place is guaranteed and secured at Nigeria’s decision-making table.”

Gbazuagu added, “We are totally committed to ensuring that the Southeast will always secure its fair share of national benefits whether in business or politics, but more especially in politics, knowing full well that politics can always be a major influencer in business.

“SERA will make sure that the Southeast will never shy away from stating its rightful position and holding its ground in Nigeria; that it will always count in the strategic political calculations and affairs.”

He stated that with the gathering of like-minded people of Igbo origin, the group was already on the verge of achieving the goals.

One of such subjects the group intends to pursue vigorously, he added, is the issue of zoning of APC presidential ticket to Southeast.

A long drawn dispute may be imminent as members of the Oghara and Itsekiri kingdoms, both in Delta State fight over a land ceded to the Nigerian Army by one of the parties, The Nation has learnt.

At issue is that the Oghara Kingdom in Ethiope West council area of Delta State, has described as “illegal and unlawful” the ceding of 52 hectares of their land in “Otegbo village” to the Nigerian Army, urging the Delta State Government to call the people of Itsekiri to order over the development.

HRM Noble Eshemitan, Uku Oghara N’ame, Orefe III, the traditional ruler of Oghara kingdom, had on Tuesday, led members of the Oghara Traditional Council and journalists to the site to emphasise their claim.

The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwaste lll, had on March 23, visited and reiterated the ceding of the land to the 90 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army for the construction of barracks for military men in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of the state.

In a petition to the state Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the Oghara Traditional Council insisted that the vast land located in “Otegbo village (which the Itsekiris call Obitugbo)”, which was handed over to the Army by the Itsekiri monarch belongs to Oghara kingdom.

According to the petition signed by the secretary of the council, Chief Frank Emiko, there have been several “letters and submissions” regarding the ownership of lands located at Ajagbodudu and Otegbo villages between the Urhobos of Oghara Kingdom and the Itsekiris in Warri North.

The petition which called for urgent action said the Federal and Delta State Governments are fully aware of the issues relating to the ownership of the said lands.

“It is on record that after the presentations made by Oghara to the Delta State Boundary Committee awaiting the Itsekiris to do same, the Itsekiris, in desperate pursuit of their expansionist tendencies, brazenly went ahead with their plans to purportedly site the proposed private university which they called the Warri University on the Oghara land territory of Otegbo as we had earlier alerted, notwithstanding the unconcluded investigations being conducted by the Delta State Boundary Committee, as directed by the Office of the Vice President.

“We demand an immediate cessation of the actions and activities of these encroachments in whatever guise or coloration. Although we are at a loss as to the lethargy and unconcerned disposition of the Delta State Government to frontally address the issues once and for all, we express our confidence with reticence, that this prolonged matter will be given the urgent attention it rightly deserves,” the petition read.

Speaking on behalf of the Warri palace via telephone, Chief Brown Mene, said the the ceded land is between Koko community and Obitugbo (called Otegbo by the Oghara people).

“Ajagbodudu is Itsekiri territory in Warri North LGA. If they say they have a judgement let them show it to you. The only judgement I’m aware of is the Jackson Line judgement which was given before the Nigerian Government was formed. It established the boundary between us and Oghara people.”