Category: South East

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has said it would contest the result of last Saturday’s Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency by-election at the tribunal.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner of the poll.

The state Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Venatius Ikem, who briefed reporters yesterday at the NUJ Press Centre in Calabar, made several allegations, claiming that the election was not free and fair.

He was, however, silent on the Akpabuyo State Constituency election result in which his party was declared the winner by INEC.

Ikem alleged that the by-election was characterised by irregularities, including violence allegedly orchestrated by the APC-led government and its officials.

He claimed that ballot boxes and other election materials were snatched at gunpoint and the results manipulated against the PDP in Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency.

Ikem pointed accusing fingers and demanded, as a matter of urgency, the disbandment of the Special Police Unit under the chief security officer of the governor, saying it was being used in altravis to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The PDP also demanded that INEC should investigate its officials, to unravel their interference with the BVAS machines used for the election.

It alleged that five units were missing before the election, but they suddenly emerged at polling centres.

The party showed video footages from social media records of some of the allegations they made and expressed reservations about the presence of an officer from the national office of INEC, “who is fond of being in Cross River State anytime there is a stand-alone election.”

“Most importantly, we demand that INEC should produce all BVAS machines used for the election, to ascertain if the accreditation recorded in the machines corresponds with the number of votes declared by the returning officer.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, has told Sen. Magnus Abe that he cannot fly the governorship flag of the APC in Rivers without the support of the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.

Reacting to Abe’s remarks that “Amaechi is not God, I can become Rivers governor without him”, Eze said such statement only existed in a figment of Abe’s imagination.

Eze in a statement in Port Harcourt yesterday claimed that for allegedly betraying the APC and engaging in anti-party activities, Abe would never secure the party’s ticket.

Besides, he said it was the turn of the riverine people to produce the next governor, insisting that it would be a fruitless venture for Abe, who hails from Ogoni, to seek the position.

He said: “Abe’s inclination to clinch the party’s ticket and win at the polls without the support of the leadership and members of the Rivers APC beats one’s imagination and aligns with the general proposition, which pegs Abe as a hypocritical opportunist and self-professed democrat, who is bereft of knowledge of the mechanics of a democratic process.

“With the confidence he spoke, one wonders whether Abe has schemed to usurp leadership and arrogate to himself and his few friends the responsibilities of party members of electing candidates to fly the party’s flags against the tenets of democracy, during the 2023 elections.”

Eze said Abe failed to realise that one key strategy of winning an election, especially in a democratic clime, was to get the support of the majority of members of the party and ultimately the electorate, who reserved the right to make choices.

He advised Abe to engage in more productive ventures, rather than waste his time and energy on the governorship election, saying it was the turn of the riverine people to produce the next governor in line with the principle of rotation and good brotherhood.

A Group, South East for Tinubu (SET), has said former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will receive massive support in the Southeast and Southsouth during the 2023 presidential election.

The convener, Nwosu Emmanuel, said in Awka after the group’s inaugural meeting that SET has begun massive mobilisation through public enlightenment and persuasion to ensure Tinubu wins the hearts of voters in the region.

He said Tinubu would win more votes in the presidential election in the Southeast and Southsouth than any other candidate that had contested in recent time, having paid his dues in Nigerian politics.

Nwosu said: “There is no politician in this country that has recorded the feat Tinubu has recorded in politics. He is a builder of men and resources. In Lagos, he laid a master plan, midwifed and engineered it, and Lagos becomes what it is today.

“Tinubu is the only politician in Nigeria that has mentored the highest number of politicians; strategically pooling them, placing them in strategic positions and giving them wings to fly.

“He kept helping others to become what they wanted to become; while his contemporaries were busy contesting the presidential position. This is the kind of leader that will build Nigeria and its people.

“APC has zoned presidency to the South. As we speak, there is a seemingly bad blood between the Southeast and other regions.  For that reason, it will be foolhardy for any Southeasterner to think that an average Northerner will support or vote for a Southeast candidate in 2023.

“An average Northerner still believes that a Southeasterner hates him. He looks at an average Southeasterner with suspicion, especially because of the agitation for secession.

“The Southeast, as a matter of right and necessity, should be given the opportunity to produce the country’s president in 2023. Unfortunately, political calculation is not automatic. As it stands, Southeast has not got solid handshake with others that will help it produce the president.

“It is our belief that Tinubu is the most qualified for the president and Northerners are already mobilising for him. If the Southeast also gives its support, it will succeed in building good alliance, friendship and bonding that will make others accept and support its candidate in the next opportunity.

“Instead of agitations, the Southeast should start to negotiate, build friendship and alliances, to grab future opportunities.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Afikpo North Local Government of Ebonyi State yesterday condemned the House of Assembly for declaring the seat of a lawmaker from the council vacant.

The ward chairmen in Afikpo North East State Constituency and the PDP council chairman said the House had no right to declare the seat of Lilian Eziuloh, representing the constituency, vacant.

The legislator’s seat, alongside those of Oliver Osi (Ivo State Constituency) and Deputy Speaker Odefa Obasi Odefa were declared vacant by the leadership of the Assembly last week, following a purported letter of defection written by them renouncing their membership of the PDP.

This claim by the House has continued to generate concerns within and outside the legislature, as the lawmakers have denied the purported letter, describing it as fake and concocted.

The Afikpo PDP chapter said in a statement that the reason for Ezuilo’s persecution was connected to her refusal to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP Afikpo North Local Government Chairman Sunday Okor Nnachi stressed in the statement that the lawmaker never resigned her membership of the party.

He said that the PDP at the local government supported her.

The chairmen of the seven PDP wards in the constituency, including Sheikh Lawal Isa, Nkpoghoro Ward; Elechi Ekuma, Ohaisu Ward B; Dandy Inya Nkama, Unwana Ward A; Ogbonnia Uro Obasi, Itin Ward; William Azuewa, Ohaisu Ward A; Emmanuel Inya Oko, Ugwuegu Ward and Ikaa Arya Egwu, Unwana Ward B also signed the statement.

The party leaders frowned at the victimisation of the female legislator by the leadership of the Assembly.

They said: “We, the seven PDP ward chairmen in Afikpo North East Constituency and chairman of PDP in Afikpo North Local Government wish to affirm that the member representing Afikpo North East State Constituency, Ezuiloh, is still a member of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and at no time did she leave the PDP for any other party.

“This clarification has become necessary in view of the letter purporting to convey her defection from the PDP. We urge our members and the public to disregard the letter, as it did not emanate from Ezuiloh.

“We condemn in strong terms, the seizure of the salary, allowances and other entitlements of Ezuiloh on account of her refusal to leave the PDP and her purported suspension by the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

“We affirm our support for Ezuiloh and urge her not to be distracted from delivering quality representation to the people of Afikpo North East State Constituency.”

The member representing Ivo State Constituency, Oliver Osi, whose seat was also declared vacant, described the action as inappropriate and unjustifiable.

He said: “I didn’t resign my membership of the PDP. I am a bona fide member of the party and I don’t have any reason to resign.

“My mentor, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, is contesting the position of the president on the platform of the PDP. Am I insane to resign from the PDP? I have no intention to join APC and will never join APC. PDP remains my party.”

A former governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, has said last Thursday’s robbery at Uromi in Edo Central showed it was time to allow state police in Nigeria.

Imansuangbon, a billionaire philanthropist, who hails from Edo Central, said this yesterday in an online statement.

He noted that well-funded state police would allow intelligence gathering and prevention of crimes.

The PDP chieftain, popularly called ‘Rice man’, in view of his regular gift of bags of rice and other items to Edo residents and other Nigerians, urged people not to leave the work of policing for the police, stressing that the participation of citizens in security would have prevented the escape of the over 30 robbers who invaded Uromi.

He commiserated with the families of the eight victims, comprising two policemen and six civilians, who lost their lives, while empathising with the injured customers of the five commercial banks that were attacked.

Imansuangbon, a lawyer, said the coordinated attacks showed that the robbers carried out intelligence on Uromi and its environs.

He advised the indigenes to give accurate and timely information to the police, whenever they suspected suspicious movement.

The Monday sit-at-home will not stop in Igboland until the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is released by the Federal Government, a cleric, Bishop Abraham Udeh, has said.

He said Ndigbo should, however, forget the 2023 presidency because it would not work.

In a statement yesterday in Nnewi, Udeh the General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministry, said Ndigbo had suffered hardship because of Kanu’s detention.

He urged the Federal Government to stop the sit-at-home by releasing the IPOB leader to save the Igbo from further punishment.

Udeh said the Igbo were being eliminated in instalment because of the continued detention of Kanu by the Federal Government.

He said: “Those wasting their time talking about Nigeria president of Igbo extraction should know that it won’t work. I have never supported that project.

“Who tells you that an Igboman will be allowed to test that seat? But if by accident an Igboman is made president, he will not last on the seat. So it has been revealed to me.”

A group has raised the alarm over attacks and killings in the Southeast by gunmen.

It said yesterday that the recent Enugu killings and the ones ongoing in Anambra State were causing sleepless nights, adding: “Enough is enough.”

The group spoke through Mazi Okwu Nnabuike.

Enugu, Imo and Anambra states have been in the news in the past few weeks, following the activities of gunmen.

The Enugu killings continued on the day the residents came out for the local government election.

The gunmen attacked voting centres, killing many people and injuring several others.

Okwu condemned the killings.

Describing it as “an attack too many,” he wondered why the perpetrators would descend on hapless Nigerians going about their normal businesses in Igboland.

“We are in deep pains over the precious lives wasted again by gunmen.

“In the past few weeks, several persons, including security operatives, have paid the supreme price. This is condemnable and unacceptable.

“The Igbo are known to be peaceful. They are known to be respecters of the sanctity of blood. This is why we are still at a loss on the motive and those behind these killings.

“We urge the state governments to rise to the occasion. It does appear that the Federal Government-controlled security apparatus are sitting on the fence.

“The state governments should step up action, using conventional and unconventional approach to tackle this menace once and for all.

“We have had enough bloodshed in Igbo states. We say enough is enough,” Okwu said.

He advised aggrieved youths to come to the negotiating table, “as the current approach will not yield the desired results.”

“We are ready to midwife any negotiation that will bring about peace in Igbo land,” Okwu said.

He consoled the victims of the gunmen attacks at Abia cattle market, Enugu and Anambra states, enjoining security agencies to investigate the incidents.

Said he: “There must be adequate compensation for the victims.”

Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Adaze Emwanta has hailed residents’ synergy with security agencies, to ensure the state remains unsafe for criminals.

He urged more youths to key into the community-driven security architecture of the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration.

Emwanta spoke yesterday in Benin. He praised the courage of Uromi and Ubiaja youths in Edo Central Senatorial District, who last Thursday confronted armed robbers, who attacked five commercial banks at Uromi with dynamites and bullets, killing eight persons, comprising two policemen and six civilians.

He said: “Every crime is local. This explains why Governor Obaseki has designed the state’s security architecture with community participation and inter-agency collaboration as the focus.

“For the first time in the history of our dear state, we have seen robust collaborations among the police, the military, vigilance groups, local hunters, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), members of the Public Works Volunteers scheme (PUWOV), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), community groups and individuals.

“Our youths in Uromi and Ubiaja, who rose to the occasion on the day of the robbery, to block the escape routes of the criminals, deserve our praise for the rare act of courage they displayed. The robbers had to abandon some of the stolen money, vehicles and other items and fled the towns on motorcycles.

“As a government, we are closing the gap between our people and government policies through communication activities. We are seeing the results, as demonstrated by our people in Uromi, Ubiaja and elsewhere, who liaise with the government and security agencies daily to keep our communities safe.

“One of the greatest legacies the Obaseki administration will leave behind is community ownership of the projects, policies and programmes the governor and his team are delivering daily to Edo people and residents. We promised people-centric and community-driven governance, and we are delivering exactly what we promised.”