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  • Abaribe, senators move to calm storm, insist Senate retained electronic transmission of results

    Abaribe, senators move to calm storm, insist Senate retained electronic transmission of results

    Amid public outcry and confusion over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday, ranking senators led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on Thursday moved to set the record straight, insisting that the upper chamber did not jettison electronic transmission of election results.

    Briefing journalists at the National Assembly, Abaribe said reports suggesting that the Senate voted against electronic transmission or reverted to manual processes were incorrect and misleading.

    “Yesterday, the Senate did not — I repeat — did not pass transfer of results, which was in the 2022 Act,” Abaribe said. “What we passed, and which the Senate President himself clarified while sitting on his chair, is the transmission of results. And I need to make this very clear.”

    He stressed that the distinction between “transfer” and “transmission” had been wrongly interpreted, fuelling the impression that the Senate had taken Nigeria backwards on electoral reforms.

    According to him, senators were compelled to address the media because the Senate’s action had been misunderstood.

    “We felt that it would be necessary to make a clarification of what happened yesterday, to put the record straight,” he said.

    Abaribe said every senator was conscious of the public trust placed on the National Assembly by Nigerians.

    “Every one of us who is a senator, who has the privilege to represent a senatorial district, came here under the trust of their senatorial districts,” he said. “Each one of us infused in himself or herself a public trust handed to us by Nigerians to do the absolute best for Nigeria.”

    He explained that the provision for electronic transmission of results was not an afterthought but the product of an extensive legislative process involving both chambers of the National Assembly and key stakeholders.

    “There was a joint committee of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, made up of members of the electoral committees in both chambers,” Abaribe said. “These joint committees had several retreats, both in Abuja and elsewhere, and each of those retreats was done with INEC and civil society organisations.”

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    He added: “Everyone agreed, and at the end of the retreats, that electronic transmission of results was the way to go. That agreement was reflected in the reports laid before both the House and the Senate.”

    Abaribe dismissed claims that any clause supporting electronic transmission was removed at any stage of the Senate process.

    “There was no going backwards,” he said. “As the Senate President reiterated yesterday, we are not going backwards; rather, we are going home.”

    He disclosed that after the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters was presented, the Senate constituted an ad hoc committee to further review it.

    “It was the report of that ad hoc committee, alongside the report of the Senate electoral committee and the executive session we held, that led to our agreement on Clause 60(3), which provides for electronic transmission of results, including real-time transmission,” he said.

    He noted that confusion arose during plenary because of the crowded chamber and multiple conversations, prompting some senators to seek further clarification after the session.

    “We went back individually to find out exactly what was done, and we were reassured,” Abaribe said. “The Senate President himself confirmed – and you have the videos – that we passed electronic transmission of results.”

    On the next steps, Abaribe explained that a harmonisation committee had been set up to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill but stressed that the process was not yet concluded.

    “After our plenary session yesterday, we adjourned but did not come back to pass the Votes and Proceedings,” he said. “That is our rule, and you all here know it.”

    He clarified that the harmonisation committee could not properly commence work until the Senate formally adopted its Votes and Proceedings.

    “The document we take to harmonisation is the one passed by us and ratified in the Votes and Proceedings,” he said. “So there is still one more step left for the Senate to take.”

    Abaribe assured Nigerians that senators would insist that the electronic transmission provision remained intact.

    “After we pass the Votes and Proceedings — and we are going to insist and ensure that what we passed, which is electronic transmission, is there — then the harmonisation committee will meet,” he said.

    He explained that the harmonisation process was straightforward.

    “What happens in harmonisation is simple,” Abaribe said. “You either adopt the House version or you adopt the Senate version, and that is what will be forwarded as a single document for presidential assent.”

    The senators said the clarification was necessary to reassure Nigerians that the Senate remained committed to credible, transparent and technology-driven elections.

    Other Senators present at the briefing include, Austin Akobundu (PDP – Abia Central) Peter Jiya (PDP – Niger South), Ireti Kingibe (ADC – FCT), Victor Umeh (LP – Anambra Central), Binos Yaroe (PDP – Adamawa South), Kabeeb Mustapha (PDP – Jigawa South West, Khalid Mustapha (PDP – Kaduna North), Mohammed Ogoshi  Onawo (APC – Nasarawa South), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP – Sokoto South), Tony Nwoye (LP – Anambra North), Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central), Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP – Kogi Central).

  • Abaribe and arch-guarantors

    Abaribe and arch-guarantors

    At the turn of the new year, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the sitting senator representing Abia South, was talking all the talk: release Nnamdi Kanu, and others and I would be guarantors for South East peace!

    That’s quite noble.  But has Abaribe forgotten what happened when he was one of the sureties for Nnamdi Kanu’s bail?  Kanu jumped bail and the best Abaribe could plead was that he did not know when and how the accused he stood surety for vanished!

    So long for his second coming as Kanu’s arch-guarantor!

    Perhaps affronted by the South East lobby for the “unconditional release” of Kanu, Bashir Ahmad, new-media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, railed against the Free Kanu campaign.  He dubbed whoever behind the push enemies of Nigeria.

    That is now the subject of a legal suit — at least its particulars.  But in general, it is no less a legitimate voice for Kanu’s continuous canning than voices calling for his release.  It’s all the varied political prisms of a matter before a court of competent jurisdiction.

    Still, might all of this begging be necessary, had South East leaders cautioned Kanu as he made it his self-imposed duty to libel, insult and traduce every other part of Nigeria, just to drive his IPOB mission?

    While others reeled under Kanu’s crude and coarse attacks, what did Igbo leaders do? At worst, annoying justifications.  At best, criminal rationalizations. 

    And after he had jumped bail?  His Buhari as “Jubril of Sudan” stunt, at a very delicate stage of the former President’s convalescence?  His clear order to his goons, in Lagos, to go on a spree of arson, during the End SARS riots?

    At the very early part, was it not till some other “northern youths” started threatening the Igbo to relocate to their region, that the South East leaders regained their voice?  Even then, how decisive or even sincere was that voice of caution?

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    Like Kanu before his rendition, detention and current trial, the Finland-based Simon Ekpa too was vomiting murder and blaring hate. Again, mum was it from South East elders who should have warned and cautioned him. 

    Ekpa seized Kanu-in-the-can to impose his own brand of democratic(?) anarchy — pushing his thugs to bump off security agents, and not blinking an eyelid to kill and maim their own Igbo folks.  That drumming got to an abrupt stop only when Finland tossed him into the can, for alleged e-bullying and terrorism.  He faces his day in court.

    However the Kanu issue is resolved — conviction or acquittal in court, or some political amnesty — is left to President Bola Tinubu and his government.  But blaring “unconditional release” is insensitive — nay, outrageous —  to other Nigerians, who were at the receiving end of Kanu’s crude and acidic tongue.

    Kanu is no MKO Abiola that won a fair election and died for it. He is rather an extremely uncouth youth, who hid behind the neo-Biafra campaign, to manifest his coarseness.  His tongue is his No. 1 enemy as he’s finding out.

    If South East leaders are begging for mercy on his behalf, only penitence, not entitlement, would do it.  Enough of this crap about “unconditional release”!

  • Kalu, Emir Sanusi II, Agary, Abaribe, others raise a voice…

    Kalu, Emir Sanusi II, Agary, Abaribe, others raise a voice…

    As the tumultuous year 2024 clock ticks to a close, Nigerians home and abroad like the global community eagerly await the dawn of 2025. As with all New Years, there are expectations, regrets, anticipations, dreams, plans and even the often laughable ’New Year Resolutions’ some of which fade away before the end of the first quarter of the year. But humans are born optimists. Pregnancies occur and there is growth and expectations of development. The child is born and there is hope of the expected milestones of growth both mentally and physically.

    So when a child is born and does not develop according to the known milestones especially the motor and cognitive stages, naturally the parents and extended family begin to ask questions and plans are made to assist the child lead a near normal life. These days, fatalism that fuels superstition has given room to realistic steps to assist children with physical or learning challenges to develop and maximize their potentials no matter how imperfect. The bottomline however is that the adults in the societal room make efforts to help the child with development challenges.

    This narrative is a mere illustrative sample of the developmental challenges and how the human community tries to fill the gap. At regional and national levels, Nigeria appears like the child whose development is challenged and the people that pride themselves as the greatest black people on earth have seemingly been oscillating between near development and a situation of total socio-economic chaos resulting in mass poverty and  gaining the country the notoriety of the country with the largest number of out-of-school children, the poverty capital of the world, the country with one of the highest number of maternal and child mortality and numerous other development challenges that have impacted the standard of living and life expectancy.

    Since 1999 and with the return to civilian democracy in the country, each administration has encountered daunting challenges that seem to worsen with each transition to a new government. The socio-economic problems in the country have in a way stunted the growth of a 64 year old independent Nigeria. But Nigeria has not always been in dire development straits. The descent to anomie started with the post-independent power struggle of which the military took a huge advantage of. Coups and counter coups, a three year war, and political instability almost pushed the country off the edge.

    The return to civilian democracy in 1999 has signaled some development but it is still not uhuru. The country is still tethering and the socio-economic problems seem to be escalating by the day. There has been a tendency for the blame game between the leaders and the led. The Bottomline line is that both sides of the aisle are casualties of systemic dysfunction.

    Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo Foundation, a socio-cultural group of women of Igbo ancestry or by marriage has since its birthing in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown period been concerned about the slow development not just of the region but of the whole country. The group, coming from a background of traditional dual governance of both men and women decided to take the lead  by doing something. The group has a Board of Advisers made up of only men working progressively with an all female Board of Trustees giving vent to the motto of the foundation which is “Partnering for Development”.

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    The vision of the group is to steer both regional and national conversations that could accelerate development. The first word Nkata in Igbo language means conversation. The group believes that the powerful tool of conversation, dialogue or effective communication can be employed to unknot the development crisis that has been affecting the country. They have in the last three years been deeply involved in strategic communication using all necessary tools to address issues of development in the country.

    For this year’s conference, the group brought together informed and influential Nigerians to Abuja to discuss the theme, “Driving Transformation Through Value Re-Orientation, Inclusive Leadership and Sustainability”.

    This theme was chosen after very wide consultations. The bane of Nigeria’s developmental problems is due to a multiplicity of issues. However, at the root of the problems is the loss of core values that held communities together. The values that do not by any means produce Saints but at least helped the society to uphold certain core values that helped in maintaining a more progressive and cohesive society. The values of integrity, honesty, diligence, respect and other values seem to be on the decline. Ironically, most people assume that the leaderships over the years are to blame but aren’t the leadership taken from the people?

    Again, inclusive leadership has been an issue in the democratic space. Civil Rights and Gender advocates have been worried that the Nigerian political space is suffused with masculine energy in that more than 90% of political offices are occupied by men in all tiers of government. What this means is that many qualified women do not get the much desired opportunpartake in leadership. Global institutions like the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) all have research findings that show that countries with less opportunities for women are always lagging behind developmentally.

    Ironically in Nigeria, statistics have shown that women excel in those areas where merit and capacity are the criteria. The informal sector that contributes a lot to the GDP has mainly women operators. Many women are at the helm of many financial institutions as chairmen and CEOs. In the academia, many women are in very high positions just as many perform well in sports, entertainment and music. It therefore beggars belief that when it comes to political inclusion, very few women are allowed to bring their competence and learning to contribute to national development.

    The near exclusion of women, the youths and those living with disabilities in the democratic process contributes to the lack of development in the country. No bird flies successfully with one wing. This is exactly the reality of the Nigerian situation. The human capital is neither fully developed nor utilized for the good of the country. So the conversation at the conference was robustly about three key points, value-reorientation, inclusive leadership and sustainability.

    The varied Speakers at the conference from the different sectors of the Nigerian society spoke brilliantly about the need for an introspection by the Nigerian society. National development is never sourced out. The citizens must choose what path they want to development. The political structure must be inclusive and equitable. The present political exclusion cannot birth a developed nation. The political party structure must change. Competence and merit must be the criteria for leadership selection.

    According to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Soeaker Nigerian House of Representativesthe 10th assembly who Chaired the Conference, the house would be willing to revisit the gender equity bills and make other laws that would facilitate inclusivity to enhance development. In his speech, he agreed that national development cannot be achieved without women participation given the fact that women are natural builders.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, spoke of what he called “the uncomfortable truth”. According to him, while we all acknowledge the loss of values especially amongst his Igbo ethnic group, he believes that women have a role to play in raising their children with admirable values that ennoble. He said the people must go back to the values of integrity, diligence and honesty if any changes must happen to propel development. Acquitting wealth by any means is not a cultural attitude. Wealth in Igbo culture always comes from traceable business

    According to the Emir of Kano, HRH Lamido Sanusi II who was Royal Father of the Day, investing in women must be a priority and a national emergency because women hold the key to development. He believes that the idea of brandishing statistics of, maternal and child mortality, malnurished children, out of school children, child brides, female IDPs is defeatist. The governments must try to be proactive right from the cradle because an educated woman holds the key to the prevention of a lot of the socio-economic problems that affect the country. According to the Emir, investment in women development is key to national growth given the great role they play in the lives of their children.

    The Emir recalled the role he played as Central Bank governor in making sure more qualified women were appointed into many financial institutions and today more women are directors not just at the CBN but they are also CEOs of many banks. He went further to advise Nigerians about values that matter. He believes the people must distinguish between what and who they are. In his view, what you are might be a position but who you are is the value you bring to the people through what you are.

    The former First Lady of Ekiti state, Erelu Adebisi Adeleye-Fayemi a renowned civil and gender rights advocate reiterated her call for the protection and empowerment of the girl child or woman by ensuring they are educated, certain harmful cultural practice eradicated because rather than enhance development, those harmful cultural practices negatively affect not just the woman but the society at large. In her view, every woman who is denied a seat at the table, every girl who is denied education, every woman under the burden of domestic violence takes the country down the ladder of underdevelopment.

    Timi Koripami-Agary (PhD), a retired permanent Secretary and activist often called Mama Amnesty for her very effective role in the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta was the Mother of the Day at the conference. As a very renowned mediator on Labour, gender and conflict issues she maintains that development cannot happen like magic. She  insists that the country must be conscious of the value of women and equity to development. It would be delusional to assume that development can come without peace and gender justice rooted on the justice system that guarantees equity for all.

    The conversation as is being advocated by the Nkata group should be embraced by Nigerians from all regions because of the interdependence of all the regions. Bringing the conference to Abuja and the coalition of Nigerians from almost all tribes in the country was a good way to prepare the people for the coming year. There is no alternative to the national conversation that Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo Foundation has initiated. This is the first part of what happened at the Abuja Conference.

    The dialogue continues…

  • Kalu, Sanusi, Abaribe, others seek cultural leadership reforms for national transformation

    Kalu, Sanusi, Abaribe, others seek cultural leadership reforms for national transformation

    Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Ben Kalu; Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II; Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe  and others have called for cultural and leadership reforms to drive national transformation.

    They spoke in Abuja during Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo (NNII) 2024 Annual Conference

    Kalu, noting the role of women in fostering unity and development, called for cultural and leadership renaissance, stressing women can achieve our transformative goals.

    He praised NNII for addressing GBV, insecurity, marginalisation, and others.

    Kalu said National Assembly would move to enhance gender equality and women participation in governance.

    Reflecting on his tenure in CBN, Sanusi shared the success of policies mandating gender equity in banks, which saw women in top positions.

    He said empowering women is key to resolving malnutrition, education gaps, etc.

    “The woman holds the key to development,” he said.

    Sanusi criticised Nigeria’s approach to social issues and advocated policies prioritising women and child welfare.

     Abaribe decried declining interest in education and traditional values, citing a shift towards materialism and quick wealth as a threat to the community’s development.

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    He warned that this has dire consequences, and called for prioritisation of education and mentorship to restore the Igbo legacy of hard work and enterprise.

    National leader of Pan Nigeria Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, said Nigerian institutions must be accountable and responsive to citizens.

    Clark, represented by PANDEF spokesman, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, said people should work together ‘‘to achieve and sustain inclusive leadership”.

    NNII’s Founder, Josephine Anenih, urged women to tackle our challenges, and called for unity and introspection.

    She noted women will not be passive in face of challenges.

     Former Senate President, Pius Anyim, said justice and fairness can restore societal harmony, while Sen. Rochas Okorocha noted the key role of women and called for an end to outdated gender norms.

    “Women can be presidents and governors. Don’t wait for relevance; create it,” he said.

  • Ningi’s suspension: What I would have done if I was presiding officer – Abaribe

    Ningi’s suspension: What I would have done if I was presiding officer – Abaribe

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South senatorial district, has said that he would have handled the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi differently if he were the presiding officer of the Senate.

    The Nation reports that the Senate on Tuesday, March 12, suspended Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) for three months after alleging the 2024 budget was padded with N3 trillion.

    However, Abaribe while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme on Wednesday, March 13, said he was part of those who moved around and tried to moderate the tense atmosphere in the Senate on Tuesday, but the view of the Senate prevailed despite his and others’ intervention as elders in the hallowed chamber.

    He said: “Well, we have rules. Our rule says in section 66 that if you bring the Senate to disrepute – I think there are several aspects of that section 66 in our rules, which you can discipline a senator.

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    “But there’s also another part of the argument that says that under section, I think 2C (14) or so, where a constituency must be represented.

    “I am an elder in the Senate. And I was part of those that went around and said ‘Please can we moderate this’. But the view of the Senate prevailed.

    “If I was, of course, the presiding officer, probably we would have run it differently.

    “At a point at which Senator Olamilekan had made that clarification should have been where we should have ended the matter. But of course, the matter nosedived. It is what it is.

    “I think we can just move on. The rule must be adhered to. Any system without rules will just devolve into chaos. That’s all.”

  • Chinese varsity develops power sector talents for Nigeria

    Chinese varsity develops power sector talents for Nigeria

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Enyinnanya Abaribe, has said Nigeria is collaborating with the Shanghai University of Electric Power (SUEP) to correct the misalignment arising from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) value chain.

    Addressing reporters at a workshop tagged: “Exploring opportunities for cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for the Nigerian Electric Power Sector” at the weekend in Abuja, Abaribe said the engineers in the sector are not competent enough for the attainment of seamless generation, transmission and distribution the country has been yearning for.

    The committee chairman said the focus of the partnership was mostly on capacity building for the manpower.

    He said: “I think what we are discussing with SUEP mostly are in the area of capacity building. 

    “The fact on the ground in Nigeria is that we have a misalignment between the different parts of the power sector. There is a misalignment between generation and transmission. There is a misalignment between transmission and distribution. And so, part of the critical issue that has led to this is lack of capacity.

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    “So, many of our people, like the engineers, are not competent enough at ensuring that we are able to have a seamless transition between generation and distribution.”

    Abaribe noted that the discussion with SUEP was focused on capacity building, either by training manpower within the sector itself or training those who in the universities who would enter the power sector. 

    The chairman noted that by identifying the opportunities that abound in the sector with an energy shortage of over 35,000MW, it was germane to support the discussions with BRI to tap into the opportunities.

    The Managing Director of XEM Consultants Limited, Dr. Eugenia Ndukwe, who was the convener of the conference, explained that the ceremony was meant to explore opportunities for collaboration between China and Nigeria under the BRI-funded project. 

    She explained that the BRI is a Chinese government initiative to connect the world together.

    Ndukwe added: “For sure, we know that the philosophy of President Xi Jinping is to build the community of shared future and for shared prosperity. 

    “So, the BRI has done so well and funding a lot of projects, especially roads, rails at the port and powering infrastructure.”

    Narrowing the initiative down to Nigeria, the convener said: ”But so far, there tends to be a missing gap in our own assessment of the BRI. The power infrastructure is a serious and a critical challenge for us here in Nigeria.

    “So, what we are doing is to leverage that gap to look at opportunities where we can begin to consolidate opportunities under the BRI to help the sector.”

    According to her, SUEP is an academic institution that serves the energy needs of the Belt and Road Initiative of China.

    Ndukwe added: “Basically, as a knowledge and research-based organisation, what intervention they will be providing is in terms of talent development for the power sector and not infrastructure.”

    Also, the Director General of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Ahmed Nagode, said the institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SUEP in 2019 to support Nigeria with power sector capacity building.

    The support, he said, rangeds from training of instructors and curriculum development.

    Nagode, who described China as adept in solar PV installation, added that SUEP would be required to upgrade Nigeria with new technology in the sector.

    He said: “We want to see where we can exchange the programme to deal with the content of what we do and see how they can also help deepen and improve on what we do, especially in relation to new technology.

    “We equally look at the fact that China is very good in building energy, especially solar PV.”

  • Abaribe, Nkwonta, Wabara and battle for Abia South

    Three candidates-Enyinnaya Abaribe (Peoples Democratic Party) (PDP), Chris Nkwonta (All Progressives Grand Alliance) (APGA) and Marc Wabara (All Proressives Congress) (APC) – are contesting for the Senate in Abia South District. Who wins? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines their chances at the poll and issues that will shape the exercisse.

    THREE politicians are contesting for the Senate in Abia South District. They are popular in the zone. They have made their marks in their chosen fileds. Now, they want to test their popularity at the poll.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe got a return to fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket  for the fourth time. Business mogul Chief Chris Nkwonta, is the flagbearer of the the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).  Chief Marc Wabara is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Abia South District is made up of six councils. They are Obingwa, Aba South, Aba North, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa West and Ukwa East.

    According to stakeholders, there is an unwritten rotation agreement between the Ngwa and Ukwa blocs. Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, who hails from Ukwa East Council, represented Abia South between 1999 to 2007. His successor is  Abaribe, who has been elected thrice.  This is why the people of Ukwa are complaining that Abaribe’s fourth term agenda is in conflict with the rotational principle. To them, Ukwa is being marginalised. But, Abaribe’s supporters believe that he has the right to always seek re-election.

    Wabara may have the financial war chest. But, he is not perceived as a threat to either the PDP or APGA.

    But, Abaribe and Nkwonta are in a familiar terrain. The two gladiators  had clashed during the 2015 senatorial poll, which Abaribe won. Although Nkwonta went to the court to challenge Abaribe’s victory, the verdict was not reversed.

    Many were taken aback at the outcome. The APGA candidate was leading his opponent, based on 30,000 votes he got from five councils. But, the voves from Obingwa, Abaribe’s home council, upturned the figures.

    To Abaribe’s suporters, he won because people appreciated his legislative experience, pragmatism and quality leadership, which he exhibited in the National Assembly. But, a constituent, Solomon Adindu, disagreed, saying that the victory was  “facilitated by the critical actors of the political process.” He said voters will be more vigilant and protect their votes in future elections.

     

    Quest for equity and fairplay

    The Ukwa bloc is not happy over  Abaribe’s fourth term agenda, which to the sub-ethnic group, is contrary to the  ‘unwritten agreement’ between it and Ngwa.

    The PDP ticket is a bone of contention. Ukwa leaders including the Commissioner for Energy, Asiforo Okere; PDP publicity secretary, Sir Don Ubani; Chairman, ASOPADEC, Chief Sam Nwogu; Commissioner for Transport Chief Chinedum Elechi; Special Adviser Solomon Ogunji; state lawmaker representing Ukwa West Constituency, Tony Mezie Nwaubani, and chairmen of Ukwa East and Ukwa West councils, Lewis Obianyi and  Goodluck Nwobiwe, have maintained that the seat should be zoned to Ukwa.

    They said Ukwa people will neither support nor identify with any person from outside Ukwa, who aspires to the seat in 2019. To underscore the importance they attach to their agitation, the stakeholders who are all members of the PDP said the agitation to produce a senator is no longer a party affair.

    In their communique after a meeting, they said: “If the leadership of PDP at the appropriate levels shows insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of  Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West, it should be ready to bear the consequences.

    “The senatorial seat of Abia-South should be zoned to Ukwa (Asa and Ndoki). Ukwa people will neither support nor identify with any person from outside Ukwa, who aspires to the seat in 2019.

    “In the three senatorial districts of Abia State, it is only in Abia South that there is Ukwa/Ngwa. Any society that has no respect for equity would certainly experience a disastrous termination.

    “In a senatorial district that is made up of two distinct groups of indigenous peoples, there is no way it could be explained that the governor of such a state would come from one of the two groups and at the same time a senator from the same group that is on the verge of completing a third tenure of four years; making 12 consecutive years, would be desperately canvassing for a fourth tenure.

    “As at today, the Ukwa/Ngwa has produced the governor , a sitting senator and the Speaker of the  House of Assembly. The three are of Ngwa extraction. None of them is from Ukwa.  This insensitivity and humiliating imbalance in the distribution of key positions in Ukwa/Ngwa have offended the sensibilities of the peoples of Ukwa.”

    A politician from Obingwa Council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abaribe’s 12 years at the Senate has not brought any development to the zone. He said the senator should explain what he has done with constituency project funds.

    He added: “It amazes me when Senator Abaribe posits that he is a defender of the Igbo race for the single fact that he stood surety for Nnamdi Kanu when he is neither an IPOB member nor moved any motion for a referendum, which is the cardinal demand of IPOB at the Senate. He just wants to use the name of IPOB and its leader to return for a fourth term.

    “If Senator Abaribe is supporting the Biafra cause as he claims let him support the referendum as chairman of Southeast Caucus.”

     

    Abaribe:

    Abaribe is a household name in Abia. He is a former deputy governor. He is a former university leader. he has grassroots support. He is one of the esteemed PDP leaders.

    Abaribe, who hails from Obingwa council, became a senator in 2007. At the recent primary, he beat his rivals- Emeka Stanley and Dr. Solomon Ogunji from Ukwa; and former Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ikechi  Mgboji from Aba South Council.

    Abaribe won the heart of many people in the zone when he stood surety for Kanu last year. His re-election campaign has been hinged on the  defence of Igbo race.

    IPOB has a strong support base in Abia, especially in Aba, which is part of Abia South. But, how that will translate into a political capital for the senator is not clear. The IPOB leader has warned his members against participating in any electoral process. Besides, the group has been proscribed by the Federal Government.

    Some people have alleged that Abaribe has not attracted enough developmental projects to the zone. Abia South is one enclave of poverty and infrastructural decay. They lament that the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Roa, which links the commercial town of Aba to Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, has been in a dilapidated condition for over 10 years. This has affected commerce.

     

    Nkwonta:

    NKwonta is a successful businessman from Akwete in Ukwa East Council. This is his third attempt at seeking election. In 2011, he aspired to represent the district, but his ambition hit the rock. Despite the overwhelming support he enjoyed,  he was prevailed upon by the party leadership to step down to enable Abaribe go for a second term. In 2015, the coast was almost clear for  Nkwonta in the PDP, until Abaribe was asked to go for a third term. The people of Ukwa cried foul, saying the third term bid violated the zoning principle existing between it and Ngwa.

    Nwonta was not discouraged by the turn of events. He took solace in the loyalty of his supporters to his cause. Nkwonta’s philanthropy has endeared him to the people of the zone. To his fans, he is contesting next years’s election on the strength of popular goodwill. Sources said PDP senatorial aspirants, including Dr. Solomn Ogunji and Chief Emeka Stanley, who lost at the primary, may join forces with Nkwonta in the interest of Ukwa.

    According to a source,  meetings are being held on Abaribe’s chances and how to  checkmate Nkwonta, who is perceived as a threat.

    He said: “We in the PDP know that  the battle is not going to be easy for us. The APC is not our problem, no matter who the party fields. Our major challenge is the APGA candidate, Chief Chris Nkwonta, because he is a formidable opponent.”

     

  • Abaribe, two others to forfeit N100m each over IPOB chief Kanu’s bail

    Abia South Senator Enyinnnya Abaribe and two others, who stood surety for the fugitive leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu are to forfeit N100million each for failing to produce Kanu in court.

    Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja gave the order for temporary forfeiture of the N100m bail bond, which each of the sureties signed when they took Kanu on bail in April last year.

    The judge ordered that the money be paid within two months. She said the interim forfeiture will last for six months, within which the sureties are to produce Kanu, failing which the forfeiture will become permanent.

    Kanu, who is being tried for treasonable felony offence, was granted bail last year, with Abaribe, Jewish leaders Immanuel Shallom Ben and Tochukwu Uchendu standing as his sureties.

    At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Abaribe and Ben were absent in court. They were also unable to produce Kanu, as earlier ordered by the court.

    Abaribe’s lawyer Chukwuma Machukwu-Umeh (SAN), told the court that his client was absent because he went on an oversight function with Senate Committee on Niger-Delta.

    Ben’s lawyer, Ejimakor, said his client was critically ill.

    Justice Nyako, who was not convinced by the excuses given for the two sureties’ absence, threatened to order their arrest.

    The Judge was particularly angry with Abaribe, who she observed, chose to embark on an oversight function despite being aware of a court summon against him.

    Justice Nyako said: “I shall order his arrest. I am taking today’s proceeding very serious. The sureties have taken this court for granted for too long.

    “The appearance of the sureties is between them and the court, not even the prosecution,” she said.

    The judge noted that the sureties had signed an undertaking to always produce Kanu whenever the court wants him. She observed that the sureties had failed in this regard since late last year.

    In her ruling, Justice Nyako changed her mind on the threat to order the arrest of the sureties.

    She however said: “The court hereby orders the sureties to deposit the bail bond of N100m with the court within two months from today.

    “The order is going to be pending in the interim for six months.”

    The judge said the interim forfeiture order would subsist for six months during which the sureties must produce Kanu or be able to convince the court, with evidence, of their inability to produce the IPOB leader in court, failing which the money will be permanently forfeited.

    Justice Nyako said: “If you convince the court that the court should release the bail bond to you, I will release it.”

    The judge, who acknowledged applications by the sureties, seeking to be excused as Kanu’s sureties, insisted that Abaribe, Ben and Uchendu must produce the fleeing IPOB leader before the burden of being a surety could be lifted off them.

    The judge adjourned both this case and the trial of Kanu’s co-accused (who are now being tried separately) to March 26 and 28 next year.

  • Nnamdi Kanu: Abaribe writes Nigeria’s ambassador to Israel

    •Seeks confirmation of IPOB leader’s presence

    The Senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has written the Nigerian High Commissioner to Israel, His Excellency, Enoch Duchi, to confirm if the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is in Israel.

    Abaribe wrote through his lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, SAN.

    The senator, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, was one of the three individuals who stood surety for Kanu when he was granted bail by an Abuja Federal High Court.

    Kanu is standing trial for treasonable offences in the Federal High Court.

    The letter dated November 7, 2018 was sent through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema. It is entitled “Is a citizen of our country Nnamdi Kanu in Israel?”

    The lawyer said that the letter to the Ambassador for confirmation that Kanu was actually in Israel became necessary because of the story making the rounds on the social and online media that “an Nnamdl Kanu was sighted at the Wailing Wall during a prayer session in Israel.”

    The letter reads in part: “We are the counsel to Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Abia South Senatorial Zone in the 8th Senate of National Assembly of Nigeria.

    “As a pronounced patriot, he recently, against all odds, put life into our constitutional provision of the liberty of an accused as well as eased tension in our polity by standing surety to Nnamdi Kanu (who is on trial on allegations of treasonable offences in CHARGE No. FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.)

    “In fact, to situate you properly into the salient realities involved in this national tragedy, the Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

    “On 28th April 2017, the Hon trial Court granted him bail on medical grounds and Sen. Abaribe was one of the three sureties who executed the bail bond for his release.

    “Your Excellency would recall that sometimes in 2017, the Nigerian Army High Command announced publicly that they were going to commence a military operation code-named “OPERATION PYTHON DANCE “(EGWU EKE) 11 in the whole of the South East Zone of Nigeria from 15th of September to 14th of October 2017.”

    It continued: “Curiously, selectively and tragically, from 11” to 14″ September 2017, well before the announced scheduled dates, the Nigerian Army, with truck loads of heavily armed soldiers, armoured tanks and other intimidating offensive military weapons, embarked on massive military operation exclusively at the Nnamdi Kanu’s town, lsiama, Afaraukwu lbeku Umuahia, Abia State and at his residence (the PALACE of HRH EZE ISREAL KANU) where at the material time of the tragic invasion, he was staying with his royal parents.

    “There and then as the invading Army left, the Nnamdl Kanu along with his parents were never seen or heard from again till today.

    “This explains his absence from his trial since that time till now.

    “Your Excellency, already before the Hon. trial Court is an Affidavit deposed to on 17th November, 2017 to the effect that:

    i)This fatal military invasion of town and residence of the Nnamdl Knnu climaxing on 14″ of September 201 7 resulted in high casualties as corpse’s littered all over the vicinity including In the PALACE.

    1. ii) The Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were In the PALACE at the time of the tragic invasion of the town and PALACE.

    iii) During the invasion, the Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were never again seen or heard from either privately or publicly till date.

    iv)The Nnamdi Kanu and his parents were allegedly whisked off by the invading soldiers.

    “The Hon. Court had now ordered each of the three sureties to show cause why each would not forfeit the respective bail bond of one hundred million naira (N100, 000, 000:00) or go to prison for their alleged failure to produce the Nnamdl Kanu for the on-going trial.

    “Your Excellency, in the midst of this quagmire, our attention has been drawn to ongoing news making rounds on the social and online media to the effect that an Nnamdl Kanu was sighted at the Wailing Wall during a prayer session in Israel.

    “In view of this, we humbly request your Excellency to use your good office to painstakingly inquire from the Government of Israel as follows:

    1. a) If there is any Nnamdi Kanu, a Nigerian citizen in their country, Israel?
    2. b) Where there is, is that person the same as the Nnamdi Kanu standing trial in CHARGE No. FHC/ABI/CR/383/2015 and that was never seen again during the tragic military invasion of his home on 14″ of September 2017.
    3. c) If the Nnamdl Kanu that was never seen again during the tragic military Invasion of his home is the one in Israel, please find out from the government of Israel how he arrived there and the circumstances that led to that? What of his royal parents?

    (I) Finally, Your Excellency, where there is an Nnamdl Kanu in Israel, as the Law Firm representing Sen Abarlbe, we are ready to assist you in a necessary DNA procedure to enable you verify whether the alleged Nnamdl Kanu said to be in Israel is same as the Nnamdl Kanu standing trial In CHARGE No. FHC/ABI/CR/383/2015.

    “As citizens and or counsel, we all have the duty to assist our courts with the truth and the established facts.

    “We therefore urge Your Excellency to, under oath, verify your findings as per A to D above and to the effect that they are from the Government of Israel.

    “This is because I will be submitting them on the Nnamdi Kanu to the Hon. Court.

    “We look forward to hearing from your Excellency soonest. “Kindly, accept the assurances of our highest regards.”

     

  • Abaribe recounts ordeal in DSS custody

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) has briefed the Senate about his arrest and detention by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Abaribe, who came under order 43 of the Senate standing rules (personal explanation), said the briefing became necessary following concerns expressed by his colleagues and Nigerians.

    The lawmaker was arrested by on June 22 at the gate of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

    He told the senate that he was received at the DSS facility by a former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, who was arrested three days before.

    Abaribe reiterated that he cannot be intimidated from speaking the truth.

    He said: “I have been inundated by Nigerians and my colleagues who were worried about my arrest. So today Mr. President, I crave your indulgence and those of my colleagues to state that on June 22, I was arrested at the gate of the Hilton hotel while the International Press Institute Congress was on.

    “I was taken to the office of the DSS at 11.30am and by 5pm, I was taken home for a search of my house.

    “When we got to my house, I was formally told the reason for my arrest. The search warrant said I’m being accused of sponsoring a proscribed organisation, IPOB, and that the search was to look for evidence of such.

    “After the search, which took about five to six hours, I was taken to the office of DSS about 12 midnight and kept there. The first person who received me and helped my transition from freedom to incarceration was the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam.

    “He had been arrested on the Tuesday preceding my arrest. As at when I was released last Tuesday, he had not been told why he was arrested.

    “Mr. President, I have been released following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians led by you and the leadership of the senate. I’m glad and grateful.

    “I use this opportunity to thank Nigerians who were concerned and so did everything to secure my release.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said they were happy with Abaribe’s release. He urged him to regard his arrest and detention as a sacrifice for the growth of democracy in the country.

    He said: “We are happy to see you back. IT was an unfortunate situation but we hope that things will be restored soon. It is one of these sacrifices we all have to make in deepening our democracy.”