The Nation Newspaper

Tag: APC

  • Speakership: S/East APC publicity secretaries push for Onyejeocha

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretaries in the South East Wednesday met in Enugu and demanded that the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives be zoned to the South East.

    To this regard, they endorsed and supported Hon. Mrs. Nkeiru Onyejeocha who is representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia state for the position.

    They also posited that her occupation of the seat would not only balance the regional equation but would also take care of gender equation in the scheme of things.

    At the meeting include Bennett Godson of APC Abia state, Kate Offor of APC Enugu state, Nwoba China of APC Ebonyi state and Okelo Madukife of APC Anambra state who coordinated the conference.

    According to them: “The South East need to come into the equation of the 6 top most positions in the country. We have now many APC House of Representatives members unlike in 2015 when there was no qualified candidate from the zone due to party affiliation.

    Read Also: APC chieftain to Saraki, Dogara: stay off selection of NASS leaders

    “It is our considered view that we are endorsing and supporting Hon. Mrs. Nkeiru Onyejeocha for the position.”

    They listed her being a lawyer, one Local government chairman, a former commissioner and being the chairman of House Committee on Aviation for 12 years as some of the credentials that qualified her for the position.

    “In all the positions she has held, she exhibited a high level of competence and with that, she will bring forth her experience and motherly disposition to bear,” they pointed out.

    They stressed the fact that as a woman, she would be seen as a representative of the womenfolk, adding “It is high time women be given the opportunity. Train a woman, you have trained a nation.”

  • Adelabu, APC challenge Makinde’s victory

    OYO State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr. Adebayo Adelabu has approached the Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the victory of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mr. Seyi Makinde.

    Adelabu is praying the tribunal to overturn Makinde’s victory.

    He filed the suit alongside his party, whose state chairman, Chief Akin Oke, had after the result of the election, said the APC was considering approaching the election tribunal to upturn Makinde’s triumph.

    Makinde was on March 10 declared the winner of the governorship election by the state Returning Officer, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, having polled 515,621 votes to defeat Adelabu, who scored 357,982 votes.

    The results indicated that Makinde defeated Adelabu with 157,639 votes.

    Oke said: “I want to repeat what I said concerning the outcome of the last governorship election. First, I want to greet all the people who genuinely voted for us. But where there is a genuine case of fraud, of course why not go to court?

    “Do you want us to continue to support fraud? I repeat we will go to court once there are enough grounds to do so.”

    Yesterday, the APC made real its threat as it was listed as the second petitioner.

    The petition has Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first respondent. Makinde and PDP are second and third respondents.

    But, in a reaction, the state secretary of PDP, Mr. Wasiu Adeleke, said there was no cause for alarm because it was glaring from the results across the five geopolitical zones that “Engr. Seyi Makinde won overwhelmingly and polled the highest number of votes and was subsequently declared as winner”.

     

     

  • APC, Niger South Senatorial seat and travesty of justice

    It is dispiriting when judiciary, the last hope of the common man, is increasingly becoming the archetypal masterpiece of dashing people’s hopes. What, however, buoys up our hopes is the ever-presence of a pecking order in the country’s judicial system where malfeasances and excesses of judicial actors are hierarchically checked and balanced.

    It is against this background that the senator representing Niger South in the National Assembly, Mustapha Sani Mohammed, petitioned the National Judicial Council, NJC, to demand an investigation in to the seeming judicial conspiracy, delay and incredible transfer of a case he filed at the Federal High Court five months ago challenging his arbitrary replacement as the All Progressives Congress, APC’s flag-bearer in the Niger South Senatorial District, even after winning the party’s primary election in the district.

    Senator Mohammed, in the suit instituted on October 30, 2018, demanded an explanation as to why his name was replaced with that of Bima Mohammed Enagi, who was not even screened to contest the primaries.

    It is known fact that some forces in the state government, a powerful traditional ruler and a certain influencer in the presidency are interested in the case in order to dwarf the towering political profile of the senator.

    The sheer injustice leading to the senator’s travails manifested itself at the conclusion of the APC primary elections in the state where the senator emerged winner of the Niger South senatorial district and was issued result of the primaries signed by the chairman, secretary and the returning officer that conducted the elections. But some usurpers, in a political heist, robbed him of the ticket.

    The second albatross started when the case, which was instituted way back in October 2018, began to undergo strange transfers from one judge to another without recourse to the exceptional circumstances supplied by the limitations law of the 1999 Constitution under section 285(10) which has made the suit time-bound, expiring, at least, six months after the institution.

    The last hearing on the case was done in Abuja on March 13 before being adjourned to March 29 for the judgement. On the D-day, the case was again mysteriously transferred to the Minna Division of the Federal High Court. As could be gleaned from the enrolled order of the court, the summary of the reason for the transfer is that “The 1st and 2nd Defendants pleaded specially for the matter to be heard and determined in the Federal High Court, Minna Judicial Division, Niger State.”

    The daunting question, therefore, is what does the judge from the Abuja Division, where the matter spent five months out of its six months lifespan, expect his Learned Brother in Minna Division to achieve in the matter within the remaining few days lifespan of the cases? This is quite a worrisome situation that really requires not only an expeditious intervention of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in order to avert the impending miscarriage of justice but also to undertake a discreet investigation of what has been behind the asphyxiating attitude of the judges handling the matter.

    Now that the matter has been fixed for hearing on Thursday April 4 at the Minna Division of the Federal High Court, all eyes are on Justice Aminu BaffaAliyu to beat the remaining 22-day lifespan of the case. Justice is a double-edge sword, which has both favourable and unfavourable consequences. Whichever way the case goes will be a relief for the petitioner.

    Ordinarily, Senator Mohammed would not have known roads to the court of law, except for the antics played on him by the leadership of the APC. When APC was trying to check the gale of defection, Senator Mohammed joined Adams Oshiomhole to crisscross the country, sugar-coating the party members who hold strategic political offices to remain in the party. He even went to the extent of promising them an automatic return ticket. Expectedly, Senator Mohammed, as a loyal politician, heeded to the party’s call and stayed put.

    However, when the defection hurricane subsided, the party put its shredded-self together and began to diss those who were there for her in its trying times. They have continued to show sheer in indifference to the plights of its members. All the political office holders had to resort to the rigmarole of party primaries, some scaled through, while others got enmeshed in the process. It was the same trap that caught up with Senator Shehu Sani. He was also promised an automatic ticket but was robbed of the ticket in a broad daylight.

    If the powers-that-be could not give the senator the automatic ticket as promised, why would they deny him the primary electoral process even after emerging victorious? If the party was compromised to substitute a name after primaries, why will INEC, which supervised the primaries, accept the replacement?

     

    • Ramalan wrote from Abuja and can be reached via ibroramalan@gmail.com

  • Group holds prayer for Tinubu, Bello

    The Mainland Independent Group (MIG), a socio-political pressure group and philanthropic organisation in Lagos State, has congratulated National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for the party’s victory in the elections.

    The chairman, Kayode Aransiola, at a special thanksgiving prayer at the Fiwakesin Mosque on Olonode Street, Yaba, to mark Tinubu’s 67th birthday, lauded the group’s patron, Tunji Bello, for being the pillar of the APC in Mainland local government and for his role in putting the APC on landslide lead.

    Aransiola lauded Tinubu for his inspirational leadership which has contributed to deepening the democratic practice. He also praised Bello for his role in the economic empowerment of the people, and his mobilisational acumen which earned the APC a lead at the election.

    Group leader Ibrahim Alao Megida described Tinubu as an enigma who bestrides the political scene like a colossus.

    Chairman of Association of Lagos State indigenes, Lagos Mainland branch Ganiyu Salako said: “There is no doubt that in the political scene today, Asiwaju Tinubu is the most powerful and most influential politician we have presently in Nigeria. No one else compares with him. His type only comes once in a generation. I wish him long life and greater successes in all his exploits.

    “Asiwaju’s leading role is due to the will of God and his purity of heart; this is why Asiwaju will continue to thrive above his contenders; and this is also the reason why anyone trying to pull him down will labour in vain and does so at his own peril.”

    REad also: Tinubu, political asset for all seasons

    Women leader Folashade Morounkeji said: “We are grateful to Asiwaju for giving us a person like Tunji Bello, who through his exemplary philanthropy and empowerment of the poor, has warmed himself into the heart of the Mainlanders, irrespective of tribe, religion and sex.”

    Presiding clerics included Alfa Sheikh Salman Abdulateef, Alhaji Taiwo Sontana, Alhaji R. A Sule, who also paid glowing tribute to Tinubu and Bello. There were koranic recitations, and prayers at the event.

  • Ndume steps up campaign for Senate President

    Senator Ali Ndume has stepped up his campaign for the position of Senate President in the Ninth Senate, despite the endorsement of Senator Ahmed Lawan by the leadership of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC)

    Ndume, who represents Borno South senatorial district, has rolled out a nine-point agenda in handbills he circulated in Abuja on Monday.

    One of the points in the agenda was a promise to improve upon the performance of the 8th Senate, stating that he will make the office of the Senate President less attractive by reducing unnecessary privileges attached to the office

    Also on his agenda is the independence of the legislature, operation of checks and balances and strict adherence to the principle of separation of powers.

    He added that he will prioritise and ensure the passage of the Constituency Development Bill, which will make constituency  projects more transparent, accountable, efficient and effective.

    Ndume also stated that if elected, he would mobilise other senators to agree on timeline for confirmation of nominees of Mr. President, passage of bills. The third-termer senator said with him in the saddle, the national budget would be passed within 90 days from the day of submission to the National Assembly.

    He pledged to make laws that will block leakages in the system; devise improved means of generating revenue, amendment and review of tax laws, and emphasis on reduction of reliance on local and foreign loans to finance budget.

    “To run the Ninth Senate transparency, through open accountability with full participation of all senators. For example, we will transfer the approving powers of the privileges of the senators like foreign travels, allowances to Senate Services Committee or a new committee to be known as Ways and Means  Committee”, the document added.

    Ndume concluded that the Senate under his leadership will uphold the governing party’s principles and policies, in addition to making laws and reviewing existing ones, to key into APC’s Next Level Agenda for the country.

     

    The senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Borno South senatorial district in the 2019 general elections, Kudla Satumari popularly called Haskey by his supporters has asked one of the candidates for the position of Senate President in the 9th Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume to forget his ambition.

    Satumari said Ndume was not the right candidate for such a high leadership position, describing him as a self centred person who has contributed nothing to the upliftment of the people he is representing in the Senate, while accusing him of being part of the problem that rocked the outgoing Senate when he worked against his party in favour of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the PDP in 015

    Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Satumari also warned the All  Progressives Congress (APC) not to nominate Ali Ndume as senate president because he will reclaim his mandate at the Election Tribunal as the rightful elected senator for the senatorial district.

    He claimed that his victory at the polling units was upturned between the polling stations and collation centre where the results were rewritten in favour of Ndume, adding that no amount of pressure and persuasion can make him accept an out of court settlement, expressing confidence that the overwhelming evidences at his disposal are substantial enough to upturn the Ndume’s temporary victory at the Election Tribunal.

    “For the records, I contested Borno South senatorial district on the platform of the PDP. The immediate result of the election is not what is expected. I initially evaluated the outcome of the election to see what action to take, but I have overwhelming appeal from my people and even the contestants from other political parties that have supplied me with hard facts and evidences to prove substantial breach of electoral process.

    “The evidences have shown that I won the election but was upturned between the polling units and the collation centre. For us to deepen democracy and ensure that the process of election is abided by, I decided to take the case to the tribunal. It has been submitted and the papers served to all the respondents involved,” he said.

    According to him, if Ndume had won him fair and square; “I would have been among those campaigning for him to be the senate president because he is from my senatorial district and I believe that as senate president he could attract some interventions and developmental projects to our area.”

    “What people don’t know is that I have worked assiduously for him to become the senator in 2011. I was among those that worked hard to ensure that he won the election. I even named a primary school I built in area after him. The fight is not personal, but we should not reinforce failure”.

    On whether he will consider the option of an out of court settlement, he said: “Never. Out of court settlement is never an option. It is not about me but my people because the level of insecurity in my area has gotten to alarming stage. I doubt if we still have men to stand for the people.”

    Read also: PDP opponent to Ndume: you are not fit to be Senate President

    “Our problem is that nobody is bringing the issue to the centre stage. My over 80 year-old mother slept in the bush last week. It pains when the federal government claims Boko Haram has been degraded, yet the kind of insecurity we are experiencing on daily basis before, during and after the general elections has never been so under Goodluck Jonathan.

    “It was better under him because they can take control over a Local Government but the kind of hit and run we are having now and the seeming lack of concern or tangible effort made by the appropriate authority to curtail the attacks, make us to wonder if we are still part of this country.

    “That is why I will never accept any out of court settlement. Let the court decide and confirm his victory. I will appeal and if the Appeal Court still gives it to him, I will accept and leave for God. My life has been threatened and there has been nothing that has not been done.

    “There is nobody on this earth, including my mother, I cherish and respect so much that can prevail on me to step down for whatever consideration. I will never concede and even if lawyers refused to defend me, I will defend myself”.

     

  • Court upholds Omo-Agege’s election

    The Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State has upheld the candidacy of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who emerged through the primaries supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

    Justice Emeka Ewite struck out the suit by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, challenging the validity of the shadow poll that produced Omo-Agege for incompetency and lacking in merit.

    According to him, Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive, winners of the Delta Central Senatorial District and Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituencies elections, were necessary parties, who ought to have been joined to the suit.

    Justice Ewite noted that Emerhor failed to deny the counter-affidavit filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it did not monitor the primary election that purportedly produced him.

    He said: “Failure to deny the counter-affidavit is an admission which requires no further proof that INEC only monitored the primaries which produced Omo-Agege. INEC is to supervise or monitor primary elections and not conduct.”

    APC’s lawyer Lucky Ajokperiniovo described the verdict as a landmark for the party and candidates who emerged legitimately through the primaries.

    He said: “It is a landmark judgment, the court has again reaffirmed the position of the Supreme Court to say that persons who are not joined as parties to a suit are not bound by the judgment given by that court. The court struck out the suit filed by Emerhor for being incompetent and lacking in merit. The court says Omo-Agege’s election remains the valid and legitimate primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee.

    “The consent judgment is a judgment of court that is valid and binding on all persons until it is set aside. This judgment has given the party huge relief in determining who is the senatorial candidate in the Delta Central Senatorial election.”

    INEC’s lawyer Robert Emukpoeruo said the commission was neutral and impartial.

    “It is the statutory duty of INEC to monitor primary elections and report those who won and their scores. The report by INEC shows that Omo-Agege won the primaries conducted by the NWC,” he said.

    Emerhor’s lawyer Mr. G.C Igbokwe said: “We are happy with the judgment.”

  • Sokoto: APC warns Tambuwal, PDP against attacks on supporters

    Sequel to what it described as untoward act of aggression, repression and intimidation by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) hoodlums against its supporters in parts of the state, the Sokoto state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday challenged Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his party to clear the air if they are not the sponsors of the dastardly act.

    APC added; “Anything in the contrary will only go to further confirm that the government is fully behind these dastardly actions and aiding and abetting them.”

    APC further stressed that the PDP administration in Sokoto state owe the peace loving people of the state explanations as to the arbitrary physical assault on civil servants and replacements by PDP hoodlums.

    “Any silence would also confirm our apprehension and due concerns thus APC would be compelled to enforce the rights of its supporters.”

    Addressing an emergency press conference in Sokoto, the state Chairman of APC, Sadik Isah Achida who condemned and lamented over the sad development said the APC in the state remain perplexed and baffled on the nefarious acts meted on its teeming supporters and other electorates who love, cherish and respect the sound and noble ideals of the party.

    “We will not fold our arms and allow such flagrant and dastardly attacks, acts of aggression and intimidation. We will not, even for a second, hesitate in allowing our supporters to use any available means to lawfully defend themselves and enforce their fundamental human rights.

    “Nobody should flagrantly trample on these inalienable rights of our supporters”, Achida vowed.

    In the same vein he explained that the constitution has enshrined some undeniable and defendable rights to any law abiding, bonafide citizen of country. All Nigerians have equal rights and freedom of movement, right to live, right to practice one’s religion, meaningful socio- economic transactions, right to belong to any political party and array of other enforceable rights among others enjoyable by all Nigerians.

    The party chairman further pointed out that despite the PDP peace credentials that filled the airwaves , hoodlums keep parading themselves, caning and flogging people suspected and perceived to be APC supporters, claiming they were cleansing them for integration into the society.

    “It is apt and desirable for the PDP to either confirm its complicity in these atrocities or deny as well bring the obnoxious activities to a halt and take necessary steps to apprehend the perpetrators and charge them to court.”

    According to Achida who raised among other critical questions “is the PDP government in Sokoto aware or not that people is being exorbitantly and arbitrarily levied before they are allowed to conduct commercial activities in our markets in towns and villages across the state? also noted that the people of Sokoto state have equal rights to enjoy all services by the three tiers of government, right to choose any political party and they have entrusted their mandate to the APC gubernatorial candidate but a day light robbery by PDP Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal stole the golden mandate which we see as temporary as it would soon be retrieved,” Achida insisted.

    “We are strongly calling on the state government and PDP to urgently call the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to order and doing otherwise is an imminent invitation to anarchy, which would not do anybody any good. A stitch in time saves nine,” Achida cautioned.

  • What future for Delta APC?

    A Federal High Court in Asaba, the Delta State capital, has sacked the factional chairman of the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jones Erue. Senior correspondent OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE examines the implications of the judgment and the way forward for the party.

    A PALL of uncertainty hangs over the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC), in the aftermath of the sacking of its factional chair, Jones Erue, and his state executive committee by a Federal High Court in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Also sacked were the ward and local government executives of the party.

    The party has been struggling, amidst allegations of mismanagement of campaign funds, to come to terms with its humiliating defeat at the just-concluded governorship election. Coming at this point in time, the Justice Toyin Adegoke judgment has further exacerbated the deep divisions within the factions. Aside enflaming the leadership crisis and the struggle for control of party structure, the judgment have far-reaching implications.

    For instance, the re-election of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as well as the election of Francis Waive to the House of Representatives and three members to the Delta State House of Assembly may be in jeopardy, because they emerged as flag bearers from the primaries conducted by the sacked executive committee.

    Also affected were the nominations of Great Ogboru, the governorship candidate; immediate past governor and senatorial candidate for Delta South, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; Delta North senatorial candidate, Doris Uboh, among others.

    Justice Toyin Adegoke declared the plaintiff, Cyril Ogodo, as the authentic chairman of the party. In suit number FA/ASA/CS/76/2018, the plaintiffs had sought 13 reliefs among which are a declaration that the Ogodo-led executive committee is the authentic state executive.

    They also prayed the court to declare as null, void and of no effect any and every action purportedly taken, initiated or carried out by the fourth defendant, Jones Erue, as chairman of the APC (first defendant) by the second defendant (National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole) in Delta State, following his purported inauguration, swearing-in and recognition and/or appointment by the national chairman as chairman of APC in Delta State.

    The plaintiffs further prayed the court to declare the candidates that emerged from the primaries conducted by the Ogodo-led executive as the authentic list of candidates for the 2019 general elections.

    The court in the judgment, granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs. Counsel to the defendants, Dr. Okubor Nwachukwu, said the judgment will be tested at the Court of Appeal, expressing confidence that it will be upturned at the appellate court.

    But, in a swift reaction, Senator Omo-Agege dismissed the court judgment, saying it lacks the jurisdiction to adjudicate on a matter being addressed by another court of equal jurisdiction.

    Omo-Agege blasted the court judgment nullifying his nomination as the senatorial candidate of the APC, saying he was never a party to the suit and so remains the party’s validly nominated candidate.

    In a statement signed by his media aide, Godwin Anuaghe, the senator said the APC primaries which produced Omo-Agege and other APC candidates was a consent judgment which has not been set aside by any court of competent jurisdiction.

    The statement reads: “Today’s judgment by Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court in Asaba may give joy to the plaintiffs and their supporters, but it is of no effect and does not alter the status quo.

    “Senator Ovie Omo-Agege remains the senator-elect and Rev. Francis Waive remains the lawmaker-elect of the House of Representatives. First, the electoral college which elected Omo-Agege and Waive as APC candidates came into being by virtue of a consent judgment that has not been set aside. It is still a valid and subsisting judgment that has not been set aside by a superior court of competent jurisdiction. Therefore, their election into their respective positions remains valid.

    “Secondly, there is no consequential order made by Justice Toyin Adegoke for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Waive and re-issue same to those parading themselves as the valid candidates for the general elections. Neither was there any order made against Omo-Agege and Waive, as they are not parties to the suit and as such are not bound by the said judgment.

    “Thirdly, the court ,in its wisdom, held that the consent judgment is not binding on Cyril Ogodo and co. because they were not parties to that suit. It becomes trite that today’s judgment also cannot be binding on Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Waive, because they were not joined as parties to this suit. Further to this, the court, therefore, cannot make any declaratory orders against them.

    “Fourth, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, under the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC), is the only organ that is saddled with the responsibility of organising primaries to nominate and sponsor candidates for elections, and not one Mefor Progress, an individual, as Justice Toyin Adegoke wrongly held in her judgment.

    “It is imperative to state that the consent judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which validates the Jones Ode Erue-led exco, is a final judgment of court like any other judgment, it is valid until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

    “The Asaba Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to sit as an Appellate Court over a consent judgment delivered by a court of coordinate jurisdiction. Consequently, Prophet Jones Ode Erue and his executive remain the valid and authentic executives of Delta State APC.

    “The judgment delivered by Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court 1, Asaba, is therefore of no consequence.”

    But, the court declared that the APC chairman, Chief Cyril Ogodo, in an interview, chided Senator Omo-Agege for distorting facts, saying the consent judgment was adequately addressed by the court.

    His words: “What consent judgment?  Consent judgment with whom? You should have asked him the simple question, ‘with whom did he enter into a consent judgment?’ The issue of consent judgment was adequately addressed in the judgment. It is a nullity. That consent judgment died even before Adams Oshiomhole came to power. Omo-Agege is a lawyer and should know the truth. Apart from the 13 reliefs granted by the court, the court on its own granted eight other reliefs to the plaintiffs.”

  • Oshiomhole turning APC to regional minority party – Okorocha 

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday said   the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, is fast turning the party to regional minority party.

    If not checked, he said APC might have serious set back in the year 2023.

    Okorocha spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa in Abuja.

    On the mistake of 2015 and the emergence of new leadership for the National Assembly, Okorocha said:  “I have been watching carefully what is happening in the National Assembly, it’s a very interesting drama. But all I ask them is that they should consider the South East in their calculations.

    “This nation will not be properly balanced if South-east is not carried along properly in the affairs of the National Assembly. Nobody seems to be talking about the South-east, it looks like the South-east doesn’t have a place anymore, that is wrong, politically speaking and that is not good for APC.

    “Because there is going to be a bigger APC after President Muhammadu Buhari must have left the seat. My fear now is that APC might have a serious set back in 2023 because the Oshiomhole’s led executive is actually turning APC into a regional minority party which shouldn’t be because of his mistakes.

    “Right now in the whole South-east, we don’t have an APC governor. So if there is any discussion in Nigeria now within the APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari, there would be nobody from the South East.

    “This is what the APC Chairman has done in the South-east. I think it’s a capital attempt to frustrate the efforts of the South-east. But I appeal to every Nigerian to support the cause of the South-eEast.

    “They shouldn’t think about giving South East, whatever position for giving sake. You can’t just wake up and give them any position. South East is a key primary zone in this country and if we don’t get the number one seat, we should get the number two seat.” he said

    He also blamed Oshiomhole for his predicament.

    According to him, INEC has no right to withhold his certificate of return.

    Asked why his party is not making any case for his certificate of return, he said:  “I won’t be surprise because, of course, you know the imposition we suffered in the party. When you say the party, you talk about the leadership of that party. I don’t have problem with the Working Committee of that party, I only have problem with the chairman of that party as he took it upon himself to do the wrong thing against me for just no cause and to fight a battle that he can never win.

    “No, he is the one that is behind all these impositions, can you imagine, as I speak to you the APC candidate in Imo State did not win a seat, APC does not have a councilor in Imo State now, it does not even have a House Member.

    “But the AA party has eight seats in the Imo State House of Assembly, two Federal House and they have one senator about to come to the Senate. This is why internal democracy must be respected, let the will of the people prevail rather than this imposition.

    “It is unfortunate what has happened in Imo State. At least, I have been vindicated for the fact that I said the APC candidate they are imposing on Imo people is not popular, he came from the opposition. When I was the leader of that party, when I was running the affairs of that party, we won 24 seats in the House of Assembly, we have governor, federal house members but today APC does not have because of imposition.” he said

    On the true position regarding his certificate of return, he said “As it stands today, I am just waiting patiently for the release of my certificate of return for election that I duly won, and I am hoping that INEC will release my certificate of return.

    “I have not contravened any section of the constitution and I have not done anything wrong not to be given my certificate. I pray and hope INEC would do what is just and what is right.”

    Asked if he discussed the issue with the President, Okorocha said “I don’t think that would have been necessary to do because, it’s a straight forward matter. INEC conducted election, results were declared – the returning officer declared the results and I won. Only, one week later to hear that somebody wrote a petition that he issued that declaration under duress. I say where? Was it in his private house or was it in the collation Centre?

    “If it is the collation, SSS were there, police were there, international observers, INEC officials and many others. So who actually put him under duress?” he queried

    “The man has not been able to say that. Nobody has ever sent a statement about that. But I think INEC would want to do the right thing very very soon.

    “Now in the same way, the governorship candidate of PDP never won that election because the election flouted section 179 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which says that you must have the highest votes and you must have 25 percent in two third of the local governments.

    “Now, this gentleman who was declared the winner by the same INEC, had 135,000 votes from 24 local government but had over 130,000 votes from his three local governments. Of course you know, he didn’t win that election. But even at that, we had the highest mark, the Returning Officer of INEC was never patient to even calculate to know that it was 200,000 votes cancelled and there is supposed to be a rerun.

    “Also flouting that basic constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria which says you must have 25 percent in two-third, he doesn’t have it.

    He was confident that there would be rerun election in his state.

    “So, as far as I am concern, there will be a rerun in Imo State and the Prof that did that should either be de-robed as a professor and he should be charged for that serious offence of not respecting the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. What this means is that someday, one crazy person might just walk on the street and take one mad man, give him result sheet and declared him winner even if the man did not belong to a party.

    “And we are getting to a stage in this country that once you are declared, you are declared. This is the crazy thing that is happening in Imo State and also it happened in Okigwe zone where a loser ran away with the result sheet. The person came fifth, and is trying to return himself. Up till now as I speak to you the Okigwe senatorial seat has not been declared.

    Read also: No rift between Oshiomhole, Amaechi on Rivers, says APC

    “I don’t know what INEC is waiting for because the man who won the election they could not declare him. Now the person who ran with the result sheet, and the Prof ran away to the US, he is not back. So there is a stalemate everywhere, I think INEC should revisit Imo matter.” he stated

    He said that his relationship with the President is intact despite what has been happening in his state.

    “As a matter of fact, Buhari is a great man, he is a man of wisdom, a visionary leader. That is why you see some of us going along with him. It’s for what he has upstairs – he can see far, that is why he made that declaration in Imo State – ‘vote according to your conscience. It was in Imo state that he first use that word.   So my relationship with him is not affected in anyway.”

    On why he visited the President, he said “I came here precisely to discuss with Mr President to come and commission my projects. I have completed the construction of a new Cargo Airport Terminal, Warehouses and cargo sheds that is to be commissioned.

    “I have also completed a new police headquarters and also a new prison headquarters in Imo State. These are federal government projects built by Imo State government.

    “Another landmark project is the Justice Oputa Court – the new Imo State High Court Complex which we have built.

    “So, we have over a thousand verifiable projects to be commissioned. So I am requesting Mr President to kindly commission the federal ones and see how many of the state’s projects he could commission for me. This is precisely why I am here.” he said

  • Supreme Court to hear appeals on Rivers’ APC’s dispute April 4

    A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court has scheduled Thursday for hearing of the four appeals relating to the lingering intra-party dispute among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

    The four appeals, it was learnt, are in relation to some interlocutory decisions of the lower courts on the dispute which has polarised the party and affected the outcome of its primaries.

    The Justice Ibrahim Muhammad-led seven-man panel adjourned till April 4 after addressing some preliminary issues on the appeals yesterday.

    The first of the appeals was filed by Magnus Abe and some others, with APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed among the respondents.

    The court granted the motion by the APC, represented by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), for permission to merge the different respondents’ briefs, earlier filed by the second to the thirty-fifth respondents, into a single brief.

    It rejected a similar motion filed by the appellants’ lawyer, Henry Bello, for leave to amend the notice of appeal.

    The court noted that the motion was defective because Bello failed to attach the old notice of appeal to the motion, as required. It noted that the lawyer only attached his proposed amended notice of appeal.

    Read also: Rivers: INEC to resume collation of of March 9 elections results

    It adjourned hearing till April 4 before which the appellants are to, within 48 hours, file their reply to the respondents’ brief of argument.

    The other appeals include one by APC, with PDP listed among respondents; another one by APC, with Abe and others as respondents and one by Tonye Cole, with Abe and 48 others as respondents.

    The three appeals were adjourned till April 4 to allow the formal service of hearing notices and all other processes on INEC, which was not represented yesterday.