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Tag: Dafinone

  • Dafinone rejects Tribunal verdict, says no cause for alarm

    Dafinone rejects Tribunal verdict, says no cause for alarm

    Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) has rejected the judgment of the National Assembly Petition Tribunal sitting at Asaba nullifying his election.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, while reacting to the verdict of the tribunal, said that while he respects the ruling of the tribunal, he has directed his legal team to appeal the tribunal judgment.

     The tribunal led by Justice W. I. Kpochi, while delivering its judgment in a petition marked EPT/DT/Sen/2023 filed by the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ighoyota Amori, dismissed some of his prayers for lack of merit.

    The tribunal, however, nullified the return made by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC  25th February 2023 and ordered a supplementary election within 90 days in only 23 polling units, out of the 2,180 units in the district.

    Tribunal also held that the prayer of Amori seeking the relief of the tribunal to declare  the victory of Senator Ede Dafinone as null, void and of no consequence, as well as, alternative prayer that he should be declared the winner of the senatorial election could not stand or be granted for lack of merit.

    Read Also: Dafinone commiserates with Seplat over oil rig mishap

    The affected polling units where the Tribunal declared rerun are in Sapele, Okpe, Udu and Ughelli North LGAs.

    Dafinone in a statement said: “The National Assembly Petition Tribunal sitting at Asaba today nullified my return as the winner of the Delta Central Senatorial Election of 25 February 2023 and ordered a supplementary election within 90 days in only 23 polling units, out of the 2,180 units in the district.

    “While I respect the ruling of the tribunal, I do not accept its decision. I have therefore directed my legal team to appeal the judgement immediately. 

    “Like we promised during our campaign to defend our votes, we shall fulfill our promise by defending the mandate which the people of Delta Central freely gave to us. 

    “It is instructive to note that despite the cancellation of the affected units, we are still having an insurmountable lead over our closet opponent.

    “As a consequence, we are not perturbed by today’s momentary setback which we shall surely overcome.

    “We, therefore, urge our party faithful, supporters, and the great people of Delta Central to remain calm and steadfast, because this also shall end in Praise!”

  • President, Okowa, Ibori mourn Dafinone, Okogwu

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and ex-Governor James Ibori have sent condolences to the family of the late Senator David Dafinone, a Second Republic legislator, who represented Bendel South in former Bendel State.

    Buhari, Okowa and Ibori also joined the business community in mourning the passing of renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ojise of Asaba, Chief Sunny Okogwu.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, commiserated with the government and people of Delta State, Dafinone’s business associates and friends.

    He assured them the senator, who was a renowned chartered accountant, lived a life of service to God and the nation.

    He hailed the senator’s disposition to serve the Federal Government whenever he was called upon, while always promoting democratic values and culture among his people.

    Buhari prayed that the almighty God would receive the soul of the departed and comfort his family.

    The President sent condolences to family and friends of Ojise of Asaba, whose love and care for the poor and downtrodden remains historical, especially in Kaduna, where he spent most of his life.

    In a separate statement, the President also recommended to other Nigerians the detribalised and cosmopolitan outlook of Okogwu, who, he said, developed strong and meaningful relationships outside his roots, and graciously invested in the transformation of many lives.

    Buhari believed Okogwu’s business acumen also reflected in his large-heartedness as he contributed generously to communities’ growth across the country.

    The President prayed that the chief would find eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord.

    He urged his family to carry on with the legacies of the iconic businessman.

    Okowa commiserated with the Asagba-In-Council and the people of Asaba over the demise of Okogwu.

    The governor’s condolence was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Aniagwu yesterday in Asaba.

    He said the deceased spent his entire life in the service of humanity, especially by helping the underprivileged in his native Asaba and Sabon-Gaya Community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.

    Okowa said the life and times of the industrialist and philanthropist deserve to be documented for posterity.

    Ibori expressed sadness over the departure of Okogwu and Dafinone.

    The for governor, in separate statements issued by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, described the two men as exceptional, leaving indelible legacies in the lives of Delta State and its various peoples.

    He said: “Chief Okogwu was indeed one of my sureties and he offered his Ship House as a bond to meet my bail conditions. His fragrant memory will always linger in my mind. May God grant him eternal rest.”

  • Ibori mourns Okogwu, Dafinone

    EX-Delta State Governor James Ibori has expressed sadness at the death of Chief Sunny Okogwu, and Senator David Dafinone.

    Ibori, in statements by his media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, described the two men as exceptional.

    Describing Okogwu, Ibori said:  “Though Okogwu was every inch a Delta State indigene, and was particularly proud of his Asaba root and the town’s title of Ojisi, which he held, he at the same time felt very much at home in the pre-eminent northern city of Kaduna. His remarkably picturesque house, the “Ship House” is a tourist masterpiece.

    “Indeed, Chief Okogwu was a political reference point in Kaduna for decades. He achieved this status well-before his brother-in-law, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd) became the president and remained so for the decades after IBB had left office.

    “Okogwu remained very colourful until his death. His press interviews and political statements were always as fiery as they were difficult to decipher. He once said he needed to be first decoded in order to be understood.

    ‘’What was not in doubt was his business acumen; he built his business empire in an area that many Nigerian businessmen and women would rather leave well alone; aviation. He had the dream of training pilots locally and manufacturing aircraft parts.

    “Chief Okogwu, all through his life, always threw his doors open to people from the Midwest Region, Bendel and later Delta states. I experienced his remarkable generosity during my brief stay in Kaduna prison. Chief Okogwu was indeed one of my sureties and he offered his Ship House as a bond to meet my bail conditions. His fragrant memory will always linger in my mind. May God grant him eternal rest”, he said.

    Speaking about Senator Dafinone, Ibori noted that he rendered a remarkable service to Delta and Nigeria, describing him as a “Jack of many trades.

    “Though David Dafinone was globally known as a chartered accountant, one of the few ones who made it into the Guinness Book of Records – his family has the largest number of accountants in the world, he actually studied economics.

    ‘’He combined this with part-time professional accountancy examinations as he progressed through the university. As he graduated with a degree in economics, he was also acquiring his professional certificate in Accountancy at the same time.

  • Buhari mourns late Sen. Dafinone, Chief Sunny Okogwu

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday condoled with the families of a Second Republic legislator, late Sen. David Dafinone and a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ojise of Asaba, late Chief Sunny Okogwu, on their death.

    Buhari, also commiserated with the government and people of Delta, as well as business associates and friends of the deceased.

    According to him, the late senator, who represented Bendel South in the defunct Bendel State, was a renowned chartered accountant, who lived a life of service to God and the nation.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday, the president commended the late senator’s disposition to serve the Federal Government whenever he was called upon, while always promoting democratic values and culture among his people.

    Read Also: NBA to politicians: Don’t pollute judiciary with do-or-die politics

    Also, Buhari joined the business community in mourning the passing of Okogwu, a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Okogwu, the Ojise of Asaba.

    He condoled with the family and friends of Ojise of Asaba, whose love and care for the poor and downtrodden remained historical, especially in Kaduna, where he spent most of his life.

    The president recommended to other Nigerians, the “detribalised and cosmopolitan outlook of Okogwu”, who developed strong and meaningful relationships outside his roots, and graciously invested in the transformation of many lives.

    Buhari said he believed Okogwu’s business acumen also reflected in his large-heartedness as he contributed generously to the development of communities across the country.

    He urged his family to carry on with the legacies of the iconic businessman.

    The president prayed that Okogwu and Dafinone would find eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord.

  • Dafinone challenges Aguaravwodo’s victory

    Dafinone challenges Aguaravwodo’s victory

    Delta Central Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) senatorial candaidate Chief Ede Dafinone has vowed to contest the outcome of the recent poll at the Election Petition Tribunal.

    In a statement in Sapele, the politician described the April 12 bye- election as a political evil perpetrated against Urhobo, the acclaimed fifth largest ethnic group in the country.

    “There is little recognition of Urhobo at the federal and state levels, in terms of appointments and positions. Similarly, the interference in the last election, where the candidate foisted on the PDP in Delta State was again foisted on the people of Delta Central, is unacceptable”, he said”.

    Dafinone rejected the results, saying that the poll was not free and fair. He alleged that the PDP disrupted the election by promoting violence. The DPP candidate also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of overturning the rule of fairness and allocating victory to the PDP.

    “We reject this outright robbery of the people’s will. We condemn this grievous injustice, this unconscionable mockery of all that is decent, of all that is fair and just. The army and INEC, both Federal Government institutions, worked with the PDP’s candidate to ensure his victory. The PDP used the army to unleash terror on the people of Delta Central. For hours, gun shots rent the air and the people were clobbered. Also, the announced result shows PDP in first place. As if that is not bad enough, the result shows the All Progressives Congress (APC) in second place with the DPP, the Populist Party, in the third place. All that combines to make the whole result laughable” he said.

    Dafinone said the party’s legal team had been told to head to the poll tribunal.

    “As law abiding citizens, we intend to explore all legal means to nsure this sham of an election is cancelled. We shall be proceeding to the election petition tribunal to present our case” he added.

  • Why I’m going to Tribunal — Dafinone

    The DPP senatorial candidate for Delta Central, Chief Ede Dafinone has explained why he wants to approach the Election Tribunal to contest the victory of Mr. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the by-election  for Delta Central Senatorial District.

    The DPP in Delta State last Thursday announced its decision to contest the outcome of the poll at the Election Petition Tribunal.

    Offering insight into his party’s resolve to challenge the outcome of the election, the DPP senatorial candidate described the April 12 bye- election as political denial perpetrated against the Urhobo people.

    “In spite of being the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, there is little recognition of Urhobo at the federal and state levels in terms of appointments and positions.

    Similarly, the interference in the last election, where the candidate foisted on the PDP in Delta State is again foisted and this time forcefully on the people of Delta Central”.

    The DPP candidate who is not pleased with the result of the election where PDP was declared winner flayed the exercise which he alleged was not free and fair and was enmeshed in violence and intimidation of voters.

    He condemned the reckless desperation, the sheer treachery and lawlessness of leaders of the PDP in the state. He also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of overturning the rule of fairness and allocating victory to the PDP.

    “We reject this outright robbery of the people’s will. We condemn this grievous injustice, this unconscionable mockery of all that is decent, of all that is fair and just.

    The army and INEC, both Federal Government institutions worked with the PDP’s candidate to ensure his victory. The PDP used the army to unleash terror on the people of Delta Central. For hours, gun shots rent the air and the people were clobbered.

    Also, the announced result shows PDP in first place. As if that is not bad enough, the result shows All Progressives Congress (APC) in second place with DPP, the populist party in the third place. All that combine to make the whole result laughable,” Dafinone said.

    He added that the party’s legal team is preparing to head to the poll tribunal.

    “As law abiding citizens, we intend to explore all legal means to ensure this sham of an election is cancelled. We shall be proceeding to the election petition tribunal to present our case,” he emphasised.

  • Delta leaders hail Dafinone at 86

    Delta leaders hail Dafinone at 86

    Delta State leaders have praised the leadership qualities Senator David Dafinone, who recently clocked 86, describing him as “the most distinguished Deltan alive today”.

    They said that the renowned accountant and astute politician has served his state, country and humanity as an administrator and politician.

    Thehe Chairman of Delta Politicians, Businessmen and Professional Forum, Mr. Abel Minna, noted that Dafinone has erected legacies that cannot be destroyed, urging the younger elements to emulate him.

    He added:“ His contributions to the development of the Northern Nigeria, defunct Bendel State and the Urhobo nation are impossible to estimate. The home of the renowned accountant and politician for years was a fountain of quality advice, inspiration, encouragement, hope and material support to community leaders, politicians, professionals and businessmen”.