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  • Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa dumps PDP for APC

    Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa dumps PDP for APC

    A former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Matters and Social Events, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Dr. Dudafa, who also served as a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, announced his resignation in a letter dated October 16, 2025.

    It was addressed to the Chairman of the PDP, Southern Opokuma/Ayibabiri Ward 8, in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    In the letter titled “Letter of Resignation of Membership,” Dr. Dudafa said his decision to quit the PDP followed a period of deep reflection and consultation with his political associates, supporters, and family members.

    He attributed his exit to prolonged and unresolved internal disputes at the national level of the PDP, which, he said, had hindered the party’s progress and created a climate of division inconsistent with its founding principles.

    He wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effective immediately.

    “Throughout my time with the party, I have been deeply committed to our shared values and goals, and it has been an honour to work with so many dedicated individuals.

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    “However, the prolonged and unresolved disputes, particularly at the national level, have significantly impeded our ability to move forward and have created an environment of conflict that I believe is no longer conducive to advancing the shared values and objectives we hold dear.”

    Dr. Dudafa further stated that his decision to join the APC was driven by his desire to continue serving his people on a platform that, in his view, offers “renewed hope, unity, and a stronger foundation to address the challenges facing Bayelsa State.”

    He expressed gratitude to PDP members for their support over the years and wished the party well in overcoming its internal challenges.

    “While this decision is difficult, I remain committed to serving the best interests of our people, motivated by my dedication to their welfare and progress,” he added.

    Dr. Dudafa, regarded as a political protégé of former President Jonathan, urged his supporters to remain steadfast and committed to the ideals of good governance.

  • Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa dumps PDP for APC

    Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa dumps PDP for APC

    A former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Matters and Social Events, Dr. Waripamo-owei Dudafa, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressive Congress (APC).

     Dudafa, who was a member of the Bayelsa Assembly, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday. 

    In the letter of his resignation to the Chairman, PDP, Southern Opokuma/Ayibabiri Ward 8 in Kolokuma Opukuma Local Government Area, he said that his decision to quit the PDP followed a period of deep reflection and consultation with his political associates, supporters, and family members.

    “Throughout my time with the party, I have been deeply committed to our shared values and goals, and it has been an honour to work with so many dedicated individuals,” he noted.

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    He stated that the unresolved disputes, particularly at the national level, had significantly impeded their ability to move forward, rather it had created an environment of conflict that’s no longer conducive to advancing the shared values and objectives of the PDP.

    “In this regard, I wish to formally announce my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This decision was not taken lightly but after due consultation with my friends, political associates, and family members who have stood by me over the years,” he stated.

    Dudafa, who is a son figure to former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan revealed his switch to the APC and urged his supporters to remain steadfast.

    Political observers believe his resignation could signal realignments ahead of future political developments in Bayelsa and at the national level.

  • Alleged N1.6b fraud: I carried out Jonathan’s instructions, says Dudafa

    FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan’s ex-aide Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa yesterday urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to acquit him.

    He said he was innocent of the N1.6 billion fraud charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    According to him, he only carried out the former president’s instructions with regards to the money.

    Dudafa, led in evidence by his lawyer, Mr. Adegboyega Oyewole (SAN), said the N1.6 billion traced to him was not a proceed of crime.

    “The source of the money is known; the money was not mine; the money belongs to the Anglican Communion of Otuoke Community in Bayelsa State.

    “It was realised from the fundraiser organised by the church and the then President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who is a member and grand patron of the Anglican Church,” Dudafa said.

    Dudafa said a businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, pledged $10 million.

    He added that Jonathan instructed him to follow up with Eze to redeem his pledge.

    Dudafa said Eze made instalment payments, adding that the money was kept in the bank account of one Somprei Someibi, a friend of the Jonathans.

    “I was just carrying out the instructions of the former President. The funds were not mine.

    “I know as a fact that the source of the funds was lawful and the money paid into various accounts are not unlawful, except they (EFCC) are saying that the fundraiser was illegal.

    “I’m innocent; I want the charges to be dismissed and for the court to discharge and acquit me,” Dudafa said.

    Under cross-examination by the prosecuting counsel Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, Dudafa said he could not find on the bank account statement any cash transfer in favour of the Anglican Church in Otuoke from Someibi’s account.

    Oyedepo also led the ex-presidential aide to point out a May 6, 2015 N15 million payment made to one Florence Itekesi on Jonathan’s instructions.

    He admitted that the former President handed over to him the dollar equivalent of the money, with an instruction to give it to one Festus.

    He said Festus in turn was instructed to take the dollars to a Bureau De Change operator, who paid the naira equivalent into Florence’s account.

    “My instructions were to relay the message of the President. The President only gave dollars.

    “I was asked to give dollars to Festus and I did. The BDC paid Florence the naira value of the dollars,” Dudafa added.

    Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned till February 25 for adoption of final arguments.

     

  • EFCC to court: dismiss Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa’s no-case submission

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to order ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s former aide, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, to open his defence.

    The anti-graft agency prayed the court to dismiss the no-case submissions filed by Dudafa and his co-accused, Mr. Iwejuo Joseph Nna, a banker.

    EFCC arraigned them before Justice Mohammed Idris on 23-counts of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013.

    The prosecution closed its case on March 16, but the defendants opted to make a no-case submission.

    Moving the applications, defence counsel Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) (for Dudafa) and Ige Asemudara urged the court to discharge and acquit their clients as the evidence led by the prosecution did not indict them.

    “We urge your lordship to hold that no case has been made out against the first defendant to warrant his being asked to enter a defence,” Oyewole said.

    The SAN said the money Dudafa was accused of laundering was given to him by his bosses, adding that there was no evidence that the funds were stolen.

    “The first defendant has stated the source of the money. He was an aide. And there is nothing to show that the money came from a criminal source,” Oyewole said.

    Asemudara faulted the prosecution’s claim that the money was allegedly obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) based on an instruction letter by former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

    “Nothing was tendered showing that the money Dasuki requested left the CBN. There must be a debit note to show that the money left. In the absence of that, it cannot be said that there was a crime,” he said.

    Besides, Asemudara said his client, a bank branch manager in Yenegoa, the Bayelsa State capital, had no link with the companies in whose accounts the money was kept.

    “These monies were in the ordinary books of the bank and were not hidden under a pillow. If indeed there was concealment, it must be by the bank and not the branch manager who is an employee.

    “The accounts were accessible and so the issue of concealment could not have arisen. We urge your Lordship to discharge the second defendant on all the counts,” Asemudara said.

    But, prosecuting counsel Nnaemeka Omenwa argued that the prosecution, through its seven witnesses and exhibits tendered, made out a prima facie case against the defendants to require them to enter their defence.

    He said there was evidence that Dudafa asked Nna to raise drafts in respect of the monies, adding that it was Nna who signed on the companies’ accounts using fictitious names.

    “The evidence on record shows clearly that the first defendant was appointed by the Federal Government as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic/Household and Social Events between 2012 and 2015.

    “The evidence on record shows that in the course of this service, huge sums of money, which are not the first defendant’s salary and allowances, were traced to the accounts, which he procured the second defendant to open, maintain and operate in fictitious names.

    “The second defendant, who at the material time was the Branch Manager in Yenogoa branch of Heritage Bank, acceded to the request of the first defendant and agreed with him to conceal these funds in the accounts opened in the name of Seagate Property Development and Investment Ltd, Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd, Ebiwise Resources, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Rotato Interlink Services Ltd and De Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant Nigeria Ltd.”

    EFCC said the evidence on record established a prima facie case that the funds were received in foreign currencies from Dudafa by Murtala Bashir Abubakar through the state house staff and that Abubakar thereafter converted the currencies to naira and credited the accounts nominated by Dudafa “in grand conspiracy with the second defendant.”

    “We, therefore, urge my lord to hold that the prosecution has made out a case of conspiracy against the defendants as alleged in counts 1,” EFCC said.

    Justice Idris adjourned till July 6 for ruling on the no-case submission.

     

     

  • I didn’t know suitcases Jonathan’s ADC gave me contained cash – Dudafa

    A former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, said on Tuesday he was not aware that over five suitcases given to him by former President Jonathan’s Aide De Camp, Onne Adegbe, contained cash.

    Dudafa denied that the suitcases were 10 in number, but admitted they were more than five.

    He was testifying during hearing in former First Lady, Patience Jonathan’s suit before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Mrs. Jonathan was seeking to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5million.

    Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, asked Dudafa during further cross examination to confirm that Adegbe handed some bags from the President to him.

    Dudafa said: “It is part of my duties to receive gifts on behalf of the former President and his wife.”

    When Oyedepo told him that the suitcases were 10, the witness said: “They were not 10. I think they were about five.”

    Responding to a question, Dudafa said: “The bags were heavy, but I don’t know the contents.”

    When it was suggested to him that the bags contained money, he said: “Nobody told me it was money.”

    On how he came about the bags, he said: “The President called me and said the ADC would bring bags, and that I should keep them in his study downstairs. When the President returned, I handed the key to him.”

    Dudafa said he received “several of such bags” on the President’s behalf.

    Oyedepo asked: “Will it surprise you to know that there was money in the bags?”

    Dudafa responded: “I don’t know what were in the bags. The President is still alive. He can explain.”

    Dudafa had earlier testified that Mrs. Jonathan maintained personal accounts in various financial institutions, and that she had such accounts before becoming First Lady.

    He admitted instructing stewards in the State House to pay dollars into Mrs. Jonathan’s accounts.

    Asked who gave the money to the stewards, he said: “Sometimes other presidential domestic aides hand over the money. At other times I relay such instructions as given.”

    Mrs. Jonathan sued the EFCC, Skye Bank Plc and three companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd.

    She is praying for an order restraining the defendants from tampering with her funds in the companies’ accounts domiciled in Skye Bank.

     

     

  • Dudafa: I didn’t know Patience Jonathan was perm sec

    A FORMER Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, yesterday said he was not aware that former First Lady Dame Patience was a one-time permanent secretary in Bayelsa State.

    He was testifying during hearing in Mrs. Jonathan’s suit before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5million.

    Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo asked Dudafa during cross-examination to confirm that Mrs. Jonathan was appointed as a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State on June 22, 2012.

    The witness said: “The appointment was not within my purview; so I don’t know anything about that.”

    Asked if he was aware that Mrs. Jonathan’s appointment was confirmed on July 23, 2012, Dudada said: “I don’t know.”

    EFCC then showed Dudafa Mrs. Jonathan’s letters of appointment and confirmation, and asked him to identify them.

    The witness said: “I have not gone through the documents as I had no prior knowledge of them. But on the surface, they’re addressed to Mrs. Jonathan.”

    Oyedepo and Dudafa engaged in a long game of hide and seek when the EFCC counsel asked if the witness deposed to his affidavit “on behalf of the plaintiff”.

    The witness said: “I deposed to my affidavit as a witness.”

    Oyedepo repeated the same questions for over five times and the witness kept giving the same responses.

    At a point, Dudafa said: “I have answered the question. I will not be cajoled. I don’t know if my statement was on behalf of anybody.”

    The EFCC lawyer urged Justice Idris to warn the witness to mind his language as he could not claim to be “cajoled” under cross-examination.

    After Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) apologised on Dudafa’s behalf, the witness was shown a written statement on oath in which he stated that he deposed it on the plaintiff’s behalf.

    Oyedepo asked the witness again: “You’re here again on behalf of the plaintiff.”

    Dudafa responded: “I am here as a witness of the plaintiff. The plaintiff invited me here as a witness.”

    Defence counsel Chief Adedipe, Chief Mike Ozekhome and Ige Asemudara had earlier raised objections on whether Oyedepo could ask Dudafa to identify the letters since he had stated that he did not know about Mrs. Jonathan’s appointment.

    Ozekhome, who represents two companies sued by Mrs. Jonathan, said even though his clients were defendants just like EFCC, “our interests are like heaven and earth”.

    He added that Oyedepo “was not just surrounded by sharks, but by crocodiles”.

    Asemudara said being co-defendants does not mean they could not align with the plaintiff.

    Oyedepo said the letters were public documents and could be tendered through any witness or even from the Bar.

    Justice Idris held that the witness could be cross-examined on the letters.

    The judge cut short the hearing after announcing that he was summoned to a meeting by the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO) set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    Further hearing continues today.

  • Dudafa: Ex-EFCC chair advised Jonathan’s wife on funds

    Dudafa: Ex-EFCC chair advised Jonathan’s wife on funds

    A former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman Ibrahim Lamorde advised former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan on where to save her money, according to former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.

    Dudafa stated this in a statement on oath he filed before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos in a suit by Mrs Jonathan seeking to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5million.

    Dudafa said the multi-million dollars and other currencies belonging to Mrs Jonathan were cash gifts, inheritance and funds she holds in trust for others.

    The former aide said his duties as Special Assistant on Domestic Matters to the former President meant he was in charge of household affairs, social events involving the First Family, as well as “meeting the domestic needs of the former president and his wife”.

    By virtue of his position, he said he had daily interactions with Mrs Jonathan.

    “It was during one of those interactions with the plaintiff that she informed me of the funds belonging to her, which said funds consisted of her personal inheritance and monies which she held in trust for her siblings, as well as gifts from friends and well-wishers over the years,” Dudafa said.

    According to the deponent, on several occasions, visitors to the State House brought cash gifts to Mrs Jonathan, and that such gifts were “a continuous and regular feature at the State House during the period I served”.

    He said the gifts were brought during social events and holidays such as wedding anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, Salah and Easter celebrations; launching of non-governmental organisations, among others.

    “Several dignitaries from all over the country used to visit the State House and make cash donations and gifts to the then first Lady,” he said.

    Dudafa told the court that during the burial of Mrs Jonathan’s mother, Charity Oba, “several individuals, corporate bodies, well-wishers across the country brought so much gifts to the Plaintiff both in cash and materials that are quite substantial.”

    He said in a bid to safeguard the funds, Mrs Jonathan sought Lamorde’s advice on the best way to save the monies without violating the Money Laundering Act.

    “Consequently, I was then invited to a meeting between myself, the then chairman of the EFCC Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde and the plaintiff at the Presidential villa, where Mr Lamorde advised and recommended that personal and corporate accounts be opened for the purpose of safeguarding the plaintiff’s money to enable her foot her medical bills and other sundry personal needs whenever she travels abroad.

    “Sequel to the advice given to the plaintiff by Ibrahim Lamorde, the plaintiff instructed me to coordinate the opening of the accounts for herself and her family members.

    “In carrying out the said plaintiff’s instructions, I contacted one Sompre Omeibi, a reputable business man from the private sector to assist in safe guarding the funds.

    “Sequel to the directives of Sompre Omiebi, the officials of Skye Bank brought to the plaintiff in my presence five Automated Teller Machine cards (ATM) for her use.

    “I got in touch with Sompre Omeibi and the bank and requested that the names on the mandates should be changed to make the Plaintiff the sole signatory.

    “Consequently, Mr. Oladipo Oshodi, an official of the bank, got in touch with the plaintiff, pleaded with her to use the cards whilst he would make necessary arrangements to effect the changes as soon as possible.

    “I know as a fact that the bank and Dipo Oshodi are fully aware that the sums of money in the said accounts belong solely to the plaintiff.

    “I know as a fact that the plaintiff is the owner of the funds contained in the bank accounts of the third, fourth and fifth defendants (companies), notwithstanding the facts that the accounts bear their names,” Dudafa said.

    Four companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development And Investment Co. Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Co. Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd – through their representatives, had on September 15, 2016 pleaded guilty to laundering the $15.591million when they were arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.

    EFCC is contending that the money is “proceed of crime” and should be forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The commission, in its defence to Mrs Jonathan suit, said the former First Lady could not have genuinely earned the $15.5million as “she does not run any business from which she could have earned such huge sums”.

    EFCC said its investigations show that the money was allegedly stolen from the Federal Government and its agencies, and that it does not belong to the former First Lady.

    “There is no way the plaintiff (Mrs Jonathan) could have genuinely earned the monies. She is the wife of the former president, a civil servant and a retired Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State. She does not run any profit and interest yielding business venture to generate such money.

    “Investigation conducted by the first defendant (EFCC) revealed that the plaintiff is not the owner of the funds in the accounts of the third to fifth defendants (companies), which funds were discovered to be proceeds of fraudulent activities of Dudafa,” EFCC said.

    Justice Idris adjourned until March 26 for continuation of hearing.

  • Dudafa: I was tormented by EFCC to implicate Jonathan

    Dudafa: I was tormented by EFCC to implicate Jonathan

    A former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Gooluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, yesterday said he was “tormented” by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to get him to implicate the former President.
    Dudafa said he developed a spinal cord ailment while in detention at EFCC, adding that he was denied adequate medical treatment.
    The former presidential aide said all statements he wrote were dictated to him and that he was induced to sign in exchange for his freedom.
    Dudafa was testifying in a trial-within-trial, which began at the Federal High Court in Lagos after he claimed statements he made at EFCC were not voluntary.
    EFCC arraigned him and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) before Justice Mohammed Idris on 23-counts of conspiracy and concealment of crime proceeds.
    They were accused of conspiring to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013. They pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
    Dudafa said he was arrested last April 17 on a Sunday and kept in detention till Monday evening without anybody explaining why he was arrested.
    He said he was kept in detention until April 27 before he was taken to EFCC’s office on Awolowo Road for interrogation, where he made four statements, including an asset declaration form, which he described as a “sham”.
    Dudafa said he was denied access to his mobile phone from April 27, and his family was stopped from bringing food to him.
    “April 27 till May 12 was so tormenting for me. Sometimes, I was taken out from the detention centre and kept in EFCC office from 8am to 8pm, sometimes till 11pm.
    “The ailment I have today is a spinal cord dislocation. It was within that period of torture and agony that my spinal cord got dislocated due to sitting down from morning till night,” he said.
    The defendant claimed EFCC denied him access to his lawyers, saying: “I made a request, in fact my lawyers were driven away.”
    Dudafa said he was invited to a meeting in which all parties in the case were involved. Everyone else had a lawyer, except him, he claimed.
    He said EFCC nominated a lawyer he did not know to represent him. “That was the only statement that was endorsed by a lawyer – a lawyer that was not known to me,” he said.
    According to him, EFCC officials gave him paracetamol and aspirin and only allowed him to see an in-house doctor when his situation worsened.
    The EFCC doctor, he said, referred him to a military hospital where tests showed he had a spinal cord injury and needed to see a specialist.
    “I was not taken to any specialist. My family even offered to bring an orthopedic physician to attend to me, but they refused. While in the cell, I was isolated. They wanted me to say a lot of things.
    “They asked me questions about Goodluck Jonathan. In my statements at the time, I stated that every function I discharged was official because I acted based on instruction.
    “I was dehumanised to the extent that I got scared of people walking past me,” he said.
    Dudafa accused EFCC investigators of trying to breaking him so he could do their bidding.
    He said an investigator, Orji Chukwumau, once asked him: “So, you’re still strong?”
    The former presidential aide said EFCC even extended the ill-treatment to his family, freezing his wife’s and children’s schools savings accounts “in a bid to frustrate and break me down”.
    He said on May 20, Chukwuma took him to the Head of Operations in Lagos, Iliasu Kwabai, who told him that the Federal Government was only interested in recovering stolen money because there was not enough money to fund the budget.
    “They told me they only wanted to recover money and that they needed my cooperation. My response was ‘no’ though my freedom was paramount to me. Iliasu said I should return money for my freedom.
    “The Director of Operation threatened me, saying I would remain in detention forever unless I cooperated. He told me that my freedom was dependent upon the release of the money. My wife and children could not feed. Everything became a yardstick for my freedom. I had no objection to what he was saying.
    “Until May 20, my statements were largely dictated to me. My health condition was deteriorating. On May 30, my family raised an alarm telling the world that EFCC refused to treat me,” Dudafa said.
    According to him, EFCC eventually seized an unspecified amount of money from him, yet did not release him as promised.
    “On June 1, they went to the bank and the money was released to them, still they refused to let me go. They asked me to bring sureties, and they arrested up to 40 members of my family and friends. For fear of being arrested, all my friends and family deserted me,” Dudafa said.
    The defendant said EFCC officials again told him he was about to be released and asked him to attest to all the statements he purportedly made. He said when he realised that he did not make the statements voluntarily, he raised objections.
    He said a video that was shown in court of where he attested to the statements was doctored.
    According to him, all the points in the video, where he raised objections, were deliberately blurred or made blank.
    “I was saying: Let it be clear that the statement was largely dictated. These statements were teleguided by EFCC and dictated. I was less than a human being while at EFCC. I couldn’t even spell my name at some point. I was not physically threatened, but I was mentally threatened,” Dudafa said.
    During cross-examination by EFCC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, Dudafa admitted that he was cautioned before making the statements. He said he was also never forced to admit to committing any crime in the statements.
    But he insisted he was asked to sign the statements, saying: “Most of the signatures were done the day I was released.”
    Earlier in the trial-within-trial, Chukwuma and an operative Akeem Lasisi, testified that Dudafa made his statement voluntarily.
    The duo said they cautioned the suspect before he made his statements, adding that he was not forced to write anything against his will.
    EFCC accused the defendants of concealing the N1.6 billion through a company, Seagate Property Development and Investment Ltd, an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).
    They were also accused of knowingly concealing proceeds of crime through Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd in the sum of N399, 470,000.00, among others.
    The trial-within-trial continues today.

  • Dudafa: expulsion act of governor’s impunity

    Two of those expelled by the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd.) and Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa, have faulted their expulsion.

    Inokaba was the party’s State Chairman. Dudafa is the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic and Social Events.

    Both were expelled for alleged anti-party activities.

    But they accused Governor Seriake Dickson of impunity and illegality.

    Inokoba said the crisis in Bayelsa PDP was set off by the governor to send potential aspirants out, to enable him emerge the sole candidate ahead of next year’s governorship poll.

    Inokoba said after his purported suspension, Dickson went to the Federal High Court in Abuja to enforce the decision without serving him the court notice.

    The suspended chairman said he went to court to stop the governor’s alleged impunity, adding that the court gave an order stopping the activities of the disciplinary committee.

    But he noted that the governor, despite being awareness of the order, still directed the committee to prepare its report.

    Declaring himself the authentic PDP chairman, Inokoba said he was the only person qualified to set up committees and convene meetings.

    The suspended chairman alerted to the alleged threat to his life.

    He said some thugs scaled the fence to his compound and trailed him about.

    Inokoba said: “I am calling on the world to know that as the truly elected chairman of PDP in the state, I am the only one that can summon any meeting of the executive committee or set up any disciplinary committee, as the governor and the committees being set up under him are trying to do.

    “The disciplinary committee set up by the state working committee and its leader is illegal, null and void. The state working committee and the disciplinary committee should, with immediate effect, suspend the so-called disciplinary exercise because there is an interlocutory injunction in the High Court of Bayelsa State on the matter.

    “I am the chairman of the party and the only authentic person that can summon an executive committee meeting based on the party’s constitution.”

    Dudafa said his expulsion would not stand.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the President’s aide blamed Dickson for his expulsion.

    He vowed to stop the governor’s re-election bid in 2016.

    Dudafa noted that Dickson had brought the party to its lowest level.

    He said: “I have just been informed of a Government House, Yenagoa statement announcing my expulsion from the PDP along with eight others, for alleged anti-party activities.

    “Ordinarily, I would have ignored it, just as I have been ignoring such unwarranted provocations in the past. But I have realised that my continuous silence seems to embolden Governor Dickson to further acts of impunity.

    “It is no secret that Dickson has brought the PDP to its lowest ebb in the history of democracy in Bayelsa State due to his bad governance, corruption, poor human relations, acts of impunity, injustice and nepotism.

    “He is acting like he has conquered the people of Bayelsa and has turned the state to a private estate belonging to him and his family members alone, as the only thing he does is to buy up all available land and build houses all over Yenagoa.”

  • First Lady’s men dump Dudafa

    The camp of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has dumped its initial plan to replace Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson with the Presidential Assistant on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafa.

    The camp is said to have agreed to work for the emergence of the suspended chairman of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Sam Inokoba, as the party’s candidate for the 2016 governorship election.

    The decision, it was learnt yesterday, was taken at a  meeting  in Yenagoa on Sunday.

    It was gathered that the meeting, which was held at the residence of a key political figure in Yenagoa, was attended by two serving senators and three serving members of the House of Representatives.

    A source said the camp decided to replace Dudafa with Inokoba because he was  considered too young and inexperienced to manage such a sensitive office.

    The source said: “It is generally believed that the next zone to produce governor is Bayelsa Central. The west and east have produced governors. It remains the central part.

    “Inokoba is being rewarded for his role as a mole in Dickson’s government by leaking sensitive information to the camp of the First Lady.

    “All the while, Inokoba too had secretly nursed the ambition to become governor but was bidding his time.”

    until he saw an opportunity to work with the camp of the First Lady.

    “Following the choice of Inokoba, plans are underway to launch a series of political onslaught against Dickson immediately after the President’s election”, he said.

    According to him one of such plans is to hijack the party machinery and to make attempts to financially induce the executive members of the party.

    He said executive members who failed to comply would stand the risk of being framed for murder and corruption.

    “Inokoba was deadly in his approach to drive a wedge in the cosy relationship existing between the President and the governor. He was always frequenting the villa to inundate first family with tales about Dickson and his government” the source said.