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Tag: emerged

  • CAF: Ahmad Ahmad has emerged!

    It has been clinking of glasses and celebration galore for those of us who wished and wanted the Madagascar FA Chairman to win the CAF presidential election days back (although I am an AIPS member, I do not have voting rights in CAF).

    I was just going through the facts and it’s clear that after Late Chief Orok Oyo Orok, Vice President of CAF under Issa Hayatou, no Nigerian has ever again climbed the ranks in CAF in Hayatou’s near 30 year rule.

    Yes Amos Adamu was next as exco member, but that without high position. Plus it was Chief Orok Oyo who helped get him into the CAF committee in the first place. Many years after Adamu’s unceremonious exit, no Nigerian has replaced his seat.

    And this is under the Cameroonian Papa whose claim was that Cameroun had been a long-standing ally of Nigeria and even helped in the Boko Haram war. Laughable! First of all, that has no bearing WHATSOEVER with African football; it is also annoyingly untrue.

    Look at it today  Cameroun is now out and Nigeria has now stepped into CAF’s board. I must say that when the tsunami that hit FIFA and swept even Sepp Blatter out, I had thought then that Hayatou was a goner. Given his financial impropriety over the years, I am still surprised at how he escaped. Issa Hayatou had 29 years to take African football to whatever heights anyone could have. Rather, in that time African football which was on a rise went into free fall from a golden age. The emergence of an Asian bloc in football, as well as other emergent football blocs could not galvanize Hayatou into action. Even until America of all nations has reached global football reckoning, he continued to watch Africa’s fall.

    For Hayatou it was all about sitting pretty and sitting tight. Well, Cameroun has a president that has changed that country’s constitution and has become a noted African sit-tight ruler; it’s his blueprint that Hayatou must have been following and nothing else.

    But with this election, Light Has Come To African Football. THE EMERGENCE OF AHMAD MARKS THE END OF CORRUPTION AND STAGNATION IN AFRICAN FOOTBALL!

    Hear Ahmad’s first words (paraphrased): ‘The first step is  we won. The second step is the Development of African Football.’ Ahmad’s tenure is for just four years in the first instance. He has promised to

    1. introduce a code of ethics in African football administration
    2. to develop and revitalize African Football.

    It’s a thing of joy and the dawn of a new day. We all can now lift our heads high rejoicing in the victory of an election that has instantly brought about Nigeria’s elevation. For this we say Ahmad Ahmad  may your tenure be most successful (and I’m off to Madagascar for the celebration!).

     

  • How Emiko emerged as Olu-designate

    How Emiko emerged as Olu-designate

    The process leading to the selection of 60-year-old Prince Godfrey Ikenwoli Emiko, as the Olu of Warri designate yesterday followed a careful line of programme laid out in accordance with a declaration made under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979.

    The declaration, signed by D. P. Lawani, (O.O.N), Secretary to the Military Government of the then Bendel State, is the customary law regulating succession to the title of Olu of Warri.

    The document, a copy of which was obtained by Our Reporter, specified that there is “only one Ruling House in Warri”, and it is known as Ginuwa I.

    The gazette further stated: “Succession is limited to Olu’s Company (Otolu’s) i.e., the descendants of the last three Olus. The descendants of the other Olus who had previously reigned are known and referred to as Omajaja Company.

    “Ordinarily, succession  passes to a son of a demised Olu, failing which to a suitable member of the Otolu’s, provided that brothers are preferred to uncles, and uncles are preferred to grandsons and grandsons are preferred to other relatives within the Otolus. Females are absolutely barred.

    “The Ologbotsere summons a meeting of the members of the Ruling House to the Palace (Aghofen) specifically to choose a successor. The meeting is presided over by the oldest man in the Ruling House, failing which by the ‘Olare-Ebi’ or ‘Olore Ebi’. All the sons of the demised Olu and members of the Ruling House below the age of eighteen are excluded from the meeting.

    “To qualify, a candidate’s mother must be an Itsekiri or of Edo origin and his father must be Itsekiri.

    “The oldest man of the Ruling House presents a candidate selected to the Ologbotsere, the Iyesere, the Uwangue, the Ojomo, the Oshodi and a maximum of two other Ojoyes (titled noblemen) whose presence in the opinion of the Ologbotsere is essential.

    “At this stage, Ifa Oracles are consulted. The oracle must agree on a choice failing which the selection process is repeated until a candidate acceptable to the oracle is selected. The oracle’s decision is final.

    “After the approval of the candidate by the Olu Advisory Council and the oracles, the Ologbotsere summons at his residence a meeting of the Ojoyes and there he announces the passing away of the demise Olu and the appointment of a successor who is presented to the Ojoyes by the Ologbotsere.

    “Thereafter, the Ologbotsere summons a meeting of the Itsekiri National Assembly i.e. of all Itsekiri people and announces to them, the passing away of the demised Olu, and the appointment of a successor whom he then presents to them. The whole process of selection need not take more than two to three days of the demise of an Olu.

    “Upon the demise of an Olu, and after selection, the Olu-designate participates in the burial rites and ceremonies of the demised Olu, particularly in the performance of the ‘Iken Rites’ at the royal cemetery at Ijala.

    “Failure to perform and complete the burial rites and ceremonies is a bar to the installation of the Olu-designate. Immediately upon internment of the demised Olu, the Olu-designate proceeds to the ‘Ideniken’ where he remains for a period of three lunar months during which the burial rites and ceremonies are completed. ‘Otolu’ i.e. Head of the Ruling House, acts as the Regent from the time of announcement of the demise until the installation.

    “At the end of the period of about three months, the Olu-designate is formally installed by the Ologbotsere in the presence of the general public,” the document concluded.

  • Winners emerged in Cupid Games

    Winners emerged in Cupid Games

    Organisers of Cupid Games, an internet show sponsored by Closeup, have revealed winners amidst performances by trending music artistes at the weekend.

    The concept, which began a month ago, chose the boldest moves in its #dare2love concept, and rewarded the overall winner, Samuel, with MV Agusta Brutale 80cc Power Bike. The show also rewarded the first runner-up, West, with a pair of personalised Macbook Air Notepads, while the third place winner got a pair of personalised iPads.

    The grand finale which had David Adeleke, aka Davido and Yemi Alade as headliner artistes, held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The duo of Toke Makinwa and Ebuka who anchored the event were simply amazing. The chemistry they brought on stage was infectious on their audience. The event had a theme of love, thus Toke was seen wooing her crush (Ebuka) with a love song.

    Soul singer, Bez, who opened the event, rendered the most electrifying rendition of his hit song Stupid song.

    Yemi Alade on the other hand, stunned in her white jumpsuit, as she made some sexy moves. Her rendition of Johnny, Tangerine and Kissing among other hits brought fans to the dance floor.

    Davido who closed the show sustained the momentum. He got a standing ovation as everyone was capturing the moment with their recording devices as they danced along.

  • How ex-militant leader, Tompolo, emerged leader of PDP in Delta

    How ex-militant leader, Tompolo, emerged leader of PDP in Delta

    South-South Regional Editor, Shola O’neil, deconstruct the intrigues, underground maneuvers, threats and drama that characterised the December  primaries of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State and how Chief Government Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo) emerged the de facto leader of the party in the state

    THERE is no longer any doubt in the minds of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) faithful that Chief Government Ekpemupolo, a former warlord and leader of the Niger Delta Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), is the leader of the ruling party in the state.

    With a strong role in the emergence of the party’s governorship candidate, Dr  Ifeanyi Okowa, a serving senator, and after single-handedly picking his cousin and comrade in the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Chief Kingsley Otuaro, as Okowa’s running mate, the man popularly known as Tompolo or GOC (to close allies) has burnished his reputation as the political leader of the party, despite attempts by the party and the man himself to deny it.

    Tompolo was instrumental to the success of at least two of the three senatorial flag bearers in the state. He also had a hand in the emergence of at least three of the four House of Representative candidates in the Delta South Senatorial Districts, including his nephew, Mr. Julius Pondi, who emerged as the flag-bearer in Burutu Federal Constituency by dislodging the incumbent, Rt. Hon Franc Enekorogha, a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.

    Ekpemupolo played a role in the emergence of Senator Manager as the party’s candidate for the Delta South Senatorial District. That feat, which was a precursor to the governorship primaries and things to come in the Delta PDP, was not a mean one, considering that the opponent was the sitting governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itsekiri, whose kinsmen considered it their turn to produce the next senator for the district. Uduaghan, who by the party’s structure is the leader of the party in the state, was expected to easily pick the PDP ticket, yet he dramatically bowed out of the race barely 72 hours to the contest. Uduaghan said his decision was to avert a possible bloodbath in the state.

    Mr. Sunny Ogefere, media aide to the governor, said his boss “withdrew from the race because of the tension it was already generating. He had to do it to preserve the existing peace in the state and to ensure that the inter-ethnic unity in the state, especially the district, is not jeopardised.”

    Although neither Uduaghan nor Ogefere explained what they meant by the threat to “existing peace” , there were hints that Manager’s Ijaw kinsmen in the Warri area planned to unleash mayhem if Manager did not get the party’s ticket. A group, Concerned PDP Members, Kurutie Town, (Tompolo’s hometown) in Gbaramatu Ward, had earlier warned that “the Ijaws will not stop at anything to deliver James Manager to the Nigerian Senate in 2015 general elections.”

    Events that later unfolded showed that the threat was potent. It was learnt that at least two weeks before the primaries, a ‘political coup’ took place in the state. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was stripped of his power as the Chief Security Officer of the state, with the Presidency ensuring that Tompolo had more control of the state’s security apparatus than the governor. It was learnt that the head of security agencies were explicitly ordered to defer to the former warlord if a conflict arose between him and Uduaghan.

    Tompolo denied the allegation. Speaking through his media aide, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, Tompolo described the report as “ridiculous and a laughable.”

    “The Presidency couldn’t have handed down security apparatus to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo for PDP primaries because he is not a political office holder and at the same time not in the party hierarchy. Rather the Presidency handed the security apparatus to the governor of the state and off course the Chief Security Officer and also the leader of the Party in the state. Tompolo has not and is not in control of security in Nigeria.”

    In the same vein, Bebenimibo laughed off the claim that the governor jettisoned his senatorial ambition over threat by the former warlord. “Tompolo cannot threaten the governor of Delta State to drop his senatorial ambition because he wasn’t in the contest with him. He never had any disagreement with the governor on the senatorial contest. It was out of the governor’s volition to participate in the election and at the same time it was his own decision to drop the ambition.

    “After all, he (Uduaghan) is not the first person to withdraw from election contest; even my humble self dropped my House of Assembly ambition for others. I didn’t attribute it to any threat from anyone. It doesn’t make sense for anyone to allege that Tompolo threatened a serving governor to drop his ambition.”

    Despite the denial, aggrieved officials of the state government who leaked the details of the ‘coup’ to the press,  told our reporter that some Ijaw leaders and kinsmen of the President had convinced him (Jonathan) that his political interest would be best served with the security apparatus of the state in the hands of his kinsmen. A source said the deal was concluded when it emerged that President Jonathan would not be involved in a primary for the Presidential ticket of the party.

    A very reliable top security source told our reporter: “The governor could not even guarantee his own security at the PDP primary. His entire security details could have easily been withdrawn from him if there was a conflict or crisis. He would have been left defenseless if he had tried to wield his power as governor or use his executive power.”

    Amidst the hazy security state, there were also veritable reports that some aspirants flooded the state with hundreds of cultists and youths who were heavily armed and primed to unleash mayhem in Asaba if the primary did not go their way.

     Hack on Uduaghan’s men

    But if the governor and his associates had thought that the conclusion of the primaries would ensure sanity to the party in the state, events preceding the exercises have proven otherwise. It was gathered that the reclusive former militant leader with the active support of Dr Okowa, turned his attention to the winners of the House of Assembly contest, which was conducted when the structure of the party was still in the governor’s hand.

    Key supporters of the embattled governor who won and were cleared to contest in the main election were systematically substituted either with those who did not contest or those who had abysmal scores. For instance, in Patani State Constituency, Rt. Hon Basil Ganagana, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly and Uduaghan’s supporter, lost his ticket to Mr. Tonye Timi, who polled a dismal 18 votes against Ganagana’s 31. Ganagana’s opponents said his search for a historical 5th term is morally wrong, even though he won the primary.

    In Uvwie, Hon. Efe Ofobruku, who won the primary, was replaced with Mathew Ishekiri, much to the angst of the PDP faithful in the area. Ofobruku’s sin was that he was Uduaghan’s candidate. It was his second shot at the house. Mr. Godwin Abigor, a former member of the governor’s cabinet, who defeated the incumbent Hon. Omawumi Udoh, also lost his ticket. Udoh is on her 16th year in the House, even though she missed most of the sittings of the current term. Abigor’s ticket has since been handed to Udoh.

    Also by Thursday, Comrade Izezi, who won the Ughelli South Constituency contest, was in battle to avoid a plot to substitute his name. His was an aide to Uduaghan for several years and is strong supporter of the governor. The fate of Hon. Ossai Ossai in Delta North is similarly hazy, whose candidature was withdrawn by the PDP.

    A source in the party said the saving grace for Hon Daniel Mayuku, the member representing Warri South West, was that he was the sole aspirant on the platform of the party for the primary. “He would have been the first target, because of his closeness to the governor and also being an Itsekiri man in Tompolo’s home LGA,” our source added.

    Bebenimibo, who was to run against Mayuku said Tompolo had no hand in the substitution. He said, “he cannot substitute names of candidates because he is not an official of the party. I wonder which way he can do that and why anyone that could not get the party ticket accuses Tompolo when he is not in any leadership level in the party.”

    How Tompolo stooped to conquer

    Our investigation revealed that Tompolo’s present battle stance contrasts starkly with his nature before the October 4 local government election, when he reportedly went cap in hand to the Protea Hotel, Ekpan to beg Uduaghan and other party leaders to let him produce the council chairman of Warri South West.

    “At a meeting held at Protea Hotel before the election, he (Tompolo) begged some Itsekiri leaders, including Michael Diden (Ejele), Mayuku, to allow his brother (George) return as PDP flag-bearer when it was evident that he had lost out.”

    At the time of the deal, Mr. Bobby Oritseweyinmi Omadeli, an Itsekiri, had picked the PDP ticket and was heading to the chairman of the council. The deal angered Chief Ayirimi Emami, whose name was replaced with George Ekpemupolo – Tompolo’s younger brother. The younger Ekpemupolo won the election intriguingly, even though there is allegation that he did not even buy the ticket for the primary.

     Warri peace deal in the balance

    The divisive deal was faulted by prominent Itsekiri leaders and legal practitioners. They slammed PDP’s “lack of internal democracy” and blatant robbery of Omadeli’s mandate. It was learnt that the volte face contravened an agreement reached for the rotation of the position between the two ethnic groups as a part of the deal that ended the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis in 2004. Having served three-year tenure, Ekpemupolo, an Ijaw, was expected to step aside for an Itsekiri.

    That would not be the last time an agreement would be broken.  In the Delta South Senatorial race, James Manager, who picked the ticket for a record fourth tenure, was not ‘qualified’ based on the rotational agreement between the Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri ethnic groups in the south. Senator Stella Omu (an Isoko), served from 1999  2003 and bowed out for James Manager. The latter’s third return was due to a deal struck with the Itsekiri, who had Uduaghan (an Itsekiri man from Abigborodo, Warri North) as governor.

    “In line with the agreement, the Itsekiri cannot have a senator and governor at the same time. As a result, Manager was allowed to go back to the Senate, pending the expiration of Uduaghan’s tenure.

    But now the Ijaws not only have a senator, they also have the deputy governor while the Isoko and Itsekiri are left with nothing,” an aggrieved PDP stalwart in the area said.

  • ‘How Ondo Assembly Speaker emerged’

    Facts have emerged on how Princess Jumoke Akindele (Okitipupa 11) was elected Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker last week.

    The Nation, at the weekend, learnt about the scheming that led to her emergence.

    Sources said a battle began on December 31, last year, when only nine of the 25 lawmakers, excluding the late Speaker, Mr. Samuel Adesina, who was then indisposed, shunned the 2014 budget presentation by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    This development was said to have infuriated the governor.

    Since then, sources said the “G16” lawmakers, headed by Mr. Akindele Adeniyi (Akure North) and assisted by the Chief Whip, Olatunji Dairo (Owo 11), entered the governor’s black book.

    Princess Akindele is a member of the “G9”, the group that was present at the 2014 budget presentation.

    Sources said following Adesina’s death on February 25, the “G9” lawmakers wanted Deputy Speaker Dare Emiola (Akoko Southwest 1) to become the Speaker.

    But it was learnt that the G16 members kicked against it, saying the speaker’s seat had been zoned to the Southern District, where the late Adesina hailed from. Emiola is from Northern District.

    Mimiko was said to have told the lawmakers to suspend the politicking until after Adesina’s funeral.

    After Adesina’s burial, Oyebo Aladetan (Ilaje 1), Gbenga Edema (Ilaje 11), Iwalewa Afolabi (Irele), Soji Akikurolere (Okitipupa 1) and Princess Akindele (Okitipupa 11) jostled for the seat.

    The State Executive Council and Labour Party) leaders were said to be in support of Princess Akindele against Edema.

    Ilaje people said Okitipupa produced the late former Governor Olusegun Agagu and Senator Boluwaji Kunlere, and Odigbo/Ile-Oluji the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Rotimi Adelola.

    They argued that there was no top political office holder from Ilaje.

    A source said: “Last Sunday, Governor Mimiko invited all of us to the Government House to discuss the election of a new Speaker and reiterated that the seat would be zoned to Ondo South.

    “We agreed to hold the election last Tuesday, but before Tuesday, there were underground scheming sponsored by the executive to ensure that the G16 lawmakers, who control the majority, were disorganised by wooing some of them to its (the executive’s) side.”

    During the election on Tuesday, it was learnt that two lawmakers nominated Soji Akinkurolere (Okitipupa Constituency 1) but did not vote for him.

    Akinkurolere too did not vote for himself and scored nil.

    A member of the “G16”, which scored only nine votes, said: “It is the hand of power that rocked the Assembly and paved way for the emergence of Princess Akindele as Speaker. In fact, three prominent members of the group derailed and betrayed us at the dying minute. They are from Central, North and South districts. We knew what transpired and it was a rude shock to us.”

    He said of the remaining 13 members out of the group, only nine voted for their candidate, Oyebo Aladetan, adding that two members abstained from voting.

    The lawmaker expressed reservation on the dissolution of House committees by the speaker, adding that it was “autocratic”.

    He said they would watch as events unfold when the Assembly resumes after its two weeks recess.

  • How Imo PDP chair emerged

    Contrary to the impression being bandied about, the recent emergence of Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie as the acting chairman of the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followed due process as laid down by the party’s constitution. The controversy that initially arose following the announcement of his name as the new helmsman of the Imo PDP was contrived by some elements, especially from outside his native Orlu zone, who, contrary to the rules of the party, felt they should have been consulted, ab initio, before the zone nominates anybody to fill the position which became vacant following the appointment of the former chairman, Chief Eze Duruihuoma, as chairman of the National Population Commission.

    The constitution of the party provides that the zone from which a member of the state executive committee comes from has the prerogative of finding a replacement from the same zone. Anyaehie comes from the same Orlu zone as Duruihuoma.

    Following the latter’s successful screening by the Senate, the Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the party in the zone (Orlu), in accordance with the provision of the constitution, met to screen candidates who had indicated interest in the position. The ZEC, made up of serving legislators at the state and federal levels, the local government chairmen of the party and members of the state executive committee from the zone, unanimously nominated Anyaehie for the position and thereafter forwarded his name to the state executive committee for ratification. At a meeting of the committee and which had the National Vice Chairman (South East), Colonel Austin Akobundu (rtd), as an observer, Anyaehie’s nomination was unanimously approved. However, some leaders of the party outside Orlu zone felt slighted that Anyaehie did not reach out to them but analysts and observers point out that such a posturing was misplaced since Anyaehie could not have began to reach out to them when his nomination was yet to be ratified by the Orlu zonal executive committee and the state executive committee. But inspite of this, some stakeholders went to town with insinuations that Anyaehie was an imposition of Senator Hope Uzodinma who, given his current position as the senator representing the zone, is the political leader of the area.

    There were also insinuations that Anyaehie will be too independent minded, being the scion of a wealthy and influential icon in the state, Chief John Anyaehie and himself a very successful businessman. Incidentally, some of the stakeholders who initially raised misgivings about the emergence of Anyaehie are those who saw the exercise of filling the vacant chairmanship position as an opportunity for taking control of the party ahead of 2015 general election. It was in this light that Senator Uzodinma was accused by some of having more than a casual interest in the emergence of Anyaehie, said to be a close political ally and personal friend of the senator. But keen watchers of the Imo political terrain point out that while it would have been impossible to fill the position without input from Uzodinma and even if he had more than a passing interest in Anyaehie, it was his ability to bring Orlu leaders to agree on one candidate that matters.

    Orlu zone, made up of 12 local government areas out of the 27 in the state, is believed to be the most amorphous geo–political zone in the state. Given the caliber of persons that earlier indicated interest in the position, it had been feared that the zone, which parades some of the most vibrant and influential politicians in the state, was going to implode during the search for Duruihuoma’s replacement.

    That it did not happen was to the credit of Uzodimma whose residence, both in Abuja and his home town, Omuma in Oru-East local government area of the state, had become a Mecca of sorts for aspirants and those lobbying for them. That a consensus was reached is a development which the leaders outside the zone should emulate.

    Among those who indicated interest in the position were Chief Boni Ebili, who comes from the same local government area as Duruihuoma, Dr. Jeff Ojinika, a former member of the House of Representatives, also from the zone and Barrister C.O.C Akaolisa, the current Legal Adviser of the Imo state PDP and a well known political ally and personal friend of Uzodimma.

    While Uzodimma’s political interest and calculations cannot be ignored, his pedigree as a team player and consensus builder, with an amazing political following throughout the state, would always propel him to thread with caution. Against the back drop of the lingering crisis within the PDP and the general polity, vis-a-vis the determination of the party to reclaim the state in 2015, leaders of the party in the state are very cautious not to allow any rift amongst them, as that may cause a lot of damage to the party. Hence, the unprecedented level of equanimity and co-operation currently among them.

    Even insinuations that the chairmanship issue was causing a rift between Uzodimma and the immediate past governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim, has been dismissed on account of the fact that the duo have both become too politically sophisticated to allow such a thing.

    As a matter of fact, it is no longer a secret that both the presidency and the national leadership of the PDP are aware that the two are working closely to ensure that the party regains the state in 2015. Although some of the aspirants to the position are also his political allies, having worked under him while he was governor, Ohakim has been steadfast in the belief that the leaders of Orlu zone have the prerogative to make nominations on consensus. And once that happened, it took no efforts to get the co-operation of the amiable former governor whose rating in the state has risen astronomically in spite of the controversies over the 2011 governorship election.

    The last couple of weeks were also awash with speculations and even media reports to the effect that some other leaders of the party from Owerri zone expressed misgiving over Anyaehie’s emergence, apparently on account of inadequate consultation. Among those said to be feeling slighted were Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees and Kema Chikwe, the national woman leader of the party. Again, these allegations appear far-fetched as these leaders, apart from having resolved not to allow the matter to distract them from their stoic determination to make the party reclaim the state in 2015, rely on the judgment of Orlu zone.

    There have been talks that the new chairman lacks the political experience to occupy the position. But this has been debunked by both observers and analysts who quickly say that nobody needs go far to put a lie on that. Apart from insisting that Anyaehie is by no means a political neophyte, being one of the most visible politicians in at least his Orlu zone, they point at his predecessor, Duruihuoma, who had no political pedigree, whatsoever, before he was elected into the office which he held successfully for more than three years.