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  • PDP: Ikimi, Obanikoro, Ihedioha, others seek power shift to South in 2019

    PDP: Ikimi, Obanikoro, Ihedioha, others seek power shift to South in 2019

    Some prominent chieftains of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the southern part of the country are pushing for power shift to the South in 2019.

    Coming under the aegis of PDP Southern Leaders Consultative Forum, the group is headed by a former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi.

    Present at its inaugural meeting in Abuja yesterday were prominent chieftains of the PDP from Southsouth, Southeast and Southwest, such as a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Ben Obi, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi.

    Others are Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Mr. Jide Adeniji, Rep Ladi Adebutu, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Senator Anietie Okon among others.

    Ikimi said the forum assumed responsibility for charting a new direction for PDP, particularly in the three geopolitical zones in the South.

    He stated that the North and the South had produced two presidents each since the beginning of the country’s democratic rule in 1999.

    “The South has produced two presidents in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, while the North has also produced two presidents in the person of the late Umaru Yar ‘Adua and General Muhammadu Buhari,” Ikimi said.

    He, however, said the aim of the forum was not to divide the PDP, but to go as a movement for effective forum for unity of purpose.

    “I can assure you that members of the PDP from the North are also meeting and strategising. If the South is not united and come together, everything will be lost,” Ikimi added.

    He urged PDP members to minimise internal conflicts and put its house in order, adding that the leadership crisis plaguing the party will soon come to an end.

    The group set up a seven-member committee for the purpose of formulating its structure.

    The committee is chaired by former  Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke.

    Members of the committee are a former House of Representatives Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande; Mrs. Remi Adiukwu; Mrs. Fidelia Njeze; Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu; Senator Nimi Barigha Amange and Senator Stella Onu.

    The committee was given two weeks to conclude its assignment.

  • Ikimi, Obanikoro, other PDP chiefs canvass power shift in 2019

    Ikimi, Obanikoro, other PDP chiefs canvass power shift in 2019

    Some prominent chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the southern parts of the country are pushing for power shift to the region in 2019.

    Coming under the aegis of the PDP Southern Leaders’ Consultative Forum, the group is headed by a former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi.

    In attendance at its inaugural meeting in Abuja on Thursday, were prominent chieftains of the PDP from the South-South, South East and the South West.

    In his opening remarks, Ikimi said the Forum has assumed responsibility for charting a new direction for the PDP, particularly in the three geopolitical zones in the south.

    He stated that the North and the South had produced two presidents each since the beginning of the country’s democratic rule in 1999.

    He said, “The South has produced two presidents in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, while the North has also produced two presidents in the person of the late Umaru Yar ‘Adua and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.”

    Ikimi, however, said the aim of the Forum is not to divide the PDP but to go as a movement for effective forum for unity of purpose.

    “I can assure you that members of the PDP from the North are also meeting and strategising. If the South is not united and come together, everything will be lost,” the ex-minister added.

    He urged members of the PDP to minimise internal conflicts in the party and put the house in order, adding that the leadership crisis plaguing the party would soon come to an end.

    The group then set up a seven-member committee for the purpose of formulating a structure for the Forum.

    The committee is chaired by a former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Liyel Imoke.

    Members of the committee are include a former House of Representatives Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande; Mrs. Remi Adiukwu; Mrs. Fidelia Njeze; Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu; Senator Nimi Barigha Amange and Senator Stella Onu.

    The committee was given two weeks to conclude its assignment.

    Those at the meeting were a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; Senator Ben Obi; Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun; Prince Dayo Adeyeye; and Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi.

    Others are Mr. Jimi Agbaje; Senator Iyiola Omisore; Mr. Jide Adeniji; Ladi Adebutu; Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Senator Anietie Okon, among others.

     

    END

     

     

  • Ihedioha under fire for crticising Okorocha

    Ihedioha under fire for crticising Okorocha

    Former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker and Imo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 election, Emeka Ihedioha, yesterday came under severe criticisms for accusing Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha of killing the local government system.
    Ihedioha, in an interview with some dailies, recently chided the Okorocha administration for its failure in many areas.
    The PDP stalwart said Imo State residents were eager to send off the government.
    But in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, the government urged Ihedioha to concentrate on the management of his hotel business instead of distracting the attention of the Rescue Mission administration.
    The government said it had rescued the state from the former Deputy Speaker and his cohorts.
    The statement said: “Ihedioha should concentrate on the management of his hotel in Owerri since it appears he does not have any other serious thing at the moment to do and since 2019 is still far. He should stop disturbing the peace of the state.
    “It is also unfortunate to point out that Chief Ihedioha, after being in the House of Representatives for 12 years, where he was Chief Whip, Chairman of the Committee on Marine and Deputy Speaker, could be read today in the media only when he attacks Governor Okorocha.
    “The records are available for every fair-minded person to see that until Governor Okorocha came, the local governments were abandoned by the PDP governments because the local governments’ allocations were shared by the party’s stakeholders on arrival.
    “But under Governor Okorocha, the local governments have seen more than 800 kilometres of tarred rural roads, 305 storey school buildings, 27 general hospitals, more than 600 kilometres of graded roads, building of ICT centres and chapels, payment of salaries as at when due, renovation and remodelling of the local government headquarters, which became dilapidated under PDP governments.
    “All these are just to mention but a few.
    “We challenge Chief Ihedioha to publish any project, even at the foundation level or at the kindergarten stage, executed in the local governments in the 12 years the PDP held the reins.
    “Imo residents know those who messed up the state and wasted its resources as well as shown disdain by rejecting them at the poll in 2011 and 2015 and will also reject them in 2019, if Christ does not come before then.
    “We regret to state that it is only in Imo where someone who could only win three out of the 27 local governments in the state with the aid of armed personnel in a governorship election, is still nursing an ambition again for 2019.
    “The truth is that Imo residents will continue to speak with their votes. And, there is nothing anybody can do about that.”

  • Ihedioha bags legislative fellowship

    Ihedioha bags legislative fellowship

    Immediate past Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha will, tomorrow be conferred with the award of Fellowship of the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS).
    A letter nominating him for the award said conferment is in recognition of his “immense contributions to the growth of the Legislature in Nigeria, particularly the National Institute for Legislative Studies.”
    Dr. Ladi Hamalai, Director General of NILS who signed the letter said the conferment ceremony would be presided over by Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
    Other fellowship awardees by the Institute are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal and immediate past President of the Senate, David Mark.
    Others are former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and ex-deputy Speaker and incumbent Senator, Ibrahim Nafada.

  • Supreme Court dismisses Ihedioha’s appeal

    Supreme Court dismisses Ihedioha’s appeal

    The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the appeal of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, who challenged the victory of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in the April 11 election.

    A seven-man bench, led by Justice John Fabiyi, affirmed the ruling by the Court of Appeal, Owerri, which held that Ihedioha’s failure to properly serve Okorocha and his party robbed the appellate court the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    The Supreme Court noted that Ihedioha’s failure to indicate, in the appeal processes (documents), addresses of other respondents, was fatal to the case. It consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.

    The Imo State election petition tribunal, in a ruling on July 22, dismissed Ihedioha’s petition for incompetency. But Ihedioha appealed.

    Governor Rochas Okorocha has hailed the Supreme Court judgment, saying it upheld the people’s mandate.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, described the judgment as victory for the people, urging stakeholders to close ranks and work for the development of the state.

    The statement reads: “With the judgment of the Supreme Court okaying the victory of Governor Okorocha, Chief Ihedioha has exhausted all his legal entitlements with regard to the 2015 governorship election. And since he was the only candidate, who challenged Governor Okorocha’s victory, the legal chapter of the 2015 governorship poll in the state has been closed.

    “Governor Okorocha and the Rescue Mission government hail the Supreme Court for respecting and endorsing the electoral and civic rights of Imo people. We have always held the judiciary in high esteem and shall continue to do so because that arm has continued to earn the confidence of Imo people.

    “And for Chief Ihedioha, we advise him and his PDP supporters to give peace a chance. It is time to drop the toga of war.”

  • Supreme Court dismisses Ihedioha’s appeal

    Supreme Court dismisses Ihedioha’s appeal

    Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha lost Thursday in his challenge of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha’s victory at the last governorship election in the state.

    The Supreme Court in a unanimous judgment, dismissed the appeal by Ihedioha, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election held on April 11. Okorocha was the candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC).

    A seven-man bench, led by Justice John Fabiyi, affirmed an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal, Owerri, which held that Ihedioha’s failure to properly serve Okorocha and his party robbed the appellate court the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    The Supreme Court noted that Ihedioha’s failure to indicate, in the appeal processes (documents), addresses of other respondents was fatal to the case.

    The court consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.

    The court also affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal to reject three separate motions which the appellant as petitioner had filed before the tribunal.

    The apex court held that it could not evoke its jurisdiction under section 22 of the Supreme Court Act since the appeal had been rightly dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

    Justice Iyang Okoro, who read the lead judgment, held that the Court of Appeal was right to have granted the preliminary objection raised against the service of notice of appeal by Okorocha.

    He upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal to the effect that the appellants merely “dumped” the processes on the protocol officer of the APC instead of personal service provided for by the law.

    “Although the court is not a slave to its rule, it is the duty of the court to ensure that its rules are obeyed,” Justice Okoro ruled.

    He dismissed the appellant’s argument that the Appeal Court, having earlier ruled that the processes had been served on all the respondents, no longer had the power to subsequently rule that the respondents were not properly served.

    He held that the statement confirming that the respondents had been served was only that of a registrar of the court and not a decision of the court.

    Justice Okoro said: “The summary of all that I have said above is that the statement by the registrar that the processes had been served on all the respondents was not a decision of the lower court and does not preclude the court from satisfying itself from available records on whether the 26 absent respondents were actually served.

    “Secondly notice of appeal being an originating process, must be served personally on the respondents unless otherwise directed or ordered by the court or intended by the provision of the law.  In this case there was no such order.

    “On the whole, there is no merit in this appeal at all. Accordingly, it is hereby dismissed by me.

    “Thus the judgment of the lower court (Court of Appeal) in Owerri delivered on September 3, 2015, which struck out the appeal of the appellant is hereby affirmed. Parties are to bear their respective costs.”

    The Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had, in a ruling on July 22, dismissed Ihedioha’s petition against Okorocha’s victory on ‎on the grounds that it was incompetence.

    Ihedioha appealed the ruling. The Court of Appeal, Owerri dismissed the appeal in its decision given on September 3, 2015, prompting the PDP candidate to appeal to the Supreme Court.

  • Appeal Court strikes out Ihedioha’s petition

    Appeal Court strikes out Ihedioha’s petition

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, yesterday, struck out the petition of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha. Ihedioha challenged the dismissal of his petition by the tribunal.

    Chairman of the Appeal panel, Justice Jimmy Bada, said the appeal was dismissed due to  improper service of summons on the respondents, whose addresses were not properly listed.

    Justice Bada explained that service was fundamental in law and the rules of the Court of Appeal. He struck out the case for lack of merit.

    Reacting to the judgment, Ihedioha’s counsel, Mike Ahamba (SAN) said he referred to the law and rules that the addresses of those directly affected should be listed in the appeal.

    “I have done appeals in the past but I am surprised that the rule is different in election matter. We had good grounds for appeal but for the shortcoming in the service, the substantive matter is still in our favour. We are not done; we have another tier to go,” he said.

    Counsel to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Miletus Nnebedim said the Court had reviewed the appeal and found it incompetent because it did not comply with the rules of the Court of Appeal.

    But Ihedioha said he believed that justice would be served on the merit of his petition, even as he insisted that he had the highest votes in the election.

    Deputy Governor Eze Madumere has described the ruling as an act of God.

    A statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Uche Onwuchekwa said the verdict proved that the hand of God was upon the Rochas Okorocha-led administration.

    “The saying that the voice of the people is the voice of God has played out. It is the people’s mandate that has kept Governor Okorocha focused on his electoral promises.

    “Despite the barrage of law suits, Okorocha never gave any excuse not to perform beyond the people’s expectation”.

  • Police Inspector murdered in former Deputy Speaker Ihedioha’s house

    An inspector, Mohammed Useni attached to the Asokoro, Abuja residence of the immediate past House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, has been murdered .

    The victim who hailed from Jigawa State was strangled to death at his duty post at the residence on Monday and his rifle, an AK47, taken away by the people who killed him.

    The death of the security officer which came a few days after the withdrawal of the officers of the Department of State Services attached to Ihedioha, has thrown residents of the area into fear and confusion.

    Ihedioha was Deputy Speaker in the 7th House and also contested the last governorship election in Imo State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Ihedioha was reportedly away during the inspector’s murder.

    The FCT Command Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, said he was unaware of the incident when contacted by The Nation.

    Oke Epia, Chief Press Secretary to the former deputy speaker, also said he was not aware of the matter as he had just returned from a foreign journey.

    However,sources said that apart from the victim, another policeman was on duty on the fateful day although he claimed to be in another part of the extensive compound when the murder occurred.

    The body of the officer is said to have been deposited in an undisclosed morgue pending further investigation.

    Investigation is on to however find the killers and the motive behind the gruesome act, The Nation learnt.

    This was because apart from taking away the rifle of the officer, the assailants allegedly removed some of the victim’s body parts including hands and other sensitive parts and went away with them.

  • Tribunal dismisses Ihedioha’s petition

    The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital yesterday, dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, challenging Governor Rochas Okorocha’s victory.

    Chairman of the tribunal, Justice David Wyom, dismissed the petition on the grounds that the petitioner failed to comply with the rules guiding the proceedings.

    He ruled that the petitioner failed to pay for the pre-hearing notice within the seven days stipulated in paragraph 18 (1) of the rule guiding election petition proceedings.

    Justice Wyom noted that the petitioner applied on June 23 but failed to pay for the pre-hearing notice until June 3.

    “Based on the strength of the Supreme Court authority on this issue, the validity of the process starts from when the pre-hearing notice payment was made and not when it was applied, this in turn means the petitioner paid out of time but applied within time,” Wyom said.

    Counsel to Okorocha, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), earlier moved a motion for the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the grounds that the petitioner abandoned the petition, having paid out of the stipulated time.

    Addressing reporters after the judgement, Akintola said he saw the loophole in the petition and cashed on it. He said the judgement would enrich judicial jurisprudence in the country.

    Counsel to Ihedioha, Mike Ahamba (SAN) said he was embarrassed by the ruling. He argued that, “the word ‘abandonment’ had lost its meaning if a petition that had gone through pre-hearing can be described as abandoned”.

    Ahamba insisted that the tribunal had overruled the Supreme Court order on the issue. He said his client would appeal the judgement at the Appeal Court.

    Reacting, Governor Okorocha described the verdict as victory for the people, irrespective of their political affiliations.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “By Okaying my victory at the April 11 election, the tribunal has affirmed the renewed mandate the people gave me”.

  • Govt to Ihedioha: don’t cause crisis in Imo

    Govt to Ihedioha: don’t cause crisis in Imo

    The Imo State Government has warned former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to stop making unfounded allegations against Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    The government urged him to concentrate on his case before the Election Petitions Tribunal, instead of crying wolf where there was none.

    Ihedioha was the Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the April 11 election.

    The former lawmaker reportedly accused the Okorocha of diverting the state’s resources to acquire estates in and outside the country when the workers were owed salary arrears.

    But in a statement in Owerri, the state capital, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary Sam Onwuemeodo urged Ihedioha to stop disrupting the peace.

    The statement said: “Ihedioha is not the only Imo man or the only Nigerian who ran the governorship election and lost. Imo State cannot stop existing because he failed in an election. He should face his case at the Election Petitions Tribunal like other candidates in other states and stop talking as if he is still on election campaigns.

    “He should also stop insulting the governor as if he derives pleasure from doing so. He had run for the governorship and he has failed or refused to respect the governor on seat and the office.

    “It is also unfortunate that a man who had been in the House of Representatives for 12 years and Deputy Speaker of the same House for four years, and who is expected to know the efficacy of respecting political office, like that of the governor, was taking delight in abusing his governor without provocation.

    “Ihedioha’s party, the PDP, governed the state for 12 years and could not renovate one school and Imo people did not accuse them of stealing the state’s funds. He has the audacity to accuse a man who had done in four years what the PDP could not do in 12 years of stealing the state’s fund.”