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Tag: Ike Ekweremadu

  • Democracy: Ekweremadu seeks NBA’s vigilance

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday asked the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to be vigilance to arrest the dwindling fortunes of the country’s democracy.

    A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy Senate, Uche Anichukwu said that Ekweremadu spoke in Abuja at the 2018 Law Week of the NBA, Abuja Branch.

    It said that Ekweremadu recalled the sacrifices of courageous lawyers and other pro-democracy activists in enthroning the current democratic dispensation.

    He said the current state of the nation’s democracy would make heroes of the struggle like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief MKO Abiola, Chuma Ubani, Bamidele Aturu, and Kudirat Abiola sad in their graves.

    “Our society is in despair today; democracy is receding; rule of law appears to be at the crossroads; and the killings across the land have become so massive, frequent, and mindless. Politicians that were once friends have turned our politics into a war of attrition.

    “Our elections, in many instances, have been highly militarised, with some security officers accused of physically assaulting the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nigerians have watched on live television the raid of the hallowed chamber of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the carting away of its mace by thugs.

    Read Also: Secondus, Ekweremadu laud PDP primary

    “As if emboldened by that, political thugs stormed the premises of the Rivers State High Court. The nation watched with great concern the heavy and prolonged gunfire by armed thugs, who, but for the resistance put up by the people of Rivers State, had virtually succeeded in preventing the court from carrying out its legitimate duties. Today, to hold a different political opinion appears tantamount to a political suicide”, he stated.

    The Senator, however, said that frightening as the emerging trend appeared, he was more troubled by the loud silence of the NBA.

    “The Bar has not uttered any word of condemnation of these and other clear acts of aggression against the legislature or the judiciary in recent years.

    “We must bear in mind that democracy does not die in a day. Democracy dies a slow and painful death. Democracy will die if the independence of the judiciary is destroyed, the National Assembly turned to a rubber stamp, the media gagged, the Civil Society Organisations sucked-in, and the electoral umpire annexed.

    “But it is not in anybody’s interest, let alone the Bar, for our democracy to fail. However, we cannot fold our hands, keep sealed lips, and expect Heavens to play our parts as lawyers. So, the Bar must rise in defense of democracy.

    “There is no sitting on the fence. The poet, Dante Algheri, warns that the hottest parts of hell are reserved for those, who in the time of moral crisis, preserve their neutrality. The Bar must speak up against impunity. The Bar must be heard loud and clear in condemnation of desecration and intimidation, and annexation of key institutions of democracy.

    “The Bar must stand up in defence of the rule of law, separation of power, rights, liberties, and other laudable tenets without which democracy becomes an empty barrel, a civilianised dictatorship, and, above all, the Bar must continue to promote justice, equity and fairness to sustain our democracy”, Ekweremadu emphasized.

  • Ekiti Poll: Atiku, Mark, Ekweremadu PDP Govs to storm Ekiti for Olusola

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the 11 governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be storming Ekiti State for the governorship election campaign any time soon.

    The 40-man Campaign Council inaugurated by the leadership of the party in Abuja on Monday, is chaired by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

    Other members of the council include the party’s presidential aspirants like Ahmed Makarfi, Ibrahim Shekarau, Sule Lamido the party’s immediate past former governors and serving federal lawmakers.

    While inaugurating the council, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the All Progressives Congress has turned Ekiti State into a “war zone”.

    He alleged that the APC was training a special killer squad to kill opponents and disperse rallies organised by the PDP in Ekiti, with the view to foisting a one-party-state.

    Secondus said, “The motive of these deliberate police state being established by the ruling party is obvious; to distract and disorganise the opponent to enable them hold on to power and establish one party state.

    The party chair further accused the APC administration of unnecessarily heating up the polity by resorting to what he described as devious means to undermine the democratic process.

    The chairman continued, “The signs are there for all to see that the attitude of the ruling party is that of a drowning man desperate to survive and whose posture is ‘if I cannot make it, let me go down with others’

    “Information available to us shows that in Ekiti, they are trying to use all skillful underhand means to achieve goals but the people are well charged to not only come out to cast their votes on July 14 but that they are ready to defend it.

    Read Also: NPO, Buhari, Tinubu, Atiku mourn Aboderin

    “At this juncture, let me warn that if there is any attempt to thwart the will of the people in Ekiti state, there may be no general election and the entire democratic process will be endangered”.

    He cautioned the APC against obstructing the will of the people, saying such moves could throw up negative consequences.

    “I tried to let them know that Ekiti State shares in that history when the then second republic ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) attempted  to use their federal controlled might to hijack power from the then Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) that was on ground in the old Ondo state for which Ekiti was part.

    “Men of wisdom had long told us that the easy way to repeat history is to refuse to learn from it. I charge APC leadership to take time and read our political history and know that the route they are headed are akin to that of the NPN days if not worse”, Secondus said.

    The party chairman called on the international community and all lovers of democracy to show more than passing interest in what is happening in different parts of the country.

    Chairman of the campaign council, Governor Emmanuel, said the PDP would win Ekiti State because of the achievements of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    Emmanuel challenged his fellow governors in the APC to present their performance profile and to compare their achievements with their counterparts in the PDP.

    “If the APC is hoping to use federal might to win Ekiti poll, the PDP has the people behind it”, Emmanuel said.

  • Not-Too-Young-To-Run: Why we didn’t reduce age qualification – Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday explained that the 35 years age qualification for the Senate was retained to correct the initial disparity in the 1999 Constitution between the age qualification for the Senate and that of the President, which used to be 40 years, but now reduced to 35 years.

    Ekweremadu, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, said that the National Assembly reasoned that going by the provisions of Section 146 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the President of the Senate could hold the office of the President for a period not exceeding three months should the offices of the President and Vice President be vacant at the same time for any reason.

    This is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu.

    President Muhammadu Buhari signed the “Not-Too-Young-To Run” Bill into law on Thursday.

    Ekweremadu said: “Section 146 (1) provides that the Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of the Constitution.

    Read Also: Secondus, Ekweremadu laud Ekiti PDP primary

    “However, Section 146 (2) further provides that where any vacancy occurs in the circumstances mentioned in Sub-section 1 during a period when the office of Vice-President is also vacant, the President of the Senate shall hold the office of President for a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election of a new President, who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of the last holder of the office’.

    “So, since the President of the Senate, a Senator, could become an Acting President by happenstance, it is only right that the qualification for both offices are the same”.

    On the non-reduction of the age qualification for the office of the Governor, Ekweremadu explained that the majority opinion was that 35 years should be ideal for now to enable the would-be governors acquire the requisite experience to pilot the affairs of a State.

    “However, the Not-Too-Young-To-Run amendment is just one giant step forward. It is not the end of the road, but just the beginning of the road. It is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.

    “I believe that anyone, who is 18 years old and qualified to vote should also be qualified to stand for an election. This is our ultimate target and I believe we will get there. So, it is work in progress because constitution amendment is a continuum.

    “However, in the meantime, I urge the youth to mobilise into the political parties in their numbers to begin to influence party decisions, push for direct primary elections, internal democracy, level playing ground, and other reforms that will complement the provisions of the current millage achieved by way of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run amendment”, he added.

     

  • Embrace education to eradicate vices, Ekweremadu tasks Nigerians

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has charged Nigerians to embrace education in order to eradicate kidnapping, ignorance and other vices from the country.

    Ekweremadu gave the charge on Friday in Asaba while inaugurating the Delta State library complex completed and equipped by the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa administration as part of its 3rd anniversary infrastructural project.

    We reports that Ekweremadu had earlier performed the groundbreaking for the
    N13-billion Delta State Central Secretariat Complex initiated by the Okowa administration and due for completion in June 2019.

    He also commissioned the 23.4 kms Nsukwa-Ndemili Road in Aniocha South, 1.12-kms Owa Alidima Access Road in Ika North-East and 2.8-kms Bonsaac (Oduke) Road, Asaba in Oshimili South Local Government Area of the state.

    According to Ekweremadu, the library project is the mother of all projects because knowledge is power.

    “This is because with education, the challenges we have in the country like kidnapping, ignorance and other social vices can be pushed away by education.”

    He applauded the governor for the various roads projects, saying that such projects open up communities, make movements easier and attract development to the state.

    In his address, Okowa thanked Ekweremadu for honouring his invitation to inaugurate the three roads project, the library and the groundbreaking of the State Secretariat.

    He said that his administration had approved about 208 roads projects with 96 roads completed within the three years of his administration.

    According to him, the projects were aimed at opening up the communities and linking them to urban centres across the state.

    He said that other completed roads projects and a market in Sapele would also be inaugurated next week.

    Commenting on other achievements of his administration, Okowa said that no fewer than 3,069 youths and women had been trained and empowered by his administration through the various wealth creation programmes of the government.

    He said that the library project was initiated by the previous administration in March 2007.

    “I want to appeal to the Library Board to encourage the younger ones to embrace reading culture, particularly those in the primary and basic education, to build them from the basics.”

    Okowa said that the State Secretariat project would be completed by June 2019 to accommodate all the state ministries currently in rented accommodation since the creation of the state 1991.

    On his part, the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Mr Jude Sinebe, said that the library complex had equipped with e-library for research and for JAMB examination.

    We also reports that various communities where the roads projects were commissioned rolled out the drums to appreciate the government.

  • Senate Invasion: Lesson on our security structure – Ekweremadu

    Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, says Wednesday’s invasion on the Senate is another lesson on the need for Nigeria to re-assess its security structure.

    Ekweremadu, according to a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Mr Uche Anichukwu, stated this when he received the leadership of Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), which visited him at the National Assembly on Friday.

    He said: “It is an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community for someone to drive all the way into the National Assembly Complex, enter the hallowed chamber, and cart away its symbol of authority.

    “It shows a breakdown of security and it is a setback to Nigeria’s drive for foreign investment because no one would be ready to invest money in such a system.

    “So, it is a lesson that we cannot keep doing the same thing with our security system and expect a different result.

    “It is also an irony that the people involved would organise armed bandits to rob the senate of its mace since they understand the implication of what they have done.

    “As a parliament, we will ensure that this does not happen again and insist that all the actors behind the drama are brought to book’’.

    Ekweremadu urged the association to help the nation to rethink its governance and security structures in line with other federal systems.

    Earlier, President of the association, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, had said that the delegation was at the National Assembly to show solidarity with the senate and condemn what happened.

    “Our association is non-partisan, but we must speak the truth, stand by the truth and protect the truth.

    “Any group or person that perpetrated what we saw live on national television needed to have his head examined.

    “A normal person cannot come here and desecrate the National Assembly, let alone infringe on the Mace.

    “It was not really an assault on the National Assembly, but the entire people you have been mandated to represent.

    “The desecration of this hallowed chamber is so grave an event that it calls for an immediate national action to avert a re-occurrence and to bring the culprits, whom we regard as bandits, to book,” he said.

    NAN

  • Reps: Senate mace seizure, a mockery of democracy

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday described the “seizure” of Senate mace by some hoodlums as mockery of the country’s democracy.

    The Deputy Speaker of the House, Yusuff Lasun, said this when the lower chamber briefly suspended plenary to pay solidarity visit to the Senate over the forceful removal of the mace by the hoodlums.

    According to him, the 8th Assembly will make sure that democracy works in the country.

    He said “I read a lot of books about representative democracy, what baffles me most is that those who are trying to undermine the institution of National Assembly are pretenders to the institution of democracy.

    “That means once the assembly seizes to function or you want to muscle it, then it shows that we are no longer practicing democracy.

    “So, we need to tell these people who are pretenders that they are not practicing democracy because it is the assembly that defines democracy.

    “This is because of the way some of us grew up and started practicing democracy; a lot of Nigerians do not agree that the institution of the legislature must be protected.”

    He expressed the support of the House to Senate’s resolution that the Nigerian police should recover the mace within 24 hours.

    He said members decided that they must visit the Senate in solidarity with Senators and to tell Nigerians that the 8th assembly was determined to make democracy work in Nigeria.

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended the lawmakers for the visit, saying “I
    am proud of you and I look forward to having some of you joining us here after the 2019 general elections.”

    NAN

     

  • Mace’s seizure: Senate blamed for thugs’ invasion

    Nigerians on Wednesday took a swipe at Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the red chamber for the attack by hoodlums said to loyal to suspended Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege.

    The thugs on Wednesday morning invaded the Senate presided over by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, seizing its symbol of authority, the mace and injuring some Senators.

    Saraki, who condemned the attack in a press statement issued by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, was accused of provoking it by the suspension of Omo-Agege.

    Saraki, in the statement shared on all his social media platforms, had commended his colleagues for defying “those who machinated an attack on the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in which the mace was forcefully taken away.”

    He said: “I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully took away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.

    “My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

    “With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

    “I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice.”

    Reacting to the incident, a lawyer, Babatunde Ogala said it was an assault not just on the legislature but the constitution, describing it as  sheer anarchy.

    Ogala blamed the Senate for the invasion, insisting that the hallowed chamber set the stage for anarchy when it suspended Omo-Agege in disregard to Senate Rules and Orders of Court.

    “And why do I say so? The rules of the Senate has expressly provided that once a matter is pending before a court of law, the Senate shall not deliberate on same or do any act that may interfere with the proceedings of the court.

    “Senator Omo-Agege had gone to court and obtained an order of court restraining the Senate and it’s Committee on Ethics and Privileges from taking further steps on the investigations of his conduct pending the determination of the suit.

    “Despite receiving the order of court , the Senate at plenary rather than stay action, proceeded to  condemn the order of court and abuse the the judge who granted the order. It even had the temerity to adopt a motion to write and indeed wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria threatening and asking him to call judges to order.

    “As if that was not enough, it still went ahead to invite the senator who when he attended the  committee sitting declined to speak and reminded the committee of the order of court and also reminded it of the provision of the Senate rules that prohibits it from deliberating on a matter that’s lis pendis.

    “Nothwitstanding the order of court and it’s rules, the Senate went on to suspend Omo-Agege. Recall that the Federal High Court had earlier delivered judgement in Senator Ali Ndume v NASS  and ruled that the Senate or any legislative house had no constitutional powers to suspend an elected member and that same is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.

    “The Senate being aware of its own rules, the judgement in Ali Ndume case and the order in Omo-Agege’s case still went ahead to purpoetedly suspend the senator. In all, I condemn the act of desecrating the hallowed chambers by Omo-Agege thugs, but I hold the Senate fully responsible for laying the foundation for the desecration and anarchy,” said Ogala.

    Similarly, some of Saraki’s followers on social media said it was his tyrannical rule of the Eighth Senate that led to the attack, accusing him of suspending those who had contrary views to his.

    Ajibola Akinyemi said: “Sir, you are the cause of the unrest in the Senate with your indiscriminate suspension of your fellow Senators that mostly are not in tune with your opinions. It shouldn’t not be so. Everyone cannot agree with you.”

    Francis Osita said: “Repression breeds rebellion whether you like it or not. Senate President (SP) you cannot stop a constituency from representation and not expect this sort of thing. Anyways, I am watching till it gets to my constituency.”

    Omasoro Ali said: “The eighth Senate is a centre of tyranny. How can you suspend a Senator who has a different opinion from you and your PDP friends? Ovie Omo-Agege Isa patriot and we Buharists, are behind him.”

    Bishop Monday-Marcus wrote: “Again, in a state of lawlessness, it is unlawful to be law abiding. Your suspension order is provocative and a recipe for lawlessness.”

    One @foebz_the_great said: “And I hear you want to run for presidency. If you win it’s probable that our freedom of speech would be taken away and we would not be able to oppose a government that wants us to remain in cages like animals.”

  • Ekweremadu battles to stop FG seizure of 22 houses

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu will on 26 April argue before a Federal High Court in Abuja why the Federal Government should be stopped in seizing 22 houses, said to belong to him.

    The Federal Government had on March 21 filed an ex parte motion seeking an interim order for the temporary forfeiture of some of Ekweremadu’s assets it claimed were undeclared.

    Mr Festus Keyamo, (SAN), filed the ex parte application on behalf of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

    When the matter came up on Tuesday, Mr Adegboyega Awomolo, (SAN), counsel to Ekweremadu told the court that he filed two applications on March 26.

    He said the first application was praying the court for leave to be heard in the motion ex parte adding that he had filed a counter affidavit to depositions contained in the application.

    He said the second application was praying the court to decline jurisdiction and exercise of judicial power, and consequently strike out or dismiss the motion.

    This, Awomolo said was on the grounds that the panel was unknown to law.

    “The body that brought that motion ex parte does not exist in law. We are challenging the constitutionality of its existence” Awomolo said.

    In opposition to Ekweremadu’s application seeking to be heard, the Federal Government stated that all it was currently seeking was to obtain an order of court stopping Ekweremadu from dissipating the assets in question whilst investigation was ongoing.

    Mr Bala Dakum, counsel to the government claimed that it was not seeking to permanently deprive Ekweremadu of the use of his properties.

    He alleged that the application of Ekweremadu was a delay tactics to frustrate the suit adding that there were reports that Ekweremadu was already selling off the assets in question.

    According to him, without an order attaching/forfeiting the said properties, the likelihood of the frustration of investigations as well as the dissipation of the said properties was very high.

    He further told the court that the matter was of utmost public interest and concern, and that an order of court would enable the government to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.

    The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned the matter until April 26 for hearing.

  • We’ll resist attempts to discredit Ekweremadu – Ohaneze

    Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, said it would resist any attempt to discredit Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
    President-General of the group, Chief Nnia Nwodo, in a statement on Thursday, in Enugu, said it was preposterous for the Federal Government to be carrying out unwarranted inquisition into Ekweremadu’s life.
    He said that the allegation that Ekweremadu, the highest ranking Igbo politician in the country, embezzled public funds without any prima facie case was inappropriate.
    Nwodo stated that the idea of asking the Senator to defend himself instead of his accusers showing how he fraudulently enriched himself, amounted to turning the law upside down.
    He observed that Ekweremadu was a revered Igbo son and had attracted a lot of development to his area without any previous accusation of embezzlement.
    “Sen. Ekweremadu is a revered Igbo son whose public image is very high and who has attracted a lot of development to his area; he has never occupied any public office where he was accused of embezzlement.”
    The president-general queried the system of investigation where one was tried for simply belonging to a political party “and is exonerated of an offence he committed for belonging to a political party or being in government’’.

    Read Also: Ekweremadu: Reps tackle special presidential panel

    He cited examples of former and serving military officers who had been let off the hook either through plea bargain or for just changing from one political party to another.
    He also said that a former governor of Enugu State whose property was under investigation was now dining with the Head of State after dumping his former party for the ruling party.
    Nwodo warned that the apex Igbo group would no longer fold it arms while Igbo sons were being systematically singled out for persecution in a country they had contributed so much to build.
    He observed that the cautionary statement by Ekweremadu had been and was still being echoed by many prominent Nigerians and wondered why his case would be different.
    He said that it was such selective justice and marginalization of Ndigbo that fuelled agitations by their young ones for self-determination, adding that restructuring was a first step toward assuaging the situation.

    NAN

  • PDP alleges persecution of Ekweremadu in property forfeiture suit

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged persecution of the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu in a property forfeiture suit filed against him by the Federal Government.

    In a statement on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, the PDP called on the government to stop hounding members of opposition parties.

    The federal government has approached the Federal High Court seeking to seize some properties said to belong to the lawmaker but which he failed to declare in documents he filed with the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    Some of the properties listed include houses said to b located in the United Kinddom, United States, United Arab Emirates, Abuja and Enugu.

    But the PDP, in the statement, frowned at the Motion Exparte filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property against Ekweremadu, saying it was part of a plot to silence opposition elements.

    The statement added that while the PDP was in full support of any genuine anti-graft war, the All Progressives Congress (APC) – led administration’s obsession with Ekweremadu was another clear indication that it was not ready to fight corruption, but rather out to scandalise, persecute, and bring down its perceived opponents.

    The party said, “The PDP recalls that this government rushed to arraign Senator Ekweremadu and the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki in 2016 on trumped up charges of forgery of Senate Standing Rule, even when there was no even a mention of their names in the contentious police report or Proof of Evidence. It eventually withdrew the charges for lack of merit.

    “The police raided and ransacked Senator Ekweremadu’s official guest house in Abuja in May 2017 and blamed it on false whistleblowers, which they charged to court. Nothing has been heard about the trial of the alleged false whistleblowers again.

    “In the current matter, apart from relying on an obsolete law to dabble into the roles of the Code of Conduct Bureau, we are not surprised that the Panel could not carry out a thorough and independent investigation on the purported property of the senator, but relied on a petition by the former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, who is standing corruption trial in several courts, after his removal from office by the National Judicial Council (NJC) in 2017.

    “We recall that the senator accused Umezulike and some politicians of stealing and doctoring his will, inserting non-existent properties or properties that had nothing to do with him.

    “It is also instructive that this calculated smear campaign is in the guise of forfeiture of phantom assets came on the heels of Senator Ekweremadu’s alarm and scathing criticism of the APC-led administration over the nation’s deteriorating democracy and in the midst of the ongoing executive-legislature faceoff, in which a ranking senator of the APC extraction identified Ekweremadu as a pillar of support to the Senate President”.

    The PDP insisted that contrary to the Federal Government’s claims, Senator Ekweremadu had assured it that he declared his assets.

    It wondered why the Federal Government, by its own admission, rushed to court without completion of investigation, but had turned deaf ears to the outcry by Nigerians for the prosecution of the administration’s functionaries and friends indicted for corruption.

    “This government and party have the appetite for prosecution and media trial of the opposition while investigation is on, but refuses to prosecute its members and friends indicted by even its own presidential or ministerial panels.

    “While members of the opposition are taken to court on stretchers, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir Lawal, indicted by both the Senate and a presidential panel only got a pat on the back.

    “The APC Federal Government has failed to prosecute those involved in the Ikoyigate scandal, and the recall of fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina, among others.

    “Ekweremadu is a major symbol of the opposition. We believe that this is part of the grand plan to strangulate the PDP ahead of the 2019 elections and we will resist”, it added.

    The PDP traced Ekweremadu’s travails to attempts by the ruling party to strangulate the opposition ahead of the 2019 election and challenged the Federal Government to publish the assets of APC political office holders.

    “Now that the Federal Government has gleefully inundated the public with the imaginary assets of the Deputy Senate president, can it now also publish the full assets of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo, cabinet ministers and APC governors, who have all failed to make public their assets as promised during the 2015 election”.