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Tag: Jimoh Ibrahim

  • Ondo PDP crisis: Judge declines to hear Jimoh Ibrahim’s suit

    Ondo PDP crisis: Judge declines to hear Jimoh Ibrahim’s suit

    A governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Jimoh Ibrahim has suffered a set-back in his bid to have the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accept him as the actual candidate of the party for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

    Ibrahim was reported to have emerged as the winner of the Ondo governorship primary conducted on Monday in Ibadan, Oyo State, by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP.

    Thursday, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja declined to hear Ibrahim’s motion for an interlocutory injunction, to among others, restrain the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the party from presenting candidate for the election pending the determination of his substantive suit.

    Ibrahim is, by the substantive suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/591/2019, seeking to among others, restrain the Makarfi faction of the PDP from organizing primary and presenting a candidate for the party in the governorship election slated for November.

    Ibrahim instituted the suit in his name and PDP, with Mkarfi, Ben Obi, Odion Ugbesia, Abdul Ningi, Karibu Usman, Dayo Adeyeye, Alhaja Aisha Aliyu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

    He hinged his prayer on a purported subsisting order of the court made in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/439/16, by Chief Benson Akingboye and Hon. Ehizuwa Agbonayina, directing INEC to deal with the Sheriff faction in relation to candidates for the Ondo and Edo governorship elections.

    When the case was called Thursday, Ibrahim’s lawyer, Oladele Oyelami informed the court that his client has effected service of processes (court documents) and notice of hearing on the respondents through substituted means, by publishing them in two national dailies, as earlier directed by the court.

    Oyelami however, failed to exhibit copies of the newspaper publications in court yesterday.

    Ruling, Justice Abang, who currently sits as the court’s vacation judge, noted that, because he has up to September 9 to act as the vacation judge, it was practically impossible for him to hear and render his opinion on the suit, including the motion for interlocutory injunction.

    “Therefore, the only option left for the court is to return the case file to the Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for re-assignment after the court’s 2016 long vacation,” Justice Abang said.

    Meanwhile, the PDP in Ondo State has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), questioning Justice Abang’s handling of the case filed by Akingboye and Agbonayinma

    Ondo PDP’s Secretary, Chief Oyedele M. Ibimi, who endorsed the petition dated July 21, 2016, urged the NJC, under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmoud Mohammed, to investigate Justice Abang’s conduct in his handling of the case and set aside orders earlier made by him in the case by  Akingboye and Agbonayinma.

    The CJN has since acknowledged the receipt of the petition. Justice Mohammed, in an acknowledgment letter dated July 27, 2016, with reference No: NJC/F.3/FHC. 44/III/504A, informed the petitioner that “action is being taken, please.”

    However, the Ward Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Igbotako II Ward 04 in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, Alhaji Usman Lawal has applied to be joined as defendant in the suit filed by Ibrahim.

    Lawal, who claimed to be Ibrahim’s cousin and the Ward Chairman of the party in Igbotako II Ward 04 in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, questioned his right to sue as a member of the PDP and in the party’s name when he is not a member of the PDP.

    The Chairman, who exhibited the register of the party’s members in his Ward, said Ibrahim’s name is not contained in the register. He said Ibrahim belonged to a party called Accord and has not obtained any “waiver” to contest the forthcoming governorship election under the banner of the PDP.

    Lawal stated, in a supporting affidavit to his application to be joined in the suit, that “I know as a fact that the 1st plaintiff (Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim) is a member of Accord and has severally visited our Igbotako community with vehicle branded in Accord logo and symbol, and has canvassed for membership of Accord assuring community members that he will contest the 2016 governorship election of Ondo State under Accord.

    “The plaintiff has boasted severally to me that he will use the courts to stop PDP from sponsoring a governorship candidate in the 2016 governorship election in Ondo State. Further to the foregoing, the 1st plaintiff, who is not a member of the PDP is among certain individuals, who have set up a sham parallel state congress under one Biyi Poroye, who never contested as the Chairman of the PDP.

    “The said sham parallel state congress set up by Biyi Poroye is planning a sham PDP 2016 governorship primary for the 23rd August 2016 in Akure. The 1st plaintiff is reported to have obtained a sham PDP nomination form from the said Biyi Poroye.

    “The said proposed sham governorship primary is subject of litigation in suit No: AK/133/2016; PDP and 3 others v. Biyi Poroye and INEC in which the 1st plaintiff was cited as one of the individuals, who without authority, collected purported governorship nomination form from Biyi Poroye.

    “The 1st plaintiff and other unknown persons, acting together to subvert the PDP nomination by the duly elected state party congress headed by Engr. Clement Faboyede have been restrained by the order of the High Court of Ondo State.

    “I know that the 1st plaintiff in this case is not a member of the 2nd plaintiff (PDP) let alone, a contestant in the forthcoming gubernatorial primary election in Ondo State. The 1st plaintiff, not being a member of the PDP can only aspire for any elective post, by the provision of the constitution of the PDP, if he is granted a waiver,” Lawal said.

    Lawal has also filed a notice of preliminary objection to the suit and urged the court to not hear it for lack of jurisdiction. He also queried Ibrahim’s locus standi (right to sue in relation to an issue) to institute the case.

    Hearing in the case will resume after the court’s vacation in mid-September, when the case is re-assigned and a hearing date communicated to parties.

     

  • Sheriff faction picks Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate

    Sheriff faction picks Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate

    •Court stops election

    business mogul Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim yesterday emerged as the governorship candidate of the Ali Modu Sherif-led faction of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ibrahim defeated other aspirants at a primary held at the hilltop Premier Hotel, Ibadan.

    The factional candidate, who is the Group Managing Director, Energy Group, defeated the only contender, Mr. Olusola Ebiseni, to emerge the factional candidate.

    But an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, yesterday restrained the Senator Alli Modu Sherif-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) from conducting the governorship primary.

    Justice Omolara Adejumo gave an order restraining any other faction of the party aside the one led by Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi from conducting governorship primary election other than

    the one already conducted.

    Also, the court ordered  Ibrahim,  Ebiseeni, Bamiduro Dada and Niran-Sule Akinsuyi from presenting themselves as aspirants for such parallel primary election.

    The court gave similar judgment penultimate week.

    Makarfi faction’s PDP chairman Clement Faboyede sought the order on behalf of the PDP.

    Ibrahim polled 502 votes and Ebiseni got 41 votes.

    Three other aspirants – Dada, Akinsuyi and Mrs. Abiye Ademuyegun – stood down for Ibrahim before the election commenced. They pledged their support for Ibrahim.

    Ebiseni is a former Commissioner for Local Government under the administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

    After much delay all through the night, the electoral committee, headed by Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, commenced the electoral process at about 6.48 am with accreditation of the 801 delegates from the 18 local governments.

    Other members of the electoral committee include Shetima Shehu, Chief Tunji Akinosi, Elder Layi Falaju, Mala Sheriff, Ozo Uchechukwu Ngwu, Bimbo Balogun, Prince Poroye Bill Biyi, Ikenna Nnajioffor, Lawan Gana Karasuwa and the committee secretary Bernand Mikko.

    After accreditation, aspirants were given three minutes each to present their manifestoes.

    The three other aspirants withdrew for Ibrahim at this point.

    Gulak, who announced the result, said Ibrahim emerged winner after an open primary conducted in accordance with the party constitution.

    His words: “Jimoh Ibrahim has emerged the winner after an open and organised governorship election before all the official delegates of PDP in Ondo State. This is internal democracy in action. We have not asked any delegate to vote for anybody or write the name of a particular candidate for the delegates.

    “No governor has written a name for the delegates. We’re law abiding representatives of the party. The delegates and the candidates will be presented with the copy of the result. We won’t change the name of the winner on the way to Abuja.”

    Ibrahim promised to create jobs, establish industrial hub in Ondo State and improve education.

    He said: “I will only occupy one seat in Ondo State and that is the position of the governor of the state by God’s grace after the governorship election; the rest belongs to the people. I have managed over 8,000 workers, 16 companies and have two national honours. And when you talk of integrity, I have first class integrity.

    “I am an employer of over 800 people. Anything Mimiko is not acceptable. He has collected over N1trillion and has destroyed Ondo State.

    “I will create jobs and make education meaningful by introducing school system to prepare a new future for our children.”

    PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe and the Southwest Secretary, Otemole Adepegba attended the primary.

     

     

  • Jimoh Ibrahim’s ward chairman denies his membership of PDP

    Jimoh Ibrahim’s ward chairman denies his membership of PDP

    Ward Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Igbotako II Ward 04 in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, Alhaji Usman Lawal, has thrown spanners in the move by businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, to restrain the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party from presenting candidate for the November 26 governorship election.

    Ibrahim, in a suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, urged the court to among others, restrain the Makarfi faction from organising primary and presenting a candidate for the party in the governorship election.

    Lawal has applied to be joined as defendant in the suit filed by Ibrahim in his name and PDP, with Makarfi, Ben Obi, Odion Ugbesia, Abdul Ningi, Karibu Usman, Dayo Adeyeye, Alhaja Aisha Aliyu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

    Lawal, who claimed to be Ibrahim’s cousin and the PDP Ward Chairman in Igbotako II Ward 04 in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, questioned his right to sue as a member of the PDP and in the party’s name when he is not a member of the PDP.

    The party’s chairman, who exhibited the register of the party’s members in his Ward, said Ibrahim’s name is not contained in the register.

    He said Ibrahim belonged to a party called Accord and has not obtained any “waiver” to contest the forthcoming governorship election under the banner of the PDP.”

    Lawal has also filed a notice of preliminary objection to the suit and urged the court not hear it for lack of jurisdiction.

    He also queried Ibrahim’s locus standi (right to sue in relation to an issue) to institute the case.

    Yesterday, Justice Okon Abang could not hear the case owing to the plaintiffs’ failure to effect service of the processes and hearing notice on the defendants.

    Plaintiffs’ lawyer Oladele Oyelami said he was unable to serve Senator Makarfi and the other defendants.

    He acknowledged that the case was slated for hearing yesterday, but that he was unable to serve the defendants with the originating processes and hearing notice. He sought time to effect proper service of processes on the defendants.

    Ruling, Justice Abang noted that an earlier vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, granted the plaintiffs leave for the case to be heard during vacation. He said he could not review that order because he is of equal jurisdiction with the judge that made the earlier order.

    The judge, who noted that service was important, said he could not hear the suit when proper service has not been effected, despite the leave earlier granted the plaintiffs by the court.

    He adjourned to September 1, 2016 for hearing of pending applications.

     

     

     

  • Jimoh Ibrahim not our member, says Ondo PDP

    Jimoh Ibrahim not our member, says Ondo PDP

    Aide: he is potent party  man

    The Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a businessman, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, at the weekend, traded words over the latter’s membership of the party

    Ibrahim, who last week collected his nomination form from factional PDP National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was alleged  to have defected to Accord Party by the PDP.

    The PDP Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, insisted that Jimoh Ibrahim is no longer a member of the party since he had pitched his tenth with Accord.

    Fadaka said: “I can confirm to you that Jimoh Ibrahim is not a member of our party, the PDP. He has since been rid of his membership and we all know that he is a bona fide member of the Accord Party. So, for him now to be making a somersault to pick a form of PDP is a shameless thing anybody can do in this situation.

    “Also, I want to confirm to you that Jimoh Ibrahim, apart from the fact that he is not a member of our party, he does not have any relationship with the PDP in any case and if he is taking a form from Sheriff, he confirms to the entire world where Sheriff is coming from.”

    Commissioner for Information Mr. Kayode Akinmade said the PDP and the Olusegun Mimiko administration were not bothered by Ibrahim, saying the businessman had never being a loyal member of the PDP.

    He alleged that the factional governorship aspirant wanted to play a spoiler role against the state PDP, stressing that the party members were one and there was no crisis within the state PDP chapter.

    Akinmade said: “He is not our member. During the last general election, he didn’t work for the PDP; we know who he worked for. As far as we are concerned, there is no cause for alarm. Ondo State PDP is not shaken; we are intact.”

    But the Head of Publicity and Research of the Jimoh Ibrahim Campaign Office (JICO), Mr. Sola Akinuli, said the businessman remained a living and potent member of PDP.

    Akinuli said: “Our attention has been drawn to the reaction of Mr. Ayo Fadaka to Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim’s picking gubernatorial form of PDP. We note that it is not uncommon for some people to celebrate falsehood, particularly when it is to please their pay-masters.

    “It is common knowledge within the PDP that Dr.  Ibrahim ranks the greatest investor in the PDP project since he joined the party in 2009.

    “It is on record that Dr. Ibrahim came in when the fortune of the party was nose-diving and his coming added life and vitality by investing lavishly in the party through capacity-building and by injecting 22 buses for the party’s operations which to date remain operational vehicles at the state and local governments.

    “He ensured that rallies were held in the three senatorial districts at nothing less than N10 million per outing. His ‘declaration’ rally remains the greatest and most colourful of all times in Ondo State as it attracted the high and low within the party at that time. Attendees included former President Obasanjo, the late Governor Agagu and a host of others.

    “For capacity-building, a “Turn Around” seminar was held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, in July 2014 with representatives from all the 18 local government areas and many egg-heads to diagnose and proffer solutions to the problems of Ondo State. Of special note was the profligacy of the current administration.

    “Like any viable and potent politician, there have been overtures from many parties, but he has decided not to abandon his party at this trying time of the current economic recession. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

    “He remains a living and potent member of PDP. We also reiterate the fact that Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim is not a nomadic or itinerant politician like the principal of Mr. Ayo Fadaka and employee of the party who has been a beneficiary of Dr. Ibrahim’s goodwill.

    “It is, therefore, not only uncouth, but also unethical for an employee of the party to comment on the status of a leader of Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim’s calibre.”

    The campaign office appealed to PDP members to remain steadfast, saying the expected “Turnaround” was around the corner.

  • Court sets aside order against Jimoh Ibrahim on alleged N50b debt

    Court sets aside order against Jimoh Ibrahim on alleged N50b debt

    Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division yesterday discharged an order granted to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to take over some assets of business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim, over an alleged N50 billion debt.

    Justice Anka set aside the interim ex parte order following an application by AMCON’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali SAN, that parties have decided to explore a settlement of the dispute.

    A sister court presided over by Justice Saliu Saidu had on June 14, granted AMCON an interim injunction against NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited and Chief Jimoh Ibrahim.

    But, NICON Insurance Limited, Nigeria Re-Insurance Hotels Limited, Abuja International Hotels Limited and NICON Hotels Limited, had in a Motion on Notice, filed by their lawyers led by Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), prayed the court to set aside and discharge the ex parte order on the grounds that AMCON deliberately failed to make full disclosure of all material facts before the court.

    At the resumed hearing of the applications to discharge the order yesterday, Ali told the court that since the provision of the Federal High Court rules encourages amicable settlement of disputes, parties have decided to meet and report back to court within two weeks.

    “In the spirit of good faith to show that we are doing this to promote equity and justice, we agree that the ex parte order should be suspended so that parties can explore the issue of settlement. We have an agreement that each of the parties will nominate one chartered accountant each that will carry out forensic audit of the account. Since Union Bank is the principal bank that gave out the loan, the accountants will meet at Union Bank’s headquarters and they are to report back within two weeks’’, Ali said.

    Confirming the agreement, Akintola, Ayorinde and Ibrahim, who led a team of lawyers, urged the court to set aside the ex parte order so as to give parties unfettered access to meet and report back to the court.

    Addressing the court, Akintola submitted that parties have agreed to explore amicable settlement of the dispute adding that the applicants have appointed the firm of Adewale Folowosele & Associates to meet with those that will be nominated by AMCON and Union Bank.

    “We have appointed Adewale Folowosele & Associate and await that of AMCON and Union Bank respectively. Consequently, I apply that the ex parte order of June 214, 2016 should be discharged and parties will return to court within two weeks’’.

    However, Ali told the court that the names of accountants nominated my AMCON and Union Bank will be forwarded to the applicants as soon as they are ready.

    In a bench ruling, Justice Anka discharged the order and adjourned the matter till August 1, 2016.

    Akintola and Ayorinde in their applications had told the court that the properties attached by the interim order belong to the applicants who were not parties to the suit filed by AMCON, thereby making it illegal, unlawful and contrary to the provisions of Section 28 of the NICON Insurance Corporation of Nigeria Act, Cap N54 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    Ayorinde submitted that the applicants were neither borrowers nor beneficiaries, nor were they guarantors to the debt owed to the plaintiff (AMCON).

    He further argued that that AMCON ‘failed woefully’ to comply with the condition precedent by serving a pre-action notice on the applicants, neither did the plaintiff seek the leave of court before joining the applicants to the main suit in their writ of summon purportedly filed on June 27.

    ‘’We submit that a court is only competent when a case comes before it by due process of law and upon fulfillment of any condition precedent to the exercise of jurisdiction. Any defect on the competence of the court is fatal to the proceedings before the court and renders it a nullity’’.

    “We also submit that the only condition under which the honourable court can entertain the application of a person who is not a party to the suit is when the party has first sought for and obtained the leave of the court before bringing the action’’, Ayorinde argued.

    The applicants had in a 24-pragraph affidavit in support of the motion on notice deposed to by one Gbenga Onilude, a litigation officer in the law firm of B. Ayorinde & Co stated that none of the properties attached in the ex parte order belong to any of the defendants; NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil and Gas Limited and Jimoh Ibrahim.

    According to the deponent, the ex parte order was obtained via suppression and misrepresentation of material facts by the plaintiff (AMCON) and it was obtained in bad faith against persons who are not parties to the suit.

     

  • Jimoh Ibrahim: world economy to remain comatose

    Jimoh Ibrahim: world economy to remain comatose

    The world economy will continue to experience difficulties for the next 10 years, the Group Managing Director of Energy Group, Jimoh Ibrahim, gave this position yesterday.

    He said there was hardly anything any one could do on the economy at the moment other than to keep things together and avoid the extension of the recovery period.

    Ibrahim explained that the world economy was growing at seven per cent in 2007 and it slides to about three per cent since 2008.

    “By flow of average, the global economy has been osculating in the last seven years recording a growth of three per cent,” he said.

    “Even if the global economy is going to grow at seven per cent next year, it is not possible to enjoy drastic economic boom until we make up for the deficits of the last seven years. If you calculate that and using the probability on the Monte Carlo stimulation exercise, a 10 year bet is imperative if we have good governance and do things right,” Ibrahim added.

    He advised the Federal Government to be in “congruent reality with basic principle and relax the regulations regime if the fight against corruption will ever have any meaning”.

    Many regulations, Ibrahim warned, make government officials feed fat on corruption, cautioning that those who intend to keep business in the country do more public relations to stay on.

    “The cost of such public relations is now unavoidable by the private sector,” he said.

    The Energy Group boss added: “There are signs of recovery but our concern too is in the fact that there are dangerous conflicting signs and that is why it has become not immediately possible for the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bank of England to increase the interest rate.

    “The price of oil will move up soon as we approach the weather situation and geomorphology conditions will assist Nigeria in getting better price for her oil.” Ibrahim advised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to take advantage of the incoming increase in the price of oil to prioritise government projects and use the pilot approach in delivering its promise to Nigerians.

    He urged the National Assembly to come up with ways and constitutional means of monitoring Federal Allocation to the state by way of revisiting the nation’s fiscal policies.

    Ibrahim called on Nigerians to give Buhari a little more time in the face of the global economic trends.

  • Jimoh Ibrahim denies joining APC

    Following rumours being peddled in Ondo State that business mogul, Bar. Jimoh Ibrahim has defected with his followers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC); Ibrahim yesterday said he still remains in PDP.

    He however insisted that he would never be in good terms with Governor Olusegun Mimiko as long as both of them are in the same party.

    Jimoh vowed that they would frustrate Mimiko ambition of controlling the party structure and also deny him the chance to produce his successor.

    Speaking with reporters at his hometown at Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government, while going for his accreditation, said he cannot defect on internet, saying those who wrote it on internet are fools.

    He confirmed that he has good relationship with the two major Presidential Candidates, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that his loyalty still remains with the PDP.

    “You don’t live by rumours in politics. I don’t have reasons to leave PDP for now. You don’t change party through internet, it is a complete madness. When the deputy governor was decamping, he gave a statement to the press and he signed it.

    “I am predicting victory for PDP and I will like to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the introduction of card readers. This has made the elections more credible.

  • Court nullifies sale of Newswatch to Ibrahim

    Court nullifies sale of Newswatch to Ibrahim

    Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday nullified the sale of Newswatch magazine to businessman, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim.

    The judge awarded N15.7 million damages against him, and ordered the immediate stoppage of further publication of Daily Newswatch.

    The court quashed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) which transferred ownership of Newswatch Communications Limited to Ibrahim.

    Justice Buba upheld all the prayers of the minority shareholders, saying Ibrahim and others could not prove that they paid for the shares.

    “They have not showed how and when they paid for the said shares, and nothing in paragraph 11 and 18A of the respondents’ statement of defence shows how they paid for the shares.

    “There is no evidence in paragraph 3.0 that the respondents paid on or before May 5, 2011, as stated, as they have only given their interpretation to that paragraph.

    “Whatever monies they spent was spent on Daily Mirror and this was confirmed by DW2 during cross examination. The N510 million was supposed to be paid for shares and not for any other purpose, there is no evidence to show that the shares have been paid for.

    “Besides, it was a company called Global Fleet that paid the N14 million, not any of the respondents who contracted with the first respondent,” the judge held.

    The judge, therefore, granted the Plaintiiffs’ reliefs, namely:  “An order setting aside the contract entered into between the first and second respondent companies by virtue of document titled: ‘Share  Purchase Agreement’ between the first and second respondents executed in May, 2011.

    “A consequential order setting aside the Form CAC2 ( Statement of Share Capital and Return of Allotment of Shares) of the 1st Respondent company dated Aug. 27, 2012, and presented for filing by one Gloria A. Ukeje.

    “An order directing the 2nd and 3rd respondents jointly and severally, to pay special damages in the sum of N15.7 million to the first respondent Company, being loss of Business profits since August 2012 till October 2012 when its operations were unilaterally shut down.”

    The court also held that the petitioners discharged the burden placed on them by proving their case, while the first to fourth respondents failed to do so.

    The minority shareholders, Mr. Nuhu Aruwa and Prof. Jubril Aminu urged the court to quash the Share Purchase Agreement which transferred the company’s ownership to Ibrahim.

    They sought an order restraining the respondents from publishing and selling to the public, Newswatch Daily, Newswatch magazine, Saturday Newswatch and Sunday Newswatch.

  • Ondo PDP faults delegates’ list

    Ondo PDP faults delegates’ list

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday faulted the government’s list to the national conference.

    It vowed to win the by-election in Ilaje/Eseodo fixed for April 5.

    At a reconciliation meeting in Akure, PDP said the nomination of political office holders as delegates does not represent majority of the people.

    It said the delegates – Vice-Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Prof. Femi Mimiko; Commissioner for Adult and Vocational Education Remi Olatubora; Commissioner for Environment Sola Ebiseeni and Commissioner for Women Affairs Mrs. Yemi Mamud – were not the state’s best.

    The PDP meeting was attended by Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim; Prof. Olu Agbi; Mr. Ife Adedipe (SAN); Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN); Chief Soji Adesugba; Princess Oladunni Odu; Mr. Ayo Ifayefunmi; Mr. Ebenezer Alabi; Dr. Tayo Dairo and Mrs. Janet Febisola Adeyemi, among others.

    It praised President Goodluck Jonathan for setting up the national conference, but said: “Having given a critical overview to the list from Ondo State, we observed that many of them are political office holders, who do not represent opinion leaders, ethnic groups, political or geographical balances of the people of Ondo State.”

    PDP urged the President to redress the “imbalance”, so the names of “persons with proven integrity” can be put on the list.

    On the reconciliation of aggrieved PDP members, Ibrahim said if all state chapters in the Southwest reconcile aggrieved members, the party would have a better chance of winning back the Southwest.

    He said: “Do not joke with the PDP’s desire. When PDP says it is going to win an election, you should take it serious.”

    On the party’s prospects in next year’s elections, Ibrahim said: “I have never seen an incumbent in a developing country lose an election. I do not know how they do it, but they always win.”

    Fayefunmi said: “This is the final reconciliation meeting of PDP leaders in Ondo State. Hitherto, there were PDP factions, but we have buried our hatchet and now have one PDP in Ondo State. We have considered a the issues affecting our party’s growth. One of them is the national conference. As a party, we have taken a position on the list from Ondo State.

    “We urge the President to to redress this imbalance and include persons of proven integrity and accountability from Ondo State.

    “We have taken a look at the by-election in Ilaje/Ese-Odo. The PDP will work hard to win thet election. That is one of our strongholds. Without rigging, which we will not allow, we will win.”

     

  • Jimoh Ibrahim gives Newswatch editor’s children scholarship

    Jimoh Ibrahim gives Newswatch editor’s children scholarship

    Publisher Jimoh Ibrahim has awarded scholarship up to university level to the three children of the late Deputy Editor of Saturday Newswatch, Mr Toyin Obadina.

    Obadina was shot by gunmen in the wee hours of Saturday, February 1, close to his house in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

    He left behind an aged mother, a wife and three children, aged 12, nine and five years.

    The education of the children, who are in primary and junior secondary schools, would be taken over by the business mogul, according to a statement by the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Newswatch, Mr. Moses Jolayemi.

    Obadina’s widow will also be set up as an entrepreneur, a demonstration of the operational ground work of the organisation, that every worker should be self-sustaining and a manager of resources.

    Ibrahim approved that the organisation bear the cost of Obadina’s burial on February 15, at his home, 2 Macjobi Crescent, Adamo, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

    He prayed God to lighten the burden of Obadina’s demise on the family, adding that the loss was difficult to bear.

    The GMD noted that Obadina was “an accomplished journalist, who distinguished himself as a competent member of staff” from inception of the newspaper.

    Ibrahim said: “Beyond his competence, he demonstrated loyalty to the organisation.”

    The business mogul said he felt obliged to ensure that the family Obadina left behind is not left in the cold.

    He thanked well-meaning Nigerians for their concern and condolences.