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Tag: Obanikoro

  • ‘Obanikoro’s comment contemptuous’

    ‘Obanikoro’s comment contemptuous’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has described as contempt of court a statement credited to the former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore’s petition before the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal.

    The party, in a statement by its spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, condemned Obanikoro’s assertion in an interview that the PDP had the upper hand at the tribunal.

    Obanikoro said in the interview: “If you have been following proceedings at the court, you will see that we have gained the upper hand. Aregbesola won with about 50 per cent of the votes while we scored about 40 per cent… You wait for the outcome of the tribunal. We are going to win because the facts show that the results are in favour of the PDP.”

    The APC, therefore, urged the tribunal to sanction Obanikoro for contempt of court and for unlawfully pre-empting the tribunal’s decision on who won the August 9 governorship election.

    The party said: “ Obanikoro’s statement was designed to misinform the public against evidence before the tribunal.

    “Only a drunken man or one in the stupor of drug overdose would arrive at Obanikoro’s conclusion which runs against the grain of evidence so far produced at the tribunal.

    “Obanikoro’s statement is the insidious impunity of the PDP to present a fait accompli in a case that is ongoing in the court.

    “The idea is to give a false impression that the PDP has secured a favourable judgment in a case in which evidence is still being produced by witnesses.

    “The PDP’s bluff is characteristic of its arrogance of impunity inspired by its gross misuse of power that has become notorious.”

  • Lagos PDP governorship primary: Obanikoro, Agbaje reconcile

    Lagos PDP governorship primary: Obanikoro, Agbaje reconcile

    The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State was resolved yesterday, following the intervention of the Presidency.

    Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and other governorship aspirants have agreed to work with the party’s governorship candidate, Mr  Jimi Agbaje, for the party’s success in next year’s election.

    Obanikoro had engaged in a war of words with Agbaje and PDP leaders -Chief Bode George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe- over the party’s controversial governorship primary.

     He had sued the PDP for not addressing a petition he wrote over the conduct of the primary, which he described as a sham.

    The reconciliation was announced at a briefing by Agbaje in Lagos yesterday.

    Those in attendance were Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Lagos PDP Chairman Col. Tunde Shelle (rtd) and Mrs Modupe Sasore. Others were Tokunboh Kamson, Deji Doherty and Babatunde Gbadamosi, all of who contested with Obanikoro and Agbaje.

    However, George and Ogunlewe didn’t show up at the event. Also, Mr Dickson, an aspirant, was absent.

    Sambo flew in to Lagos on Tuesday night for the reconciliation talks, which lasted till the early hours of yesterday.

    Agbaje said through the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Vice President, “all the aspirants in the governorship primaries of Lagos State have agreed to smoke the peace pipe and gather under one banner”.

    “We listened to the voice of Nigerians, Lagosians in particular. They asked us to give and take. We have just done that. We were asked to put our house in order. Differences, animosities, divergences are hereby declared dead and buried.

    “It is my pleasure and privilege to speak to you today as the candidate for the governorship of our dear state on the platform of the PDP. All the different voices in PDP have come under this big, strong and formidable PDP umbrella.”

    Agbaje said his mission was to ensure that people have an opportunity to realise their aspirations, fulfil their potential and provide people-centred leadership that focuses on transforming lives.

    In his address, Obanikoro said despite the inadequacies of our governorship primary, we have agreed today that Agbaje is the PDP candidate in Lagos State.

    “We must realise that in life, there is a time for everything and it is time to close ranks. There is no winner or loser in this endeavour that we have just ended,” Obanikoro stated.

    Sambo thanked all aspirants for accepting Agbaje as the party’s governorship candidate and promising to work for him at the poll.

    The Vice President said: “I know Jimi Agbaje well. He is a gentleman, a thoroughbred Lagosian. He will be a good governor in Lagos, if elected.”

  • PDP denies manipulating Lagos governorship primary

    PDP denies manipulating Lagos governorship primary

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied allegation by former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro that its December 8 governorship primary held in Lagos State was manipulated in favour of the winner, Jimi Agbaje.

    The PDP accused Obanikoro of working to frustrate its plan to field a credible and lawful candidate for the next governorship election in Lagos.

    It accused Obanikoro of storming the election venue with about “30 heavily armed Mobile policemen.”

    It contended that contrary to Obanikoro’s claim, it complied with its Electoral Guidelines in the conduct of the Lagos primary. It also denied Obanikoro’s allegation of over voting during the primary election.

    The party’s position is contained in three separate processes it filed in reaction to the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja by Obanikoro, with which he sought to among others, annul the outcome of the Lagos governorship primary.

    The processes include a notice of preliminary objection, affidavit to show cause and counter affidavit.

    They were filed for the party by Paul Ananaba (SAN).

    The PDP, which urged the court to dismiss Obanikoro’s suit, argued that even if there was non-compliance with the Electoral Guideline, “it was not substantial to warrant the prayers sought by the plaintiff.”

    In its affidavit to show why Obanikoro’s prayers should not be granted, the party denied that there was over voting, arguing that its electoral committee acted within the guideline and conducted a free exercise.

     

  • How Bode George, Agbaje rigged primary, Obanikoro tells court

    How Bode George, Agbaje rigged primary, Obanikoro tells court

    Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro has accused a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George and the winner of the party’s governorship primary, Jimi Agbaje, of manipulating the election to favour Agbaje.

    Obanikoro, in an affidavit in a suit contesting the election, alleged that George and Agabje deliberately disrupted proceedings at the election venue, using thugs and state security officers to achieve their aim.

    Obanikoro is seeking, among others, the nullification of the election on the grounds that it violated the party’s electoral guidelines, including the production of result in excess of accredited voters.

    Defendants are the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Sometime at 11am, Chief Bode George and Jimi Agbaje, a co-contestant, arrived at the venue with armed thugs, who kept a menacing vigil at the gate.

    “Sometime at 1pm, George, a chieftain of the first defendant, returned to the venue of the election with armed mobile policemen and armed officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where his wife is the chairman, making the atmosphere charged.

    “The thugs earlier brought by George and Agbaje, at this point, began to disrupt the venue by throwing bottles, stones and firing gun shots in the direction of the delegates loyal to me and preventing other delegates loyal to me from entering the venue.

    “The gun shots attracted another detachment of policemen, who engaged the thugs in a gun and tear gas battle, during which many of the delegates loyal to me ran to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

    “Many of the delegates, who fled in the ensuing violence and gun battle never returned and were consequently disenfranchised as it took the police several hours to restore some semblance of normalcy.

    “The police recovered five guns and rounds of ammunitions and live cartridges from the thugs brought by George and Agbaje. Thereafter, the delegates loyal to and brought by George and Agbaje started arriving the venue of the election and accreditation which ought to have started since 8am  started at 6.30 pm

    “At this late hour, having noticed that many of my delegates  had run for their dear lives, many non-party members, miscreants and unaccredited persons were allowed by the state Electoral Panel to be used to replace the delegates loyal to me.

    “The above notwithstanding, the remaining delegates loyal to me were openly threatened with physical injury not to vote for me. Even the voting papers given to my delegates were later snatched from them and the name of my opponent, Agbaje forcefully written on their papers in the presence of the electoral officers manning the election,” he said

    He argued that but for the manipulation by George and Agbaje, he would have won the election.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, after listening to Obanikoro’s lawyer, Chris Uche, argue his motion ex-parte for interim injunctions, refused to grant the applicant’s prayers.

    Justice Mohammed, who adjourned till December 23, directed the two defendants to appear in court on the next adjourned date.

  • How Bode George, Agbaje rigged primary, Obanikoro tells court

    How Bode George, Agbaje rigged primary, Obanikoro tells court

    Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro has accused a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George and the winner of the party’s governorship primary, Jimi Agbaje, of manipulating the election to favour Agbaje.

    Obanikoro, in an affidavit in a suit contesting the election, alleged that George and Agabje deliberately disrupted proceedings at the election venue, using thugs and state security officers to achieve their aim.

    Obanikoro is seeking, among others, the nullification of the election on the grounds that it violated the party’s electoral guidelines, including the production of result in excess of accredited voters.

    Defendants are the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Sometime at 11am, Chief Bode George and Jimi Agbaje, a co-contestant, arrived at the venue with armed thugs, who kept a menacing vigil at the gate.

    “Sometime at 1pm, George, a chieftain of the first defendant, returned to the venue of the election with armed mobile policemen and armed officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where his wife is the chairman, making the atmosphere charged.

    “The thugs earlier brought by George and Agbaje, at this point, began to disrupt the venue by throwing bottles, stones and firing gun shots in the direction of the delegates loyal to me and preventing other delegates loyal to me from entering the venue.

    “The gun shots attracted another detachment of policemen, who engaged the thugs in a gun and tear gas battle, during which many of the delegates loyal to me ran to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

    “Many of the delegates, who fled in the ensuing violence and gun battle never returned and were consequently disenfranchised as it took the police several hours to restore some semblance of normalcy.

    “The police recovered five guns and rounds of ammunitions and live cartridges from the thugs brought by George and Agbaje. Thereafter, the delegates loyal to and brought by George and Agbaje started arriving the venue of the election and accreditation which ought to have started since 8am  started at 6.30 pm

    “At this late hour, having noticed that many of my delegates  had run for their dear lives, many non-party members, miscreants and unaccredited persons were allowed by the state Electoral Panel to be used to replace the delegates loyal to me.

    “The above notwithstanding, the remaining delegates loyal to me were openly threatened with physical injury not to vote for me. Even the voting papers given to my delegates were later snatched from them and the name of my opponent, Agbaje forcefully written on their papers in the presence of the electoral officers manning the election,” he said

    He argued that but for the manipulation by George and Agbaje, he would have won the election.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, after listening to Obanikoro’s lawyer, Chris Uche, argue his motion ex-parte for interim injunctions, refused to grant the applicant’s prayers.

    Justice Mohammed, who adjourned till December 23, directed the two defendants to appear in court on the next adjourned date.

  • How George, Agbaje rigged Lagos primary – Obanikoro

    How George, Agbaje rigged Lagos primary – Obanikoro

    A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has accused a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George and the winner of the party’s governorship primary, Jimi Agbaje of manipulating the election to favour the latter.

    Obanikoro, in an affidavit he filed with a suit he initiated against the election, alleged that George and Agabje deliberately disrupted proceedings at the election venue, using thugs and state security officers to achieve their aim.

    The defeated governorship aspirant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/994/2014 is seeking among others, the nullification of election outcome on the ground that the exercise violated the party’s electoral guidelines in many areas, including the production of result in excess of accredited voters.

    Defendants in the suit are the PDP and the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Sometime at about 11am, one Chief Bode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, a co-contestant arrived the venue of the election with armed thugs, who kept a menacing vigil at the entrance of the election venue.

    “Sometime at about 1pm, the said Chief Bode Goerge, a chieftain of the 1st defendant returned to the venue of the election with a team of armed mobile policemen and armed officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA( where his wife is the Chairman), making the atmosphere at the venue to become exceedingly charged.

    “The thugs earlier brought by Chief Bde George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje, at this point, began to disrupt the venue by throwing bottles, stones and firing gun shots in the direction of the delegates loyal to me and preventing other delegates loyal to me from entering the venue.

    “The gun shots attracted another detachment of policemen, who engaged the thugs in a gun and tear gas battle, during which many of the delegates loyal to me ran for dear lives to avoid being caught in the crossfire between the police and the armed thugs.

    “Many of my delegates, who ran for their dear lives in the ensuing violence and gun battle never returned and were consequently disenfranchised as it took the police several hours to restore some semblance of normalcy.

    “The police recovered five guns and rounds of ammunitions and live cartridges from the thugs brought by Chief Bode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje. Thereafter, the delegates brought by Chief Bode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje started arriving the venue of the election and accreditation which ought to have started since 8am started at about 6.30pm.”

  • Serious allegations

    Serious allegations

    Obanikoro’s allegations that Bode George is turning SURE-P cadets into an illicit force, for election duties in 2015, should be probed

    Chief Bode George, chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, is in the news again.  He is in the news at the moment over weighty allegations that funds for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) were being misapplied; and that the SURE-P task force being trained in Lagos was actually meant to terrorise inhabitants and also destabilise the coming 2015 general elections in Lagos State.

    Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of State for Defence and leading PDP member, in exasperation after he lost the primaries, went on air to level these grievous allegations against  George.

    A breakdown of the allegations, as reported and beamed live on Television Continental (TVC), a satellite television station, shows the following: that Bode George is purportedly sponsoring and training thugs illegally for election purposes through the SURE-P Task Force at toll gate along Magodo expressway area; that members of the Task Force bear arms and ammunition allegedly in preparation for election violence; and that the SURE-P boys allegedly provide round-the-clock security for George’s Ikoyi residence.  But he is not known to occupy any top public office at present to warrant such protection, by people paid from the public till.

    In fury, Obanikoro also stated that the only time the PDP in the state knew peace was when George was in jail.

    We believe that the outburst of Obanikoro should not be shoved aside, as coming from someone who lost in the just concluded PDP governorship primaries. As a former ambassador, Minister of State for Defence and frontline member of the PDP in the state, he knows what he was saying about what goes on in the innermost circle of the party and, most especially, on issues he raised.

    To us, indeed, he spoke as someone who should know. In our view, such severe allegations should not be treated with kid’s gloves; or dismissed as the ranting of an irritant party man.  Rather, they should be treated with official promptness because they bear criminal imputations that could be injurious to Lagos and the entire electoral process if not properly addressed now.

    We could not fathom why SURE-P,  designed to bring succour to the long suffering people of Lagos and Nigerian in general under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, could be turned, for selfish reasons, to an avenue for creating a possible destabilisation force with obviously the sole aim of threatening free and fair elections in Lagos State come February, 2015.

    Hitherto, there have been reports of massive recruitment of able-bodied people into the SURE-P cadre and they were reportedly seen along the toll gate express-road, being given military drilling.  That supports the allegation that they might be deployed to cause disquiet in the polity.

    On several occasions in recent past, the task force cadets had reportedly engaged the officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) in avoidable battles over who controls highways in the Lagos metropolis. The squabbles emanating from this have led to the unleashing of serious injuries on some LASTMA officials by SURE-P cadets that are reported to be routinely armed.

    Yet, they have proved to be grossly inefficient in providing effective traffic management on major roads that they have illegally taken over. In retrospect, we can authoritatively state that during the era of Adeseye Ogunlewe as Minister of Works under the Obasanjo presidency, he came up with a gang called FERMA task force through which they terrorised Lagosians on the road. Just as that ill conceived gang did not last long, we are not under any illusion, like its promoters, that this SURE-P task force will disappear like its predecessor did.

    Still, we demand the intervention of the presidency in addressing the Obanikoro allegations against George. It is sad to note that the SURE-P funds meant to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal have been allegedly hijacked by Bode George and his faction of the party.

    This amounts to nothing but an abuse of SURE-P funds and, in essence, which should not be allowed to continue. But for the crisis that was an aftermath of the PDP governorship primaries, the public will still be in the dark.

    We wonder: how can money, specifically meant to be shared for the good of all Lagosians, now be turned into the exclusive preserve of a few in the state branch of PDP hell bent in creating mayhem come 2015?

    President Jonathan must ensure, as a matter of urgent duty, that nothing is done or allowed to be done to compromise the coming elections in Lagos or anywhere in Nigeria.

  • Obanikoro sues PDP over Lagos primary

    Obanikoro sues PDP over Lagos primary

    Former Minister of State for Defence and a contestant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos governorship ticket, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, to compel authorities of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to abide by the guidelines of the party.

    Obanikoro said he took the party to court, to compel the authorities to expedite action on a petition he filed in respect of what he described as the rigged governorship primary that returned Jimi Agbaje as the party’s candidate.

    He gave this indication yesterday while addressing his supporters at his campaign office in Ikeja, Lagos. He had on Tuesday petitioned the party’s leadership over the governorship primary held on Monday. Alluding to why he resorted to the legal action, he said: “Our position is that the primary must be cancelled and repeated. We filed our petition on Tuesday, thinking that the authorities would abide by the guidelines of the party. But, they have not responded as I speak to you.”

    According to the former Minister of State for Defence, he rejected the result of the election because of a controversy over the difference in the number of accredited voters and the number of votes cast. He said all sorts of persons were brought into the arena where the primary took place as delegates.

    Obanikoro said he and his supporters were aware of what was going on, but they felt they had enough delegates on their side and that they could still win the contest.

    “The result of the primary cannot stand. Anyone who chooses to change Lagos for the better must stand by the truth. The election must be cancelled,’’ he said.

    Obanikoro, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana and a former Minister of State for Defence, urged his supporters to remain steadfast.

    He declined comments on whether he would leave the party if the result was not cancelled. He said he remains thankful to the Lord for what he has achieved in life today and that his decision to take the party to court is not about himself, but to get the authorities to live up to the slogan of the PDP, which says that power belongs to the people. “I tell you, nobody can come and beg me to allow injustice to thrive. I have fought so many battles to get to where I am today in life. So, we are going to stand on the path of truth; nobody is going to intimidate us. The election that took place on Monday must be cancelled and repeated,” he said.

    Obanikoro reportedly polled 343 votes to emerge runners up in the controversial primaries in which Agbaje was declared winner with 432 votes.

  • Obanikoro rejects Agbaje’s victory

    Obanikoro rejects Agbaje’s victory

    Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro who lost the governorship primary to businessman Jimi Agbaje, was yesterday seething with anger. He said the only time the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos had peace was while the party’s Southwest leader, Chief Olabode George was in prison. George got a state pardon.

    Obanikoro was addressing the outcome of the party’s governorship primary on Monday in which George’s preferred candidate, was announced winner.

    The former minister who rejected the result, describing the primary election as a “sham”, said before George went to prison the party was in “crises galore’, which got boiling again after his release from prison.

    Obanikoro rebuffed the former Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) boss’ claim that he (Obanikoro) was the one who brought thugs to the venue of the election, stressing that George had thugs and a vehicle loaded with arms at the premises.

    “Because it is important for the people to know. Let me say that the only time we had some semblance of peace in Lagos PDP was when Bode George was in prison.

    “Before and after coming out, it has always been crises galore. He always creates crisis because he is not democratic in any shape and form.

    “If you want to dictate, do it in your house. Even in your house these days, you have to sit down with your children and come to terms with the realities of the day,” said Obanikoro.

    Obanikoro accused George of sponsoring “SURE P thugs” who occupy Lagos roads illegally, adding that aside using thugs to harass his supporters on the day of the election, the leader tried to stop the police from doing their job.

    He accused George of telling the party leaders not to vote a Muslim, adding that it was the same method George used in 2007 to force  Funsho Williams on the party.

    Obanikoro vowed to appeal the outcome of the primary for the interest of justice and fairness.

    Obanikoro said: “I am not going to send congratulatory message to anybody because of the manner the election was conducted and the processes that led to the election.”

    George had objected to Obanikoro’s governorship ambition, saying that it was borne out of desperation and extreme covetousness.

    He said his resignation, barely six months after his appointment, was unfair and annoying.

    The former PDP National Deputy Chairman also chided the former minister for peddling falsehood about the circumstances surrounding his resignation.

    He said Obanikoro lied to the Lagos PDP when he said that he was advised to resign by President Goodluck Jonathan to  join the governorship race.

    George said there was no way the president would have asked the former minister to quit the federal executive council and vie for the governorship without carrying party leaders along.

  • PDP primaries: Court orders Obanikoro, others to maintain status quo

    PDP primaries: Court orders Obanikoro, others to maintain status quo

    Justice  Kazeem Alogba of a Lagos high court, Ikeja has ordered parties in a suit seeking to stop Senator  Musiliu Obanikoro from contesting the December 8, 2014  governorship primaries of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos to maintain the status quo. The applicants in the suit who are members of the party include Micheal Babatunde Ogun, Suleiman Olayinka Saheed and Wasiu Adeniyi Odusan.

    Joined as defendants alongside Senator Obanikoro are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP.             The trial judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba refered parties to   the admonition in the decision of  judges of the Supreme Court in a suit, Ojukwu versus government of Lagos State 1986 NWLR PT. 86 .                  Quoting from the judgment in the matter, Justice Alogba said,  “the law as to what obligations are placed on parties when they are aware of pending application seeking to restrain them from doing anything that could foist a fait accompli on the court with respect to an unfettered hearing and determination of that application on its full merits is very clear and live.

    ”I admonish all parties to obey the admonition in that decision of the learned jurists of our apex court”, he  said.    The appellants, through their lawyer, Wahab Shittu, had filed an ex parte motion before the court through which they urge the court to restrain the former Defence Minister-of-State.                                   They sought from the court, an order of interlocutory injuction restraining the first defendant from participating in the governorship primaries scheduled for December 8, 2014.

    They also sought an order of interlocutory injuction restraning the PDP from nominating Senator Obanikoro to INEC for the purpose of contesting the 2015 governorship elections in Lagos state or any subsequent elections in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons and  for any such further orders as the court may deem fit.