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Tag: Obiano

  • Court hears suit against Willie Obiano Feb 27

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday fixed February 27 for hearing in a suit challenging the legitimacy of Willie Obiano as candidate in last year’s governorship election in Anambra State.

    Obaino contested the November 16 poll on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed chose the date after Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), argued that the suit filed last year was not ripe for hearing.

    But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), who led Olusola Oke, Abdulrasheed Ajana and Ifeanyi Nrialike, urged the court to hear the originating summons.

    The plaintiffs – Ugochukwu Ikegwuonu and Kenneth Moneke – asked the court to disqualify Obiano on the grounds that he had two voter cards.

    Joined in the suit is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The plaintiffs claimed that the voter card Obiano tendered before the party’s screening exercise was different from the one he submitted to INEC.

    They raised three questions and sought five reliefs, including an order disqualifying Obiano.

    They also sought an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to strike out Obiano’s name from its record as a candidate in the election.

    Ikegwuonu and Moneke said the court should determine whether, by his alleged conduct, Obiano was qualified to contest the election by virtue of sections 12(2), 16(2)(3) and 31(5) of the Electoral Act.

    In a supporting affidavit, Ikegwuonu averred that Obiano allegedly possessed two voter cards – one purportedly obtained in Lagos, which he tendered at his party’s screening in August, and one claimed to have been obtained in Otuocha, Anambra State, on September 3, which he allegedly presented to INEC.

    He said the Voter’s Identification No. on the first card is 90F5815E7D3738200332, while on the second one is 90F5B12B01296204172.

    Ikegwuonu averred that Obiano’s claim to having a voter card, as contained in the documents he submitted to INEC, was false.

    He queried the authenticity of the date on the birth certificate, which Obiano tendered and issued by Awka South Local Government.

  • All eyes on Anambra as Ngige, Obiano, Nwoye, feanyi Ubah test strength

    All eyes on Anambra as Ngige, Obiano, Nwoye, feanyi Ubah test strength

    Today is a decision day in Anambra State. It is a day to elect the man that will succeed Governor Peter Obi.

    Today’s race is strictly a four-horse one. And they are the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Chris Ngige; All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Willie Obiano; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Tony Nwoye and Labour Party (LP), Chief Ifeanyi Ubah.

    The fate of these four men would be decided by a total of 1, 784,536 registered voters. Of the lot, 900,701, representing 50.5%, are women, while 883,835, representing 49.5%, are men.

    They are spread across 326 wards of the 21 local government areas of the state which prides itself on being “The Light of the Nation”.

    After months of speculations, consultations and preparations which included vigorous campaigns across the local government areas, with seven being in each of the three senatorial districts – Anambra North, Anambra South and Anambra Central.

    Obiano and Nwoye are from Anambra North, while Ngige and Ubah are from the Central and South respectively.

    The four leading contenders in the governorship poll have one thing in common: incredible war chest! So, today’s election would, to some extent, be a fair fight.

    The contest will be determined by many forces. First is the support base. While Nwoye is said to enjoy the support of Chief Arthur Eze and Chief Emeka Offor, Obiano enjoys the support of incumbent governor. Ngige has the strong support of the recently registered APC, an amalgam of four major opposition parties. Ubah, apart from self-financing, has many wealthy friends as supporters.

    The candidates’ popularity will play a major factor. There is no doubt that they are all popular and have carved a niche for themselves in various aspects of life. The popular opinion here is that Ngige parades a larger than life image, having ruled the state once and made indelible marks in the areas of infrastructure.

    Nwoye also has fierce followership, especially among the youths, who are calling for a generational shift. Obiano’s meritorious career, administrative acumen and the support from the ruling party have shot up his popularity. Ubah, an oil and gas magnate, has been made so popular by his kerosine sales to the people at an affordable price.

    Then, there is the ubiquitous factor of religion. Here, religion is a highly emotive subject that every candidate has been careful not to be on the wrong side of it. That probably explains why the recent tragedy at the Adoration Ground was handled with much tact by all the candidates.

    The zoning philosophy may not really be the deciding factor, as it is not very much mentioned here.

    The legal tussles that raged on in the PDP which literally stalled good planning and campaign will sorely hurt the party, federal might notwithstanding.

    While Obiano and Nwoye would be splitting the votes of Anambra North, Ngige, analysts believe, would face no resistance in Anambra Central. He is quite popular and is expected to garner substantial votes there.

    The South Senatorial Zone will act as the swing zone in today’s election. In all, the winner in todays election will the most popular candidate among the people of Anambra State.

  • APGA chieftain solicits votes for Obiano

    APGA chieftain solicits votes for Obiano

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, Mr. Anele Michael, has urged Anambra indigenes to vote for the party’s candidate, Chief Willie Obiano, to maintain the political identity of Ndigbo.

    Anele, the APGA chairman in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, told reporters in Aba that it would be in the interest of Ndigbo if APGA wins.

    He enjoined stakeholders, including governorship aspirants, who lost the primaries, to put aside personal interest and mobilise support for Obiano, to ensure that the party realised its dream of winning the poll, Anele said:

    “Governor Peter Obi, the party’s chairman and other stakeholders, including the governorship aspirants, must put aside their grievances and ensure victory for APGA.”

  • Prosecute APGA’s candidate, Obiano, for multiple registration, APC urges INEC

    Prosecute APGA’s candidate, Obiano, for multiple registration, APC urges INEC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the process of prosecuting APGA’s governorship candidate for Anambra, Mr. Willie Obiano, for alleged multiple voter registration.

    In a statement issued in Abuja, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Obiano’s multiple registration provides “the best test case yet for INEC to convince Nigerians that it is indeed willing and able to discourage multiple voter registration by making those who engage in this electoral fraud to face the full wrath of the law.”

    Prosecuting Obiano, according to the statement, will “also show that INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega was not just bluffing when he recently called for the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal before the 2015 general elections to help restore sanity to the country’s electoral process and deter people from committing electoral offences.’’

    APC said it is important for INEC to ensure that Obiano is made to face justice against the background of the statement credited to Prof. Jega that the Commission had detected 93,526 multiple registration cases in Anambra State ahead of the November 16 governorship poll.

    ‘’It is now clear, from incontrovertible evidence in the public domain, that APGA’s governorship candidate is one of those who engaged in multiple voter registration, having registered twice in Anambra and at least once in Lagos.

    ‘’One of Obiano’s two voter registration cards was issued on Aug. 21st, 2013 with VIN number 90F5B12B88377091121, while the second was issued on Sept. 3rd, 2013 with VIN number 90F5B15E7D378200332. Both gave his address as No. 1 Chief Willie Obiano Street, Otuocha, and showed he was born on 08-08-1955.

    ‘’Add this to the evidence out there that he also registered in Lagos, and one can see that Obiano is a serial electoral offender who must not be allowed to escape justice. Nobody is bigger than the law, and Obiano cannot be an exception,’’ APC said.

    The party said its concerns about the ability of INEC to organise a free, fair and transparent governorship election in Anambra on November 16 had been further heightened by the fact that the Commission failed to discover Obiano’s multiple registration until it was published in the media.

    ‘’This means that the 93,526 cases that the INEC Chairman said it had detected in Anambra may not have been expunged from the voters’ register to be used for the Nov. 16th election. After all, if the case of such a high profile person like Obiano, who is contesting for Governor, was not discovered by INEC, how can the cases involving ordinary citizens be discovered?’’ it queried.

    APC said all eyes were on INEC as to how it would handle the case of Obiano, and that the actions taken by the Commission in the days ahead will determine whether indeed it is ready to organise a free and fair poll or allow a repeat of the electoral heist and brigandage perpetrated by the PDP in the recently-held senatorial by-election in Delta State.

    An Anambra High Court had earlier dismissed a suit seeking to stop Obiano from contesting the election on account of double registration.

    The suit was filed by one Chuma Oli, but the case was dismissed for lack of merit.

  • Anambra North divided over Nwoye, Obiano

    Anambra North is divided, following the emergence of two governorship candidates from the senatorial zone.

    At the weekend, an attempt by members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra North to cunningly get their candidate, Chief Willie Obiano, endorsed by the Anambra North Peoples’ Assembly (ANPA) caused a division among the people.

    Members from other parties walked out of a meeting called to harmonise things.

    ANPA convened the meeting to enable the people of the zone come together and forge a common front to ensure that the next governor comes from Anambra North.

    The meeting was attended by personalities from the area, including the lawmaker representing Anambra North, Senator Margery Okadigbo.

    The meeting was moving smoothly, with speeches by people on the need to support the zone to emerge victorious, before two prominent APGA members, wearing APGA/Obiano’s campaign uniforms, spoke in a language that angered many.

    The duo said the only governorship candidate from the zone was the APGA standard-bearer, Obiano and that the people should “stop beating about the bush”, but should campaign for him.

    One of them even insinuated in a song that Aguleri (Obiano’s town) cannot be defeated in a war.

    This angered many, who felt it was becoming a clannish and party issue. They walked out of the meeting.

    Before this, some people had said the zone had two strong candidates from two strong parties, Obiano of APGA and Comrade Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The speakers urged the people to postpone the discussion till about five days when the Supreme Court would have given judgment on who the PDP candidate is.

    However, it took the presence of Senator Okadigbo to calm the people.

    Addressing the crowd, the lawmaker expressed sadness on the conduct of some of the people, who she said were missing the point.

    She said: “From the action of some of you, it means you have not understood what the real issue is. We prayed that parties should elect their candidates from our zone, and thank God we now have candidates from here.

    “Making a noise about PDP or APGA is senseless at this point. What we need is to go out to the other zones and ask them to support us because Anambra North alone cannot win this election.

    “Let’s forget about whether it is APGA or PDP. I am in a position to tell you the truth because I’m in Abuja and I know the thinking of Abuja. So my people, let us not use our hands to spoil the golden chance God has given us.”

     

     

  • APGA will retain power in Anambra, says Obiano

    APGA will retain power in Anambra, says Obiano

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Willie Obiano, has said that the party will retain power and intensify its service delivery to the people.

    He spoke at the Idemili Day celebrations held at Nkpor. The area is believed to be the stronghold of his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Chris Ngige.

    The ceremony was organised to raise funds for the building of a secretariat and a skill acquisition centre. But it became a rally that offered the plaform for Obiano and other candidates to shed light on his manifestos.

    Obiano was accompanied by the APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh. But the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, also stormed the ceremony with a large number of supporters.

    Despite the absence of Ngige, who hails from Alor, at the event, the community leaders still expressed support for his ambition to rule the state. They said that they would not sacrifice the son of the soil on the altar of politics.

    Senator Annie Okonkwo, who was the chief launcher, called for political tolerance among politicians to ensure a peaceful election on November 16. He donated N10 million to the worthy cause.

    Senator Okonkwo said the proposed centre will equip the youths with life changing skills and re-directing their energies from kidnapping, armed robbery and other vices.

    A community leader, Emeka Nwabueze, an engineer and Information Technology expert, implored the youths to shun evil and embrace value, virtue and hardwork.

    He urged them to emulate the governorship candidates by shunning avarice and graft.

    Nwabueze recalled that he attended Ogidi High School and rose from his humble begining to become an aide of former United States President George Bush.

    Obiano thanked the people for supporting APGA in the last seven years. He urged the people to retain the party in power by voting for him on November 16.

    He lauded the developmental programmes of the Obi Administration, assuring that the tempo will be sustained, if elected as his successor.

    Obiano described himself as the candidate to beat, adding that other contenders cannot beat his profile.

    He called for continuity, saying that APGA, the traditional party of the Igbo, will never renege on its promises to the people.

    Dignitaries at the ceremony also included Chief Obiaora Okonkwo, the leader of NzukoIdemili Association, Dr. Emma Emelumadu, who chaired the ceremony, and other prominent indigenes.

     

  • Monarchs endorse Obiano

    Monarchs endorse Obiano

    Traditional rulers in Dunukofia kingdom, Anambra Central, have endorsed Chief Willie Obiano, the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA’s) candidate in the November 16 poll.

    The monarchs, who turned out en masse at a rally at Umunnachi to receive Obiano and give him their royal blessings, are Igwe F.U. Onochie of Umunnachi, Igwe Emeka Iluno of Ifite Dunu, Igwe T.C. Tagbo of Ukwullu, Onowu Raphael Chukwurah, the Regent of Umudioka and Crown Prince Nwaegwu of Nawgu community.

    The traditional rulers, who mobilised their subjects to the rally, were unanimous in their view that the APGA candidate was the best of the 23 governorship candidates.

    They assured the APGA candidate of their support and blessed him.

    Obiano told the royal fathers that his administration would build on the achievements of the Peter Obi administration to make Anambra Nigeria’s leading industrialised state.

    According to him, Governor Obi has brought super-structures for accelerated development “and what Anambra requires is a technocrat like my humble self, who is competent, has contacts to build on Obi’s foundation and put the state on a map of model states.

    The APGA standard-bearer said his 4-Cs concept and the Anambra Wheel of Development were developed to address development and ensure that there was continuity in the execution of the laudable projects the present administration had started.

  • Anambra: INEC, APGA, Obiano dragged to court over double registration

    Anambra: INEC, APGA, Obiano dragged to court over double registration

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its governorship candidate, Chief Willie Obiano, have been dragged to court by Abum Emeremgini in Anambra State over an alleged double registration.

    Also joined in the suit at the Federal High Court in Awka is the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Chukwuemeka Onukaogu.

    Emeremgini, is praying for an injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants (INEC and REC) from parading and recognising the APGA candidate as a candidate in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State.

    This, according to the plaintiff, is for having not fulfilled the constitutional requirements for the qualification of a governor of a state.

    The plaintiff is also praying for an injunction restraining the officers, servants and agents of 1st respondent (INEC) from interfering or deleting data of the 4th respondent, Willie Obiano, from the register of INEC.

    He alleged that proper procedure has not been followed for the transfer of the name of the 4th respondent (Obiano) from Lagos to Anambra State in the transferred voter’s list of the 1st defendant’s register.

    Again, that any purported transfer was not done in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

     

  • Monarchs endorse Obiano for governor

    Monarchs endorse Obiano for governor

    The traditional ruler of Umuoji town, Igwe Cyril Enweze, has said the only candidate that is acceptable to Anambra indigenes is the one who will build on Governor Peter Obi’s legacies.

    He said Obi was the only governor that had brought infrastructural development to Umuoji, which had impacted positively on the lives of the people.

    Igwe Enweze spoke at a social function in the town where Governor Obi was received.

    He listed the governor’s achievements in the area as rebuilding and equipping schools, hospitals, provision of potable water, building of roads and economic empowerment, among others.

    The monarch said Umuoji would support APGA in the November 16 election to reciprocate Obi’s kind gesture.

    The traditional ruler of Amanse, Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo, has advocated support for the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA’s) standard-bearer, Dr. Willie Obiano, in the coming election.

    He spoke at a cultural festival in his community.

    The monarch, who thanked Governor Obi for fulfilling his promise of supporting Awka North to produce the next governor, said Amansea community would back Obiano to reciprocate Governor Obi’s kind gesture.

    He said Obi has performed more than the previous governors, stressing the need to sustain the tempo of development in the state.

    Governor Obi noted that his administration had completed many projects in Awka North.

    He urged the people to vote for a credible candidate in the forthcoming election.

    Obiano said if elected governor on November 16, he would continue from where Obi stopped.

  • ‘Obiano is copying Ngige’s manifesto’

    The Ngige Campaign Organisation has urged the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Mr. Willie Obiano, to stop copying the manifesto of Senator Chris Ngige.

    It said this in a statement by the Media Assistant, Mr. Igboeli Arinze.

    The statement berated the APGA candidate for the “unethical duplication” of Senator Ngige’s manifesto.

    It reads: “We have with disgust and amazement watched how the APGA candidate Mr. Willie Obiano revised his manifesto to include the contents obtained from the impeccable manifesto of Senator Chris Ngige.

    ‘’Mr. Obiano, in his abject lack of preparation to become a warrant chief, let alone governor of Anambra State, is making use of the promises of Senator Ngige to campaign at rallies and other places.

    “For example, Mr. Obiano initially did not promise free education or free ante-natal services for expectant women or free primary health care for children under five as stated in Ngige manifesto.

    ‘’But after Ngige announced these plans to the electorate, Obiano copied them, promising to do the same for the people.”

    Arinze advised the Obiano team to be creative and evolve a manifesto for its candidate.

    He said: “With the hype and propaganda about Willie’s CV, it beats the imagination to see such a candidate copy the manifesto of a co-aspirant.

    ‘’Candidates shoud act as role models to children. How can our dear Obiano preach against exam malpractices when he is also a beneficiary of such a vice.”

    Arinze, however, said the situation was favourable to Senator Ngige, “as it shows that of the candidates, he leads the pack with ideas.”