Elders, stakeholders, and thought leaders of the Enyibichiri Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027.
They also threw their support behind Governor Francis Nwifuru and the member representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, for another term.
The endorsements were announced over the weekend during a one-day working visit by Hon. Ogah to the community.
During the visit, Ogah commissioned the newly reconstructed Ofee Bridge, a project undertaken by the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Donatus Ilang.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Ogah urged the people to support President Tinubu, noting that the President has shown genuine commitment to the development of the South East through his Renewed Hope Agenda.
“President Tinubu is addressing long-abandoned infrastructure projects across the South East, and every sector of the economy is receiving serious attention,” he said.
Ogah praised the enabling environment created by the Tinubu administration, which, he said, has allowed National Assembly members to deliver more projects to their constituents.
He pledged to facilitate the installation of a telecommunication mast to boost mobile network connectivity in the community.
In addition, Ogah donated solar-powered streetlights to enhance security and nighttime activities and promised to begin the construction of four blocks of open shops at the community market square to stimulate local commerce.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, Mr. Ilang commended the developmental strides of President Tinubu and Governor Nwifuru, emphasising that both leaders deserve to be re-elected for their outstanding performances.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Rt Hon Chinedu Ogah, has said the Correctional Service is the key to Nigerian security.
He said this when the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, appeared before the Committee at the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday.
The CG was represented by the Deputy Controller General of Corrections in charge of Inmates Training and Productivity, Sylvester Nwakuche.
Ogah said the CG was invited following the Committee’s inaugural meeting on November 2, where the working plan and strategy were adopted.
He said 10th Assembly is made up of very committed people that have Nigeria’s interests at heart.
“The Correctional Service is a key to Nigerian security in the sense that we need to make sure we reintegrate the offenders to the society by giving them hope so they would not indulge in crime again, because if such a thing is not done, we would continue to have a breakdown of law and order in all parts of the country. That is the essence of this meeting.
“After our meeting of 2nd November 2023, when we had our inaugural meeting, we adopted a working plan and strategy of what the Committee ought to do. After that we came up with a resolution of inviting the CG of NCS to brief the committee on the journey so far. With the mandate of my colleagues that is you are invited here today. That is the main purpose of being here today.
“We have looked at so many problems facing the reformatory institutions in this country. One is not properly appropapating to the correction service, the liquidation of some structures, the welfare of the staff, and some other things need to be taken care of. But we want to make sure that the little that is appropriated is properly utilized.
The Lagos Division of Court of Appeal yesterday upturned the judgment of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia which dismissed the election of the member representing Isikwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, Hon Amobi Ogah.
The tribunal had in a judgement in September nullified Ogah’s election, declaring the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate and current Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, as the winner of the election.
Ogah headed for the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment.
The Appeal Court, in its judgement, upturned the tribunal’s decision.
The appellate court said the appeal of the Labour Party candidate was meritorious and allowed same, thereby setting aside the ruling of the lower court.
Meanwhile, another Labour Party candidate, Denis Agbo representing the Udenu/Igboeze North federal constituency of Enugu State was sacked by the Appeal court.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos State has sacked Agbo and ordered a fresh election within 90 days.
The court, delivering its judgement yesterday via Zoom, ruled on the appeal of All Progressives Congress candidate, Dr Oby Ajih, mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election for all parties involved.
Rivers and Zamfara states All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be part of the governorship and House of Assembly elections slated for March 2.
The party’s candidates’ names are missing on the list of those who will run in the elections released last night by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Two weeks ago, the commission also omitted names of APC candidates in the National Assembly final list of candidates.
Seventy-nine of the candidates are women. Many of them are from Kano and Delta states.
The commission resolved the controversy over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State in favour of Senator Buruji Kashamu. The senator and another party chieftain and House of Representatives member, Ladi Adebutu, were battling for the ticket. INEC said it chose Kashamu based on a court judgment.
The commission also resolved the crisis over the APC governorship candidate in Abia State in favour of Uche Ogah, who battled Chief Ikechi Emenike for the ticket.
For Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu is on the list as governorship candidate of the APC. The PDP has Mr Jimi Agbaje as its governorship candidate. The two are seen as the major contenders. Some of the governorship candidates in Oyo State are Adebayo Adelabu (APC), Seyi Makinde (PDP) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (ADP).
First term governors on the list are Umar Ganduje (Kano, APC), Nyesom Wike (PDP, Rivers), Emmanuel Udom (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Ben Ayade (Cross River PDP), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto PDP), Samuel Ortom (Benue PDP), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna APC), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta PDP), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu PDP), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina APC) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia PDP).
Others are Dave Umahi (Ebonyi PDP), Sani Bello (Niger APC), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi APC), Ishiaku Darius (Taraba PDP), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi APC), Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau APC) and Bindow Jubrilla (Adamawa APC).
Some other candidates who made the list are: Umaru Ahmadu (Adamawa PDP), Nsima Udo Ekere (Akwa Ibom APC), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom PDP), Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Bauchi PDP), Emmanuel Jime (Benue APC), Baba Gana Umara (Borno APC), Mohammed Alkali Imam (Borno PDP), Owan Enoh John (Cross River APC), Great Ovedje Ogboru (Delta APC), Sunday Oji Ogbuoji (Ebonyi APC), Ayogu Eze (Enugu APC), Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe APC), Nafada Usman Bayero (Gombe PDP) and Uzodinma Hope Odidika (Imo APC).
Also on the list are: Ihedioha Emeka (Imo PDP), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa APC), Aminu Ibrahim Ringim (Jigawa PDP), Isa Mohammad Ashiru (Kaduna PDP), Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano PDP), Garba Yakubu Lado (Katsina PDP), Isa Mohammed Galadu (Kebbi PDP), Abdulrahman Abbulrazaq (Kwara APC), Razak Atunwa (Kwara PDP), Umar Mohammed Nasko (Niger PDP), Adedapo Abiodun (Ogun APC), Akinlade Adekunle Abdulkabir (Ogun APM), Nwosu Uche (Imo AA) and Jeremiah Timbut Useni (Plateau PDP).
Governorship elections are not holding in Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Osun, Edo, Kogi and Anambra states.
The APC yesterday faulted INEC over its decision on Zamfara and Rivers. The APC national secretariat accused INEC of double standards in rejecting its candidates in Zamfara State while accepting those presented to it by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State.
The party expressed confidence that it would present candidates for all elections in Zamafara and Rivers states, as it complied with the provisions of the law and conducted its primaries in the state.
APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu told reporters that INEC was being accused by the PDP of working with APC to rig the elections even as it was denying the APC the opportunity to present candidates, despite its compliance with the provisions of its constitution, which says it could either conduct its primaries through direct, indirect or consensus options.
He said: “We have heard that INEC is relying on the fact that courts of equal jurisdiction have given conflicting judgments. We can understand that. What it does mean is that it is not yet Uhuru and we will continue to take steps.
“We are very certain that we did the right thing and the primaries held and INEC is not satisfied with that and the fact that it is our right to field candidates.
“We will follow all the legal means to ensure that all our candidates stand for election this 2019 in Zamfara. The same situation for Rivers.
“For people who are discerning, this is supposed to be the APC that INEC is accused of working for and this is what we are going through in their hand, even though the PDP has repeatedly claimed that it was out to rig election for APC.
“May I remind all of us that we had primaries in Zamfara, which was affected by conflict. But the process allows for three options. You could go with indirect, you could go with direct or you could go for consensus. We have the right under the constitution to exhaust these options, which we did.
“Let me also add that in Kano, PDP did no primary and did not resort to any of these options. Yet, INEC is not saying anything regarding that and all the candidates submitted by the PDP in Kano were accepted. This is a fact that nobody can deny.
“But we will not go to town to start pillorying INEC because it is a critical institution to the success of election. We will continue to trust all institutions because we believe that it is by having strong institutions that we can develop this country. When such institutions make mistakes, rather than vilify them, we will work with them and ensure they follow due process.”
Reacting to reports by Conference of United Political Parties (CUPP) that President Muhamadu Buhari was not fit and healthy to contest the 2019 election, Issa-Onilu said: “Ordinarily, I should not honour the so-called CUPP with any response because in the real sense, they don’t exist. These are members of the PDP, who are looking for space to team up with Atiku as he has promised so that when they get to power, they continue from where they stopped.”
The counsel to the embattled Rivers APC governorship candidate in the state, Tonye Patrick Cole, yesterday at the on-going Appeal Court matter on the disqualification of his client, said INEC should have waited for the Supreme Court before publishing the list.
He said: “INEC cannot release the list of candidates, legally speaking, without the list of APC as submitted by the party.
“As soon as the motion for stay of execution of judgment is served on you, the law is that you do not do anything between the period you are served with that motion, till the period that motion is disposed of, one way or the other.
“INEC has very seasoned lawyers who are not just in their legal team, but also federal commissioners, and I know that they will do the needful and INEC will not do anything until the application for stay is determined somehow.”
Chamberlin Adiaso was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State. In this interview with SUNNY NWANKWO, Adiaso who hails from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government spoke about the zoning arrangement in Abia State, why he stepped down for Dr. Uche Ogah and other partisan issues.
Why did you jettison your governorship ambition, after many stakeholders had backed your aspiration?
You are right. To be sincere with you, everything was calm and quiet within the Abia APC after the 2015 general elections until I initiated the moves to bring the party to limelight again. When I was doing all those things, I had no intention of running for the governorship.
However, later I felt that there was need for me to serve my people in a higher capacity. I discovered that there was urgent need to give the people the opportunity to have a leadership that is better than what the state is experiencing at the moment. I discovered that the people are yearning for quality leadership which have been lacking over the years.
Most people from Ngwa extraction who joined the governorship race later, aside from Comrade Chris Akomas, were all working with me. It is like they were watching to see how far I could go. I jettisoned the idea of running, because how can you have six aspirants from the Ukwa Ngwa axis without having a consensus candidate? I decided not to buy the nomination form, not because I didn’t have the fund. What I have done in the party is worth more than N50 million. How can six persons defeat a lone voice? Ogah was a lone voice and under any primary or delegate arrangement in this world, he stood out among all the other local governments, while we were six in the other divide. That was why I decided not to run.
Why are you supporting Ogah?
To be honest with you, Uche Ogah is a very humble man. He is filled with humility, intelligence and he is very much organised. He is also a good listener. In fact, he has all the qualities that is needed in a leader.
Will your support for Ogah not truncate the tenets of Abia Charter of Equity?
During the Ukwa Ngwa APC stakeholders meeting, I was the lone voice saying that we can only get it right if we go for a consensus approach. I am an Ngwa man to the core. I still believe in the Charter of Equity. So, my support for Uche Ogah was because my people refused to agree on a consensus.
Observers believe the APC should have fielded an Ngwa man to challenge Ikpeazu who is from that axis. What’s your take on that?
The PDP will only win the governorship in 2019, if the APC fails to handle its issues in a very organised way. If the APC candidate picks the right persons to be in his campaign team, I can assure you that the APC can comfortably beat the PDP in the 2019 polls. But, if the campaign team is not well organised, I can assure you that the PDP will come back to power in 2019.
You have been described as a saboteur for not supporting your brothers to win the APC ticket. What’s your reaction to that?
Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. Even on the eve of the primary, I was still advocating for a consensus candidate. They are the ones that sold out, because they refused to believe in the truth. They refused to see the handwriting on the wall. I saw the handwriting on the wall and that was why it marvels me when people say a lot of things about me. I was the first and only person that went through the campaign in Ngwa land and other parts of the state with Ogah and I will still do the same thing anytime, any day, because he is an organised and humble person. I tell you, Ogah was able to win that primary because I threw my weight behind him. He will only have difficulties, if someone like me and others who enjoy respect of our kinsmen from the Ukwa/Ngwa extraction decide to leave his camp.
If you were to support an aspirant from your Ngwa kinsmen, who would it be?
To be honest with you, I would have chosen Comrade Chris Alozie Akomas. He has been there before as a deputy governor and has seen it all. He is honest, reliable and straightforward. He is not my best of friends, but he is reliable. The only problem is that if Akomas had gotten the ticket, it would still have been difficult, because the governor comes from the same zone (Obingwa) with him and don’t forget the power of incumbency.
What is the way forward now that Ogah has emerged?
We should not over celebrate picking the ticket. It is one thing to pick the ticket and another thing to win the general election against an incumbent governor who comes from an area that feels marginalised. The Ukwa/Ngwa person still feels marginalised; they still feel that they have done four years and that they deserve to do the next four years. Assuming that my brother, Okezie Ikpeazu, had been an independent person like Ogah, I can tell you that everybody in Ngwa land would have queued behind him. But, the point is that he has not done too well and he doesn’t have a word of his own; he is being controlled from somewhere nobody would want to mention. Ikpeazu should have done better than he has done so far, if it were not for that factor. Why does he owe workers several months of salaries, despite the Paris fund refund? How can people starve and work? These are the issues and that is why it is going to be difficult for him to retain that seat. It will be a miracle if he wins again in 2019.
Have you made efforts to reach out the governor to discuss some of these things?
We have so many persons who have reached out to him on some of these issues, but like I said, I don’t think that he has the power of his own to address them, because he doesn’t have the power of his own and that is why we are looking for somebody who is independent.
Traditional rulers from the 17 local governments recently endorsed the governor for second term…
It calls for laughter. Any traditional ruler that doesn’t endorse Ikpeazu will have his community split into pieces; that is what they do in Abia. If you don’t endorse the governor, you find yourself controlling only one village. It is very funny, but do they (traditional rulers) have a choice, the answer is no. They all did that out of fear. APC has not been tested in Abia and that is why we are going to present to Abia electorates one of the best governorship candidates that can do a different thing in Abia State when he becomes the governor in 2019, by the special grace of God. Abia has been imprisoned by godfathers and the advice that I am giving to my brother, Uche Ogah, is to be careful of godfathers in politics.
How do you think that Ogah can surmount godfathers?
Uche Ogah is like a brother to me; his decisions are based on his conviction of what he intends to do. I have had personal conversation with him and I must be sincere to tell you that he is not somebody that you will just come and tell something and he swallows it. Ogah runs a successful business outfit as well. The godfathers start by sponsoring your election where you will in turn compensate them with juicy contracts and others might end up tying you in such a way that you will continue to pay allegiance to them until you leave office. Ogah is not going to go cap in hand begging for money to run his election. He plans well. He has all it takes to prosecute his campaign and go ahead to win election and if God is on our side, we will get it right.
How does the APC intend to survive the heat of 2019 election?
Let me tell you, the grassroots coverage of the APC is so marvelous. The party is not built around the big guns in the party. I can tell you that the grassroots of the party speaks for itself. We are in control of the grassroots and with the support of the likes of former Gover Orji Uzor Kalu, Nkechi Nwaogu, Chris Akomas, Nyerere Anyim Nyerere, Uche Ogah, Emeka Wogu and others who have been there for the party and that of a President that has a viable reputation, we will definitely get it right. The only thing that I am bordered about is who comes into the team; Ogah’s campaign team. We must get our acts together, so that the PDP will not laugh at us. We have just concluded the primary, what we are planning now is how to organise ourselves for the general election. We are planning on how to get Ikpeazu out of the Government House in the next few months. I can tell you that we have the best blueprint and I am sure that Abians will buy into it. It is a wonderful blueprint. The APC is a family. We are already working to reconcile the aggrieved members of the party.
Ogah has chosen Martins Azubuike as his running mate. Where do you see that taking the party to in 2019?
If Uche Ogah has chosen my friend and brother as his deputy and he believes that two of them can get it right, who am I then to say no? The choice of who becomes his running mate is the responsibility of the party and himself. But, he has not made a statement to that effect. We are still waiting for him to make that statement.
What should Abians expect from Ogah, if he eventually becomes the governor?
Uche Ogah is going to do a massive reconstruction of Abia within two years and that is why during our tour of the local governments before the party’s primary, he was saying that he would not reverse PDP’s policy over the years, but that he would build on what is on the ground. So, he is coming to revolutionalize Abia. He will bring infrastructural development, development in the education sector, pay salaries as at when due. He is going to also empower the people at the grassroots. Don’t forget that Uche Ogah has a company where he pays workers and he understands what it means to motivate workers through regular and prompt payment of salaries. Look at the Golden Guinea that has been lying moribund over the years, even when they have borrowed a lot of money; yet it has remained comatose. The Ikpeazu administration is doing one kilometre road in two years. To resurface a two or three kilometre road takes this government six to seven months to do. That is not what the people of Abia want and Uche Ogah is going to lay a solid road foundation in the state. The Glass Industry in Aba was not started by an Ngwa man.
Renowned oil merchant Uche Ogah yesterday emerged the Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ogah, who hails from Abia North Senatorial District, polled 86,875 votes to defeat six others, including a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Chief Martins Azubuike, Chief Friday Nwosu, a former Deputy Governor Chris Akomas.
Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Aisha Alhassan, won the ticket of the United Democratic Party (UDP).
AbdulRazak Gidado, the only governorship aspirant of the party before the former minister joined last week, stepped down for her.
She said: “I assure you that I will work round the clock to ensure that our enemies are put to shame by winning the governorship election in Taraba in 2019.”
She urged Taraba people to rally round the UDP, “because it is a party with great potential for the development of the state.
Former Taraba Acting Governor Sani Danladi won the APC governorship ticket..
Danladi scored 60,629 votes out of the total of 107,387 votes cast across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Former minister Joel Ikenya scored 11,772 votes, while former Acting Governo Garba Umar scored 5,504 votes.
Others are: Prof. Sani Yahya, 7,299 votes; the TUC President Bobboi Kaigama, 5,530; Aliyu Umar 4,638; while Ezekiel Afukunyo scored 2,811 votes.
The chairman said Chief David Kente scored 5, 549 votes, while Ibrahim Tumba and Kabiru Dodo received 1,828 and 1, 783 votes.
With the recent Supreme Court ruling on Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the 2015 Governorship Election in Abia State, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on PDP’s role in the whole saga and the way forward for Uche Ogah and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu
ASIDE the leadership crisis at its national level, the in-fighting in Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since May 2015, which crystalized in the prolonged legal battles over the right governorship candidate, can be traced back to the intrigues before and after its December 8, 2014 governorship primary election.
Although Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu won the primary election, polling, 489 votes, followed by Uche Ogah, who got 103 votes, Emeka Wogu, a former Labour Minister who got 33 votes and Marc Wabara, who got three votes, insiders told The Nation, that the state chapter of PDP has ever since suffered greatly because the processes leading to the outcome of the primary election was widely rejected by many of the aspirants and their supporters.
PDP role in the saga
Our investigation confirms that it was the ‘seed sown at this period’ that was responsible for the in-fighting and the legal battles that have threatened the PDP-led government of Abia State since 2015 when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu took over the reins of power in the state. A source close to the PDP-led government of Abia State when the primary election was held, alleged that the then state government did very little to resolve the differences after the primary, a development he said that ‘only widened the gulf.’
The matter degenerated when the runner-up, Ogah, took the case to the Federal High Court, Abuja, accusing Ikpeazu of committing some tax offences and therefore challenging his eligibility to contest the 2015 governorship election as the flag bearer of the PDP. On June 27, 2016, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, found Ikpeazu guilty of tax offences and therefore sacked him from the office as governor of Abia State.
Following the judgment and order for immediate inauguration of Ogah as Abia State Governor, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), issued the Certificate of Return to him.
Not satisfied with the ruling, Ikpeazu had gone to the Court of Appeal which in August, 2016, affirmed his election and quashed the judgment of Justice Abang.
As would be expected, Ogah approached the Supreme Court, praying the apex court to uphold the ruling of the High Court.
Since then, observers held their breath even as the state government alleged that the prolonged legal battle affected governance. A PDP source also confided that for as long as the case lasted, most PDP grassroots leaders and members in the state were confused and unable to decide which of the group to support openly. “The state PDP suffered greatly all this while because both members and grassroots leaders did not know which of the groups to support openly. It affected the party greatly even as it helped the opposition to find its feet in the state,” the source said.
But even with the May 2017 Supreme Court ruling on the case between Governor Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah, which retained the governor as the PDP candidate and winner of the election, The Nation learnt that the party in the state is yet to resolve the seed of internal distrust that germinated before and after the 2015 primaries.
The way forward
Although Uche Ogah, the aspirant that took the matter to the Supreme Court, had since accepted the ruling and congratulated Governor Ikpeazu, The Nation learnt that the party is yet to reconcile its warring members.
Ogah had, in a carefully worded acceptance and congratulatory message, released through his Chief Press Secretary said: “the Supreme Court unequivocally reaffirmed your nomination and election as the authentic governor of our beloved state, Abia.
“I have always been a law abiding citizen and will continue to be. My challenge of your nomination was borne out of a genuine desire for clarity and to see that things are put in its right perspective and today our apex court, the final arbiter have spoken.
“As the legal battle comes to an end with the Supreme Court declaration, I’m exceedingly happy today that in the course of this struggle, I never resorted to self-help nor encouraged my supporters to indulge in any form of violence.
“My interest in politics is not for fame or personal aggrandisement but to impart positively on the lives of the common man and to make our dear state, Abia, the envy of other states.
“My dear brother, it is worthy of note that my desire to see our home state in the right footing, developmentally and economically is not in doubt and a course I can put everything within my reach to see to fruition.
“Finally, from the depth of my heart, I wholeheartedly congratulate you and pray the Almighty God to guide you right in the enormous task of building a new Abia State where peace and tranquility reigns.”
Ikpeazu had also, in his post-victory message, called on Abians to join hands with him to ensure the accelerated growth and development of the state.”
These statements, though carefully chosen, confirmed fears that except the ruling PDP succeeds in rebuilding confidence amongst its members in the state, through genuine reconciliation, the party may continue to lose members to the opposition parties.
Commenting on the way forward from the point of view of Governor Okezie-led State Government, Comrade Bonnie Iwuoha, the Commissioner for Information, told The Nation in his office in Umuahia few days to the Democracy Day that the state government is open to genuine reconciliation. As he puts it, “The way forward is to unite the people of Abia State. The governor has appealed to those who contested with him, even now, as we plan for the Democracy Day, we are extending invitation to all to come and celebrate Abia. The doors are wide open. I was told that Dr. Onuoha Bourdex, who contested the Abia North Senatorial Election on the ticket of APGA, came on his own to congratulate the governor. The truth is that the interest of Abia should be the overriding factor.”
What next for Ogah?
Although his close associates said Ogah, the President of Master Energy Group, has since the Supreme Court’s ruling devoted most of his time to the day to day running of his conglomerate which has over 15 subsidiaries even as he is now sighted more often at the multi-faceted factory he built in his Uturu home, his political future has become a source of concern both for the ruling PDP in the state and the opposition political parties who are courting him.
There are feelers that Ogah may soon dump PDP for one of the opposition political parties in the state. According Chief Samson Ogbonna, a retired school principal and community elder in Abia North, “there is every sign that Ogah will no longer remain in PDP. If that happens, we cannot blame the young man. We all know that he was not treated fairly in PDP, in spite of the prominent role he played as a major financier of the party in the state. He was also a major contributor to the Abia State Government’s Youth Empowerment Programme in the government of Senator T. A. Orji, yet when this family disagreement started, many of us felt he was not fairly treated. PDP in the state and by extension, the state government then is like a father whose children had some disagreements. The right thing to do would be to resolve it fairly. So, except such genuine peace process is initiated and effectively carried out, no one would be surprised if Ogah leaves PDP and joins any of the other parties,” he said.
Already, there are signs that Ogah may consider joining the All Progressives Congress (APC). Besides the fact that most of the leaders and members of his political structure, ‘Abia Rejoice’ have already joined APC, The Nation gathered that the party had send powerful delegations to woo Ogah, even as they reason that his membership will further boost the party in the state. Chief K. C. Ugbajah, the former Commissioner for Works and former Executive Chairman of Ikwuano Local Government Area, who was a member of the APC Contact and Mobilisation Committee that visited and wooed Ogah, told The Nation that the party believes Ogah will move over to APC to help propagate the message of change in the state.
The Director-General of Buhari South-East Youth Movement (BUSEYM), Engr. Nwabueze Onwuneme, who also confirmed the APC moves to woo Ogah in the state, told The Nation that his group are waiting for Ogah to join APC in order to join hands with them to promote President Muhammadu Buhari’s developmental programmes in the South-East. “I can confirm to you that efforts are being made to ensure that Ogah takes the right step, which is to join APC and support President Buhari’s efforts,” he said.
As the preparations for the 2019 General Elections gathers steam, Abia stakeholders are anxious to see how PDP will handle the Okezie Ogah saga even as the opposition parties woo estranged PDP members and other top politicians in the state.
Others are former Speaker, House of Assembly and the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2014 election, Hon. Adejare Bello, from Ede in the Western senatorial district as well as former chairman of Ife East Local Government, Chief Gbenga Owolabi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State, Dr Uche Ogah, outside a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.
He was held after Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye struck out a forgery charge against him.
The politician was later released.
Ogah and his company, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, as well as others at large, were accused of forgery.
During yesterday’s hearing, prosecution counsel Henry Obiazi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told the court that he was under instruction to withdraw the charge.
Obiazi said: “I have been directed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to withdraw the charge.”
Ruling, the magistrate said: “The case is hereby struck out.”
As soon as Ogah stepped out of the courtroom to where his vehicle was parked and got in, EFCC operatives surrounded him, blocked the exit gate and insisted he must follow them to the commission’s office in Ikoyi. An EFCC operative rode with Ogah in his vehicle.
Ogah’s lawyer Monday Ubani said his client was released unconditionnally few hours after he made a statement to the EFCC.
The lawyer said the commission invited his client, following what he aclled false information by the petitioner.
Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah and others at large, on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did forge the signature of Mrs. Bridget Adeosun and a document known as MoU between Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited and Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, with an intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine.”
But Ogah, through Ubani, said the transaction was commercial, adding that the criminal charge was baseless and politically-motivated.
Ubani said: “At the EFCC office, we were confronted with a petition written by same Mrs Adeosun who, coincidentally, is also the complainant in the forgery charge that was earlier struck out by the magistrate court.
“We presented the same submission we made before the police to the EFCC, which is that the subject matter in the forgery allegation borders on a pure business transaction which my client had with Mrs Adeosun.
“We showed the commission’s officials some documents about the business transaction and the agreements reached by parties in the business. The Efcc was shocked that the documents were never given to them when she received her payments.
“After reviewing our presentation, EFCC officials asked my client to go home and come back another day, to have an interview with the petitioner.”
According to Ubani, the allegation is baseless, fallacious and full of lies.
He said: “My client was immediately cleared to go home.
“The fact remains that Uche Ogah has been cleared of any allegation of forgery. The police have seen the fact; the court delivered its verdict and the EFCC has also taken the appropriate action by releasing him after he was wrongfully invited.
“We are not unaware of the political manoeuvering aimed at ensuring that my client’s hard-earned reputation is dented by every means possible. However, our confidence in the Judiciary and the ability of our law enforcement official remains unwavering knowing that they will do the right thing at all times.”
Ogah said Adeosun had an allocation to import petroleum but lacked the financial capacity to carry out the business.
He said she approached Masters Energy Limited with a request for the company to buy her allocation. The company told her that it had enough allocation.
Ogah recalled that following Mrs Adeosun’s persistence, his company agreed to the deal.
He said: “Her proposal to sell her allocation to Masters Energy Limited was concluded and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed, including Account Opening Documents in the bank wherein signatories were appointed to the knowledge of all parties to the transaction.
“She was given the full sum of the purchase price through cheques and she signed personally, having received the full sum of the sale. She cashed her money (we have all the evidence).
“Masters Energy carried out the importation and incurred a loss in the transaction. But that was no longer the business of the seller as she is not liable for the profit or loss of the business.”
The lawyer said Masters Energy applied for dollar differentials to the Debt Management Office (DMO) of the Federation, which agreed to pay about N51 million.
Ogah said Mrs Adeosun developed interest in the N51 million price differentials and applied to UBA Plc where the account was domiciled to be an “A” signatory in order to withdraw the sum whenever it was paid into the bank.
But Masters Energy wrote to the DMO an instruction not to issue the cheque in the name of Mrs Adeosun’s company. The company also got an interlocutory order from the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Ogah said the transaction coincided with his seeking for elective office in Abia State.
“Aided by political enemies, Mrs Adeosun took a pure civil transaction to the police, alleging that all the documents she signed for the transaction were forged,” Ubani said.
The Abia State governorship appeal is one of the first cases the Supreme Court will decide on resumption for the new legal year. Where will the pendulum swing? Eric Ikhilae reviews the case.
• Ogah
As the Supreme Court begins the new legal year on September 21, one of the major cases it will promptly attend to is that involving Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Sampson Ogah and Friday Nwosu.
Ikpeazu was sacked as governor by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, last June 27. Last month, Ikpeazu was re-instated by the Court of Appeal, which also upbraided Justice Abang for “turning the law on its head” with the June 27 verdicts.
Road to the June 27 judgments
The two suits that resulted in both judgments were instituted by Ogah, who came second behind Ikpeazu in the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on December 8, 2014, and Obasi Ekeagbala (a member of the party).
The plaintiffs’complaints were similar. They revolved around their claims that Ikpeazu allegedly made false claims in relation to his tax information contained in the Form CF001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It was the plaintiffs’ contention that Ikpeazu, by allegedly providing false tax information, breached the provisions of Article 14(a), Part IV of the PDP Electoral Guidelines 2014, and was therefore, not qualified to participate in the party’s governorship primary.
They contended that, having allegedly presented false information to INEC, Ikpeazu violated Section 13(5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, and was unqualified to contest the PDP’s primary election and the subsequent governorship election held in April 2015.
Justice Abang, in his judgements, agreed with the plaintiffs and voided Ikpeazu’s election and ordered that Ogah be issued certificate of return by INEC and installed in place of Ikpeazu as governor on the grounds that he (Ogah) came second in the primary election.
Dissatisfied, Ikpeazu and the PDP appealed both judgements, which the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, set aside in its judgments on August 18, 2016, prompting Ogah and others to appeal to the Supreme Court.
As parties step into the final round of this dispute, observers are of the view that Ikpeazu holds the ace and has the upper hand with the victory at the Court of Appeal already safely secured in his kitty.
They argue that, with the exhaustive dissection and analysis carried out by the appellate court’s five-man bench on the trial court’s judgments, and its verdict that they were replete with errors of judgment and deserved to be set aside, there may be nothing left for the apex court, but to ratify the Appeal Court’s decisions.
Court of Appeal’s findings and conclusions
Six appeals were filed against the two trial court’s judgments. The Court of Appeal’s decisions in the cases marked CA/A/390/2016 and CA/A/390A/2016 resolved the issues.
From the plethora of issues raised for determination by the parties, Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, who led the five-man panel and who read the lead judgments in both appeals, distilled five cardinal issues with which she resolved all questions in contention.
In resolving the first issue, the appellate court faulted the mode of commencement of the suits at the trial court. It held that because facts in issue were hotly contested by parties, the trial judge was wrong to have allowed the commencement of the suits by way of originating summons.
The court noted that where there was no dispute among parties as regard the provisions of Article 14(a) in Part IV of the PDP Guidelines and section 87(4)(i) &(ii) and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010, which the trial court was invited to interpret, the dispute was in relation to facts as to whether or not Ikpeazu’s tax documents were false.
“All the documents which the learned trial judge was asked to determine whether they were true or false were documents made by individuals, who were presumably alive and well during the trial. It is very clear that the very nature of the issues of fact posed to the learned trial judge made it imperative for him to have set the case down for hearing by writ of summons,” the court said.
Despite this major defect, which informed the dismissal of both suits, the court elected to proceed to resolve all other issues raised for determination.
On the issue of abuse of process, the appellate court upheld the decision by the trial court that the suits in Abuja do not amount to abuse of process despite the existence of a suit filed before the Umuahia division of the Federal High Court by Nwosu.
The appellate court held that each of the plaintiffs at the trial court was at liberty to challenge the information contained in Form CF001 submitted by Ikpeazu. It noted that while Nwosu alleged forgery in his suit, Ogah and Ekeagbaraalleged falsehood in respect of the tax information submitted by Ikpeazu.
In resolving the third issue, the Court of Appeal faulted the decision of the trial court to determine the issues in contention without the plaintiffs tendering copies of the PDP Election Guidelines 2014, even when the plaintiffs’ cases were built around the provision of the said guidelines, and both cases commenced via originating summons.
The appellate court noted that “the learned trial judge claimed he quoted and enforced the PDP Guidelines 2014, however, he kept making reference to provisions only present in the 2010 Guidelines, but absent in the 2014 Guidelines. His Lordship kept making reference to the failure of the appellant (Ikpeazu) to pay his taxes ‘as and when due,’ a phrase markedly absent from the PDP Guidelines in force – that of 2014 – when the cause of action arose.
“Such deliberate or unknowing importation of strange phrases or clauses into an instrument to be considered by the court is the reason why there has always been the necessity to attach the said instrument to the originating summons, particularly where the contents are not such where the court is enjoined by law to take judicial notice of.”
On issue four, the Court of Appeal held that although the plaintiffs had valid cause of action, the issue of alleged presentation of false tax documents to INEC did not fall within the constitutional grounds on which a candidate for election could be disqualified.
“There is no doubt that since the cause of cause of action as shown by the originating summons are not a challenge to any of the constitutional requirements for governor, there was no basis for the activation of Section 31(5) &(6) of the Electoral Act and orders and reliefs granted pursuant to Section 31(2) of the Electoral Act.
“The tenor of the decision of the Supreme Court is to the effect that there cannot be a disqualification of a candidate outside the reasons specifically stated by the Constitution,” it said.
In resolving the fifth issue, the appellate court faulted the trial court’s finding that Ikpeazu gave false tax information to INEC in his Form CF001.
It noted that it was wrong for the trial court to have shifted the burden of proof to the appellant (Ikpeazu) by insisting that it was for him to show that his tax information was true, when it is the law that he who asserts must prove.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s decisions in the cases of Lanto v. Wowo (1999) 7 NWLR Pt. 610 Pg. 227 at 236 and Ukachukwu v. PDP (2014) 17 NWLR Pt.1435Pg. 134 at 201 the appellate court held that the plaintiffs (Ogah and Ekeagbara) failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by law.
“The exasperating thing about this whole drama is that there is no shred of evidence preferred by the 1st respondent (Ogah) or any accusation that the appellant (Ikpeazu) ought to have paid N10,000 but paid N5,000 because he wanted to cheat the government of Abia State or that he colluded with the Tax Officer to cheat the government of Abia State.
“The whole thing is about the fact that the Tax Officer in Abia State have their own format of how they document and give out tax receipts and certificates to civil servants and public officers, who demand, when such need arises, proof of payment of tax, which had already been deducted from their salaries. I say again that the peculiar format of tax documents as made by tax officers does not make them false.
“In any event, by Section 59 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), the court is bound by the assessment done by the Abia State Tax Office. Section 85(2) of the PITA also shows clearly that it is the tax authority that is vested with jurisdiction to verify the genuineness of any tax transaction.
“The inadequacy or otherwise of tax receipts as a reason to order the removal of the aspirant, who scored the highest vote at the primary election, who subsequently campaigned and was voted for by the electorate of Abia State at the general election would, in my humble view, be a rape on democracy and cannot be allowed.
“That cannot be justice, in the circumstance of this case, when the 1st respondent (Ogah) and the trial court both concede that there is no forgery or criminality involved in the making of these tax documents by the tax office.
“There was absolutely no basis in law and in fact for the finding of the learned judge that the appellant did not pay his tax in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and should be disqualified,” the appellate court said.
In his notice of appeal to the Supreme Court, Ogah faulted the decisions by the Court of Appeal and argued that the appellate court’s judgments were against the weight of evidence. He urged the apex court to set aside the decisions and restore the judgments by Justice Abang.
Ikpeazu and PDP are looking up to the apex court to uphold the exhaustive findings and conclusions made by the Court of Appeal, which they believe have effectively resolved the issues in contention.
A lawyer, Mr Egondo Michael, who is counsel to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State, Dr Uche Ogah, has explained why his client is appealing the Court of Appeal judgment that reversed the sack of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
The lawyer said the Court of Appeal did not address the core issues Ogah raised, adding that the judgment was based on technicalities.
He said: “We in the Uche Ogah group are clearly dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Our observation is that the decision of the court was based merely on technicalities. The issues we raised, which were addressed by the lower court, were not addressed by the Appeal Court judges.
“So, we are heading to the Supreme Court. We have the belief and hope that we will get justice at the Supreme Court which has always encouraged the prevalence of substantial justice over technicalities.”
Michael said the Court of Appeal was wrong to hold that the originating summons was not signed.
According to him, “the technical issues raised and decided by the Court of Appeal judges were neither here nor there.”
“They raised the issue that the originating summons was not signed. The point to note is that there was a signature. Signature is a factual thing. It is either it is there or is not there.
He said: “This was a matter that had initially gone up to the Supreme Court and the issue of signature was never raised by the defendants or learned justices of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Nobody contended that signature was not on the originating summons before the matter was subsequently referred back to the lower court for expeditious trial.
“The issue also raised by the Court of Appeal Judges that the matter should have been commenced by way of Writ of Summons instead of Originating Summons is also neither here nor there.
“This is a pure documentary evidence matter and the lies on the documents are very visible on the face of the documents, therefore, the process was rightly commenced by Originating Summons.
“The issue of procedures on commencement of actions is already established by decided case laws, most especially by the apex court.
“I believe that most of the issues the Court of Appeal judges raised are issues that should not have mattered in a matter that has to do with serious subject of public interest like this one in which a candidate for the governorship position of a state filed tax documents that were full of lies.
“We will certainly want the Supreme Court to have a final say on this issue and set the records straight once and for all. Our next move is to get the certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment before raising the grounds of appeal which from evidence shall be many.
“The battle is not over yet, so we advice all supporters of Dr Uche Sampson Ogah not to be discouraged or lose hope. We enjoin them to remain calm and law abiding.
“They must never in anyway be downcast because the battle to liberate Abia State is not over yet. Our assurance to them is that justice will surely prevail very soon in God’s name,” Michael said.
