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Tag: Rochas Okorocha

  • Court faults INEC’s refusal to issue Okorocha Certificate of Return as senator-elect

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has faulted the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the Certificate of Return due to the immediate-past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, who was declared winner of the last election in Imo West Senatorial District.

    In a judgment on Friday, Justice Okon Abiday ordered INEC to immediately issue Okorocha with the Certificate of Return.

    The judgment was on a suit by Okorocha, in which he challenged the propriety of the decision by INEC to withhold the Certificate of Return even after the Returning Officer for the election declared Okorcha winner of the February 23, 2019 election.

    Justice Abang, who upheld the argument by Okorocha’s lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), that since his client was declared winner of the election, INEC lacked the power or legal authority to review the declaration, described INEC’s action as lawless and arbitrary.

    The judge faulted INEC’s claim that it withheld the Certificate of Return on the grounds that its Returning Officer, who announced the result, complained that he declared the election results under duress.

    Justice Abang said it is only an election tribunal that has the power to review whether the results were declared under duress.

    The judge added: ”Once a declaration of the results has been made, that decision is final and can only be reviewed by the election petition tribunal and not by INEC.

    “Therefore, it is mandatory for INEC to include the name of the plaintiff as the winner of the election to the Orlu Senatorial District.

    “Once the declaration is made under section 68(c) of the Electoral Act, INEC has become functus officio (has completed its responsibility) and INEC has no lawful authority to withhold the Certificate of Return for any reason whatsoever.

    “Therefore the issue of duress is unknown to both the Electoral Act and the Constitution

    “The court can see clearly, in the plaintiff’s Exhibit C, the reason why the 1st defendant (INEC) refused to publish the name of the plaintiff on its website as one of the winners of the senatorial elections held on February 23, 2019.

    “It is unlawful for INEC that was supposed to be neutral and independent as its name suggests, to sit in judgment in its own case and come to the conclusion that that the Returning Officer declared the results under duress and refused to issue him the Certificate of Return.

    “Neither the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2010 nor any other law for that matter confers judicial power on INEC to come to the conclusion that the plaintiff was declared under duress.

    “Under section 68 of the Electoral Act, once a declaration is made, the declaration becomes final and can only be reviewed by the election petition tribunal.

    “INEC has no lawful authority under the  Constitution or the Electoral Act to withhold the plaintiff’s Certificate of Return after it has declared him the winner of the election.

    Read Also: Breaking: Court orders INEC to issue Okorocha certificate of return

    “If indeed, it is true that the Returning Officer made the declaration under duress, it is not for the defendants who lost in the election to proceed to the election tribunal to challenge the election under section 138 of the Electoral Act.

    “Under the Electoral Act, INEC has no authority to decide to withhold the Certificate of Return on the basis that the results were declared under duress.

    “It is only the tribunal that will hear all parties and based on evidence before it will come to its conclusion,” the judge said.

    Justice Abang was also of the view that Okorocha remained elected,  subject to the outcome of the ongoing proceedings of the election tribunal, where the election outcome was being challenged.

    He said: ”It is not lawful for INEC to take the law into its hands by refusing to issue Certificate of Return to the plaintiff. There is no law that supports the unlawful decision of INEC.

    “INEC ought not to have been personal in the matter. In this country, INEC has men and women of integrity, I am surprised that they acted in this manner.

    “The plaintiff was declared the winner of the election. INEC has not, in his counter-affidavit, suggested that the plaintiff did not win the election.

    “INEC did not declare the election as inconclusive. INEC did not declare that the election was won by any other person.

    “There will be constitutional crisis if INEC’s decision is allowed to stand. There can be no vacuum on the seat of the Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate.

    “INEC shall forthwith publish and circulate the name of the plaintiff as the senator-elect representing Orlu Imo West Senatorial District.

    “It is hereby ordered that INEC shall forthwith issue certificate of return as the senator-elect representing representing Orlu/Imo West Senatorial District,” the judge said.

    Justice Abang ordered INEC to pay Okorocha N200,000 as cost, while the other seven defendants in the case are to also pay Okorocha N100,000 each.

    Earlier in the judgment, Justice Abang rejected the objection INEC and the other defendants raised against the suit.

     

     

  • Nwosu to Ihedioha: focus on governance

    The Imo State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has urged Governor Emeka Ihedioha to unfold his programmes for the people instead of embarking on a “wild goose chase”.

    Nwosu, who was reacting to claims by the governor that his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, did not do a proper handing over and so he was finding it difficult to take off, admonished the governor to jettison the excuses and focus on his campaign promises of rebuilding Imo.

    According to him, the people are not interested in endless streak of excuses. He maintained that the actions of the governor assuming office “showed that he is not serious and does not seem to have any cut out plan or blueprint for governance, except the desperation to grab power”.

    Nwosu said: “The people did not vote for him to start chasing shadows. For the time he will stay as the governor, he should unfold his plans and programme for the people. No one is interested in excuses, what the people want is performance and nothing less. The people want concrete statement on what the programmes of the government are, what the government intends to do and how it would deliver dividends of democracy to them, and not embarking on a mission to pull down Rochas Okorocha.

    Read Also: Imo Assembly mandates Ihedioha to probe Okorocha

    “Suspension of local government chairmen and their councillors, dissolving the recently-inaugurated members of boards of government agencies and parastatals, and scrapping of recently established tertiary institutions, is definitely a wrong way to start for a government that wants to make headway. One would have expected that by now, the governor should have engaged the civil servants and tell them what he has for the workers, as well as taken up from where his predecessor stopped.

    “The acrimonies that could arise from these actions are hardly what Ihedioha needs at this time, he should rather consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor, and that is was what Imolites want to see. He should concentrate on the business of governance.

    “If I were the governor today, I would face the business of governance knowing that there is job to do.”

  • Imo Assembly mandates Ihedioha to probe Okorocha

    The Imo State House of Assembly has mandated Governor Emeka Ihedioha to probe the activities of his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha.

    The House, during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Chinedu Offor, also sacked the 27 local government chairmen and their councillors.

    The sacked chairmen were directed to hand over to the Directors of Administration immediately. The House also cancelled all appointments made by the former governor into Boards, Agencies and inter-ministerial Departments in the twilight of his administration, saying such appointments were hurriedly done to put landmines on the path of the new administration.

    Following a motion by Mike Iheanetu (Aboh Mbaise), the lawmakers asked for a review of all land allocations, land transactions as well as inventory of all government assets, property and determine all governments assets looted and infrastructures vandalised by officials of the former administration.

    The House also resolved to suspend the establishment of all tertiary institutions, as well as review all ownership structure and allocation of funds for their construction.

    Read Also: Ajimobi tasks Muslims on tolerance

    The Speaker urged the governor to adhere to the resolution.

    Meanwhile, the council chairmen and councillors stormed the House of Assembly, barricading the entrance to protest purported plans by the lawmakers to terminate their tenure.

    The aggrieved chairmen and their supporters arrived at the Assembly complex about 9am, but were denied access to the premises by policemen.

    Leader of the Okigwe legislative council Godwin Nwankwo said they got news that the lawmakers wanted to carry out the action at a plenary scheduled for yesterday, so they were there to be part of the plenary to observe the proceedings.

    He said: “We heard rumours that the lawmakers want to repudiate the laws they made. They want to approbate and reprobate. They made a law that local governments should serve for three years. We are lawmakers and not law breakers; we were elected same way they were elected. All elections are the same under the constitution. They have no power to dissolve us.”

    Offor, who neither confirmed nor denied it, asked how the Chairmen got to know about the intention of the House when they were not spirits. He asked our correspondent to wait for further clarification.

    Offor said: “How did they know what we want to do? Are they spirits?”

    Asked if the lawmakers have the intention of sacking the chairmen and councillors, Offor said: “Wait until we finish”.

    The governor also said  Okorocha did not hand over documents detailing the financial dealings of his administration to him.

    He, thereafter, ordered all Permanent Secretaries to submit documents in their care within 24 hours.

    Ihedioha gave the order yesterday at the swearing in of Secretary to the State Government, Uche Onyeagocha, and Chief of Staff Chris Okewulonu, at the Government House.

  • Gunmen raid Okorocha’s home

    Unknown gunmen, suspected to be hired assassins, Friday night, raided the country home of the immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, in Ogboko, Ideato South Council Area of Imo State.

    The assailants, according to a family source, arrived the governor’s residence at about 2am and over powered the security before gaining entrance into the main building.

    According to the source who pleaded anonymity, no valuable was removed but the former governor’s bedroom and other places were thoroughly ransacked, raising suspicion that the invaders may be hired assassins.

    Meanwhile, another set of armed men suspected to be government officials, stormed a radio station, the Reach FM, believed to be owned by the governor, and ordered them to pull down the structure housing the station.

    Read Also: We didn’t arrest Okorocha, says EFCC

    According to one of the security men attached to the station, the armed men, who refused to disclose their identity, gave the management three days to pull down the structure or be ejected by force.

    This was coming two days after the Akachi tower, one of the monuments built by the former governor, was demolished on the alleged orders of the state government.

    However when contacted,  the state Police Public Relations Officer,  Orlando Ikeokwu, a Superintendent of Police,  said he was yet to be officially briefed about the invasion of the governor’s home.

     

  • Life in the time of fake news

    The lifespan of a lie can be quite elastic depending on how intricately it is woven. Some can be buried for years, but in the age of social media it can be brutally short.

    That is why I am often confused as to the motivations of purveyors of fake news who know they can be found out in a matter of minutes or hours. While the creators have their dubious agenda, those who spread the lies – especially online – probably do so with some advantage in mind.

    Desperate bloggers and website owners who want to attract traffic to their sites would push out the most sensational of stories without subjecting same to the most basic journalistic tests. The more excitable amongst us who get their thrills from spreading the latest tales, are only too glad to share same with the gullible hordes on social media. So what, on the surface, looks like a manifestation of extreme insanity, clearly has method to it.

    These days the internet has become a sea of lies: headlines lie, photos and videos tell even bigger lies. The wicked and mischievous can lift a photograph from five years ago and use it to drive a story in a similar context today. The reader would swear he saw the pictures with his own eyes until a rebuttal knocks him back to reality.

    Beginning with the election campaign that threw up Donald Trump as US president, fake news has become a multimillion dollar global industry relentlessly deployed for political ends. Nigerians, quick to pick up on global trends no matter how diabolical – have not been slow to jump on the bandwagon.

    During the recent general elections it seemed there was a competition by liars to outdo themselves on social media. Perhaps anticipating the impact that the phenomenon could have in determining the outcome of the electoral contest, the then Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, launched a campaign against fake news. It was a non-starter that was quickly brushed aside by malevolent forces who thrive best in polarised environments such as ours.

    The inauguration ceremonies at federal and state levels in the last few days provided another fertile ground for fake news merchants to wreak their usual havoc. While the lies exposed the levels of bitterness and hate in our society, it also made for hilarity just imagining what the mischief-makers were trying to achieve. I would touch on a few.

    One headline screamed that barely 24 hours after leaving office former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, his wife and brother, were arrested by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Given his controversial nature, and the alarm he had raised in the preceding weeks that his political foes were out to humiliate him using the anti-graft agency, this supposed news break looked like a swift fulfilment of prophecy.

    The report quickly went viral and bloggers lost their heads as they tripped over themselves to see who would be quickest to the draw in the posting the non-news.

    For those in the opposition waiting patiently for the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to set on its own, this was titillating stuff. Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, an alumnus of the EFCC’s Abuja detention facilities, was quick to rush out a mocking post welcoming Okorocha to the club. I am sure wherever he was holed up Rochas must have snorted derisively that this was a clear case of ‘Iberiberism.’

    Several hours after his enemies had rejoiced at the speed at which retribution had supposedly visited the recently departed governor, the EFCC emerged with a spoilsport press statement denying that it had arrested him and his wife.

    Clearly, there must be something about Imo State in this season as another major fake news item – also associated with the indefatigable Okorocha – emerged from there. The great statue builder had planted a giant concrete finger pointing towards the heavens somewhere in the state capital as an enduring democracy dividend for his people.

    But lo and behold, the whiff of his cologne had barely evaporated from Government House, when bulldozers ostensibly ordered by the new governor, Emeka Ihedioha, took to demolishing the so-called ‘Akachi’ statue.

    It was a surprise ‘move’ to see the new helmsman who comes across as the restrained and understated opposite of his excitable predecessor, bare his fangs so early in the day. The headlines announced that Ihedioha had swung into action by destroying one of the most noticeable of Rochas’ infamous collection of statues.

    While Okorocha may have an army of detractors, even they were taken aback that the new governor’s priority would be pulling down his predecessor’s ‘Eighth Wonder.’ A statement by his spokesman many hours later denying he ever ordered the demolition barely spoilt the fun for the fake news brigade. Some only reported he directed a halt in proceedings – leaving out the fact that they ascribed to him an action he never ordered in the first place.

    Meanwhile, back in Lagos State – home to a long line of ‘Action Governors’ – the new man Babajide Sanwo-Olu was apparently too slow for the hacks. A few hours after the oath-taking ceremony and with no word on appointments, they decided to make a key one for him. They announced he had appointed the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Tayo Ayinde, as Chief of Staff.

    Such an appointment was clearly in the works, but at the time the report appeared it had not been made official. It would be confirmed last Friday. Mortified at the leak, Ayinde issued a statement denying he had been named to the new role.

    He signed off with a lecture to the media about always crosschecking their facts – and there’s the rub. These days ‘the media’ is a catch-all phrase for everyone with a Facebook page or Twitter account. Not so. It would not have been lost on him, if he had checked, that not one of the traditional media outlets carried the ‘fake’ report. But this was one unusual case of ‘fake news’ – not being fake. Instead of lambasting those who scooped the news of his appointment, it would have been wiser not to respond and just let official confirmation come.

    I would touch on one more report, but at the risk of being accused of spreading fake news would preface it by saying he ‘allegedly’ did so. Up north, it was reported that the one of the first acts of the newly-inaugurated Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, was the acquisition of a brand new wife – reportedly his third.

    He has not deigned to respond to the reports so I would assume that is his way of not dignifying the fabricators of an event that never took place with a response. Alternatively, his deafening silence could be confirmation of the nuptials as one of the activities of the inaugural season in the state.

    Perhaps, there hasn’t been a confirmation or denial because the governor hasn’t made strategic media aide appointments. Hopefully, a denial is winging its way to the press – however long it takes. So for now I would suggest we file the report of Buni’s ‘new wife’ in the false reports category.

    For all their entertainment value, fake news represent a cancer that can tear a volatile multi-religious and multi-ethnic society like ours apart. Such reports can trigger devastating damage that rebuttals that come hours after cannot mend. Even worse, those who act on the strength of the initial account may never get to read the denials.

    Aside being a clear and present danger to our collective security, fake news erode trust in an environment where people desperately need to trust one another and those who govern them.

    That is why the government – executive branch and legislature – must make the fight against fake news a priority in this new dispensation. The traditional media also has existential reasons to be part of this effort.

    As a first step, those who generate fake news and those who gladly spread the poison should be made to pay a steep price. It is the least we can do to stave off tragedies somewhere in the future.

  • ‘You’re a shameless politician’, Okorocha replies Uzodinma

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha,  on Sunday, took a swipe at the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general election, and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial zone,  Senator Hope Uzodinma over his recent media attacks against him.

    The Imo governor, described Uzodinma as a “shameless” politician who, besides being engaged to destroy APC in the state, can do worst things to curry favour if given the opportunity.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo,  read that,  “within one week, Chief Hope Uzodinma, the governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Imo State, has had series of interviews in almost all the national newspapers. And his target in all the interviews was Governor Rochas Okorocha. He has also invaded the social media with his insults on the governor.

    “Interestingly enough, the kind of courage and boldness Chief Uzodinma displayed or exercised in all his media outings against Governor Okorocha only showed that he has no shame. And he could do worst things if he has the opportunity”.

    According to the statement, “Chief Uzodinma contested the governorship election in the State with the ticket of APC and he could not win in his own Oru East local government. He could not win in any of the 27 LGAs in the State, and never came second or third in all the LGAs but only came fourth and he has the audacity to be granting interviews and talking balderdash.

    Read Also: How Okorocha wrecked Southeast APC, by Uzodinma

    “He has only confirmed that he was only used as tool to destroy Imo APC. And they have promised him Ministerial appointment and that is the reason behind his current media Campaigns and to be listened to, he has to be insulting Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    “Chief Uzodinma and co told the world that governor Okorocha had finished politically, that they were the ones holding the ace of APC in the State. And today, Nigerians have seen or known who holds the franchise of APC in Imo and in the Southeast”.

    It continued that, “at least, the outcome of the 2019 election spoke volume. It showed that like Governor Okorocha had said, Chief Uzodinma didn’t contest the 2019 governorship election in the State to win. He only came to be a tool in the hands of those who wanted to kill APC in Imo and South-East in general for reasons best known to them.

    “The 2019 poll also showed that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is loved by Imo people to a very large extent and he was the most popular governorship Candidate. He won the 2019 election with the real votes of Imo people but INEC decided to announce someone with fictitious figures winner.

    “Chief Uzodinma could not produce even one House of Assembly member. But Ugwumba Nwosu produced about eleven House of Assembly members, two Federal House of Representatives members and one Senator for Okigwe zone on the platform of Action Alliance, (AA). And all those who won election on the tickets of APC are all Governor Okorocha’s men.

    “The truth is that falsehood does not endure. But truth endures. Even at the moment, only Governor Okorocha has the capacity to rebuild APC in Imo and in the South-East generally with the support of the AA Chieftains led by Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

    “In case men like Hope Uzodinma do not know, Governor Okorocha will outlive them, outlive their mischievous politics and their gang up. In their effort to destroy Okorocha’s politics, they messed up the entire State with their Collaborators.

    “Chief Uzodinma should pursue his Ministerial appointment with decency and leave Governor Okorocha alone. Mischief does not pay at all”.

  • Beware of fifth columnists, Imo Governor replies Magu

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has advised the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to keep strictly to the mandate of the anti-graft body and avoid being a tool in hands of politicians.

    Magu had during a conference in London, disclosed that the Imo governor is under EFCC watch-list.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said: “On Monday, May 20, 2019, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Alhaji Ibrahim Magu was quoted to have told Journalists at a Press Conference in London that the Commission was investigating Governor Rochas Okorocha over the bailout fund.

    “Also on Friday, May 17, 2019 the Commission’s Zonal Head for South-East, Mr. Usman Imam held a Press Conference in Enugu where he told the world too that the Commission was investigating Governor Okorocha.

    “So, Mr. Imam holding his own press conference on Okorocha on Friday, May 17, 2019 in Enugu and the chairman of the commission himself, Magu, holding his own press conference also on Okorocha, on Monday, May 20, 2019, and only two days after, raises genuine concern. And has also added fillip to the governor’s earlier worry that those behind the drama over his Certificate of Return have not gone to sleep but have continued to spread their dragnets or tentacles.

    Read also: EFCC probe of Saraki not personal, says Magu

    “If you ask us, we won’t join issues with the EFCC as an Institution and with Alhaji Magu as an individual. Investigating individuals, governments, institutions etc, is part of the Commission’s own rules of engagement and nobody should prevent them or begrudge them for doing that. We only pray that the Commission should not allow undue infiltration.

    “Good enough, both Alhaji Magu and Mr. Imam never accused the governor of mismanagement or diversion, looking at the contents of their press conferences. They confirmed that the commission is in custody of the money. Out of the N8billion they quoted, they also confirmed that N7.9billion is what they blocked. Then, what is Owelle’s case? And the governor is not owing salaries.”

    The statement added: “Mr. Imam also threw a kite which could not fly when he told his audience that if not for their timely intervention. Over N5billion would have allegedly been deployed in vote-buying by Okorocha’s administration.

    “How he arrived at that conclusion is what he never said. In other words, he believed what the petitioners wrote. Since investigation is still on, perhaps, at the end of it, the truth will become clearer especially when the incident happened long before the 2019 elections.

    “And one could not have bought votes in the vacuum. Ultimately, vote-buying must be on the Election Day and perhaps, at the polling units where the voters were expected to be.

    “Alhaji Magu is doing a good job as the head of the EFCC. But he should keep the fifth columnists at arms’ length. He should not eat with them even with the longest spoon.

    “With more than one thousand landmark and verifiable projects to his credit, Okorocha must have managed the resources of the State in his time as governor with high sense of prudence.

    “And for patriotic Imo people, he remains the Defending Champion of the Imo governorship since what he has achieved in eight years exceeded all that those before him had achieved put together.”

  • VON DG under fire for attacks on Okorocha

    The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, (VON) Osita Okechukwu has been cautioned against further attacks on the Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Imo governor,  Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, urged the VON DG to leave the governor out of his politics and his trademark of blackmail.

    The governor’s aide in a statement made available to journalists,  stated that “The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has continued his media attacks on Governor Rochas Okorocha even when one had thought that with the 2019 elections he should have stopped his insults on the Imo governor having seen that the election had proved that without Okorocha there is nothing like APC in the South-East and in Imo in particular.

    “Mr. Okechukwu had in his latest media vituperation accused the governor of ruining the APC in South-East”.

    The statement read further that, “Governor Okorocha had toured the whole of Southeast when nobody believed that APC was going to see the light of the day. He won the governorship for the party in Imo, won 24 out of the 27 members of the House of Representatives, won one Senate and five House of Representation Seats, all for the party.

    “But prior to the 2019 election those playing the politics of 2023 in 2019 recruited men like Osita Okechukwu against Governor Okorocha, blackmailing him at the least opportunity they had, and gave the erroneous impression that without Okorocha, they could fly in Imo and South-East generally with APC.

    Read Also: Okorocha a great achiever — Osinbajo

    “But in the 2019 election, the fact spoke for its self, that Okorocha truly holds the ace of APC both in Imo and in the South-East generally. And a careful look at the 2019 election results showed that Okorocha was incharge except that with the crisis men like Okechukwu created in Imo APC, INEC Capitalized on that and I did some strange things.

    “Incidentally, and interestingly too, Osita Okechukwu is playing his own politics on the pages of newspapers and most of the times attacking Governor Okorocha unprovoked. He lost all the elections in his booth, ward and local government. On the day of the Presidential election he was warned by the PDP guys not to come out and he never came out.

    “We challenge him to publish the results of his booth, ward and local government in all the elections. He does not talk about APC in his State, but always talking about Imo APC because he knows, that is the only State in the South-East APC is grounded before they used wicked blackmail and unfounded propaganda to inject virus into the party.

    “And all those who won elections in Imo on the ticket of APC are all members of the Rescue Mission Government which Owelle superintends. The Action Alliance Candidates who won their elections were also those displaced in APC including the governorship Candidate of Party (AA) Uche Nwosu who won the governorship election with the correct votes and not with inflated figures.

    “Finally, Mr. Okechukwu should try to build APC in his ward before continuing his insults on Okorocha”.

  • Okorocha’s suit: Court orders lawyer to produce certificate of mental fitness

    Federal High Court Abuja yesterday  ordered a lawyer, Mr Orji Nwafor-Orizu, to produce a certificate of mental fitness confirming he is fit to appear in court. Nwafor-Orizu had at previous sittings announced himself as counsel representing Mr Osita Izunaso, the third defendant in the ongoing certificate of return suit filed by Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha. Justice Okon Abang made the order following what he described as Nwafor-Orizu displaying conduct not befitting of a senior counsel.

    “On account of NwaforOrizu’s conduct, not being counsel on record, and displaying such conduct not worthy of a senior counsel, he shall not be allowed to appear as a counsel in this matter, or any other court, unless and until he furnishes the court with a medical report from a government psychiatric hospital certifying him to be mentally fit. ” He shall also sign an undertaking and serve on all counsel that he shall henceforth be of good conduct and until then, S.M Anichebe shall appear as counsel to the third defendant, ” the judge said.

    At the resumed hearing of the matter, counsel to all parties announced their appearance  following which the judge called on Okorocha’s counsel,  Mr Kehinde Ogunwumiji, SAN,to complete his submission which he started on Thursday. Nwafor-Orizu then came into the court at this point and insisted that he must be heard since he had a process from the Court of Appeal stopping proceedings in the matter. The judge asked him to sit and allow Okorocha’s counsel to continue his argument but the lawyer insisted saying; “the court will not proceed until my motion is heard”.

    The judge warned that he was frustrating his proceedings and should desist from any further antics. Following the warning, the judge rose for about five minutes and when he resumed, he asked the security personnel in the court to watch Nwafor-Orizu closely saying he didn’t feel safe with him in court.

    The judge said he felt unsafe because he was not sure of the mental state of the lawyer adding that no sane lawyer would act in the manner he did since he had not announced himself on record and yet was insisting to be heard. He asked the security personnel to be ready to remove him from the court should he display such conduct again, and where he resisted, he should be arrested. Justice Abang also sent for court’s doctor and informed her to be on standby as he might need to send a lawyer to her to ascertain the lawyer’s mental fitness. In spite of pleas from Mr. N.A Nwawuche (SAN), counsel to the second defendant that the court should pardon Nwafor-Orizu’s behavior, the judge said he would only acknowledge him after he presented a certificate of mental fitness.

  • Oshiomhole, other APC leaders behind my ordeal, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has attributed his current political travails to some national leaders of the All Progressives Party (APC) whose emergence he objected to.

    Okorcha accused the said national leaders of the APC and “other political adversaries” of instigating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and related agencies against him and members of his family.

    He also blamed the said political adversaries for why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to issue him with a certificate of return after being declared the winner of the last election in lmo West Senatorial District.

    Okorocha raised these allegations in two fundamental rights suit he filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/474/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/475/19.

    Listed as respondents in the suits are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the State Security Service (SS) the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    Of all the respondents, it is only the SSS that has responded by filing counter-affidavits as at Tuesday when the cases were mentioned.

    In the counter- affidavits, filed by G. O. A. Agbadua, the SSS faulted Okorocha’s claims and denied planning to arrest either the governor or members of his family

    In the application filed for Okorocha, his lawyer stated that he “has found himself in a politically adversarial position to some powerful members of the APC over the choice of the national officers of the party before and since the convention of the party was conducted to elect new national officers of the APC.

    “The applicant had supported a candidate for the position of National Chairman of the APC other than the current incumbent, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole and by reason of various events that occurred at the time including the detention of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole by the EFCC on allegations of corruption it was assumed that the applicant was a party to that incident.

    “Some of the supporters of Adams Oshiomhole at the time are currently very influential in the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is controlled by the APC.

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    “These individuals including the said current National Chairman have decided to carry out a vendetta and revenge against the applicant including instigating the respondents against the applicant upon their spurious conclusion without evidence that the applicant is guilty of corrupt practices as Governor of Imo State.

    “The respondents, proceeding from this position that the applicant is guilty unless proved innocent, between 2017 and now, have extended not less than 25 invitations to the applicant In purported investigation of projects executed by the into state government In a bid to find some material to justify their conclusion that he is guilty of corrupt practices.

    “This witch hunt, is clearly politically motivated, baseless, and has been designed only to discredit and humiliate the applicant in a bid to decimate him politically.

    “Sometime in May 2017 the 4th respondent, acting in furtherance of the plan of the applicant’s political enemies, invaded the applicant’s house in Jos, Plateau State and while holding his staff and family members hostage ransacked the entire house in the hope to find something incriminating against the applicant.

    “The matter became a subject of litigation in the Jos division of this honourable court over the validity of the search warrant the 4th respondent relied on for that invasion and although the court found that the search warrant was valid, it also confirmed at page 22 of the judgment, based on the admission of the 4th respondent, that nothing incriminating was found against the applicant.

    “Rather than give up their pursuit of the applicant, the respondents acting on the instigation of the applicant’s enemies, have continued the vendetta against the applicant.

    “Upon the conclusion of the senatorial election held on the February 23rd 2019 into the national assembly, the applicant was duly elected as senator to represent Imo West Senatorial District by the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

    “The applicant’s political adversaries within the APC were embittered by the applicant’s victory at the polls and have sworn to ensure that the applicant is either not sworn in as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or is removed for not fulfilling the constitutional minimum attendance requirements.

    “In this regard, they instigated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the applicant’s certificate of return on the unfounded allegation that the Returning Officer was coerced to declare the applicant the winner of the election.

    “Not satisfied with the withholding of the applicant’s certificate of return, those powerful forces with the APC have commenced fresh spate of attacks against the applicant on the baseless allegation that he embezzled the funds belonging to Imo state government in order to ensure that the applicant is politically decimated.

    “The plan has now reached a crescendo and desperation in view of the failure of the respondents to find anything incriminating against the applicant and the decision now taken is to arrest and detain the applicant as soon as he hands over power to the newly elected governor of Imo state on the 29tln of May 2019 and using the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, detain him indefinitely in order that cause may be found to have him removed from his seat as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to which he was recently elected.

    *The plan has also been expanded to include a reign of terror against the applicant’s political, business associates and family members including his wife and children Uioma Rochas, Uju Rochas, Uchechi Rochas, Ahamefula Rochas, Amen Rochas, Amamchi Rochas, Uzoma Anwukah and Uche Nwosu.

    *The applicant has not committed any offence to warrant the incessant threats of arrest, detention, the harassment and terror being unleashed upon him and his family.

    “It is therefore important that this honourable court as the “Fundamental Rights Court” intervene to ensure that this abuse of power and misfeasance in public office by the respondents against the applicant is abated and the fundamental rights of the applicant to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, to liberty and freedom of movement are enforced.

    “Unless this honourable court intervenes to enforce and/or secure the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and to freedom of movement and liberty by making the orders sought in this application, the 1st to 6th respondents will be used by the applicant’s political adversaries for the purpose of their infringement as stated above.

    “The applicant apprehends from the above that his fundamental rights and those of his staff, associates and family members are about to be infringed by the respondents in Abuja as soon as he commences his next assignment as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “This honorable court has the power to grant the reliefs sought in this application to enforce the applicant’s fundamental rights.”

    The SSS, in one of its counter-affidavits, said it is not aware and not part of any plan to arrest and/or detain the applicant (Okorocha) over alleged investigation of the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent (SSS) did not meet with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the applicant.

    “The 3rd respondent has not invited the applicant or any member of his family and/or staff for investigation.

    “Where there is a course to commence any investigation whatsoever against any person including the applicant the 3rcl respondent follows legal procedures in conducting investigation.

    “The Applicant cannot stop security and law enforcement agencies from conducting investigation.”