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Tag: Sen. Andy Uba

  • Obasanjo’s ex-aide, Sen. Andy Uba, others charged with N400m fraud

    Obasanjo’s ex-aide, Sen. Andy Uba, others charged with N400m fraud

    A former Special Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs to ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Andy UBA has been accused of complicity in an alleged N400million fraud.

    In a charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Uba was alleged to have worked with three others to obtain N400million from one George Uboh.

    Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, and Benjamin Etu (named as defendants in the charge) along with Hajiya Fatima (now at large) allegedly obtained the N400m from Uboh on the pretext that they could facilitate his appointment as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The charge reads:

    *That you Andy Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, Benjamin Etu, and Hajiya Fatima (now at large) sometime in the year 2022 did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtaining by false pretences by making a presentation to George Uboh you have perfected a way to an appointment of the Managing Directorship of NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) to any interested person who can afford the sum of N400,000,000, a presentation which you know is not true and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.

    That you Andy Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, Benjamin Etu and Hajiya Fatima (now at large) sometime in the year 2022 did conspire amongst yourselves with the intention to defraud did induce George Uboh by making a presentation to him that you have perfected a way to give an appointment of the post of Managing Directorship of (NDDC) Niger Delta Development Commission to any interested person who can afford the sum of N400 000 000 a presentation which you know is not true you ed the money and converted it into your own personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (2) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.

    It was learnt that the charge was informed by findings by police investigators, who acted on a petition by Uboh.

    In the petition, Uboh claimed among others, to have been hoodwinked into parting with the N400m.

    He said: “This petition is based on documentary and voice recording evidence thus the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable.

    “Andy Ubah stated unequivocally to me that he has perfected a way to give NDDC Managing Directorship to any candidate who brings N400 000,000, that if the appointment does not occur, he will refund the money.

    “I nominated my sister, Honorable (Engr.) Doris Uboh, who by profession, is qualified to be NDDC MD.

    “Andy Ubah provided two accounts and instructed a transfer of N200,000,000 each into the accounts.

    “I instructed another sister of mine, Princess Engr. Ify Akanmode, who is a business partner and whose account I had some funds, to do the transfers.

    Read Also: Anambra APC moves to reconcile Ngige, Uba, Moghalu, others

    “Till date, Andy Ubah has promised to pay and has not.”

    The defendants were to be arraigned on November 13, but was stalled when the lawyer to the prosecution, M.L. Anthony complained about his inability to effect personal service on the defendants, as required.

    Anthony claimed that the defendants have been evading service of the court documents after they were given administrative bail.

    Anthony told the court that they had been on the case since 2023, adding that the defendants obtained a fundamental rights enforcement order, which prevented the police from bringing them to court.

    The lawyer said it was not until after the order was lifted that the defendants were finally charged before the judge.

    Ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned till February 18 next year for the purpose of arraignment, before which the prosecution is expected to effect service of the charge on the defendants.

  • Anambra Guber poll: APC submits Nwoye’s name

    Anambra Guber poll: APC submits Nwoye’s name

    After several days of speculations and political horse trading, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has submitted the name of Hon. Tony Nwoye to the Independent National Electoral (INEC) as its candidate for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra state.

    The party also issued a certificate of return to Nwoye as the party’s candidate against the recommendation of the Appeal panel, calling for the outright cancelation of the primary election.

    The appeals panel had told the National Working Committee that most of the aspirants who contested the primary led by Sen Andy Uba, questioned Nwoye’s emergence, demanding a repeat of the exercise.

    However, the Chairman of the Committee that conducted the primary and Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima on his part told the party that non of the aspirants questioned the integrity of the primary through out the exercise.

    On his part, Senator Andy Uba who wanted an outright cancelation of the primary and declaring him winner, Sen Uba wrote: “I complained to some members of the Primary Election Committee sent from the headquarters of the party. To be frank, I continued with the exercise in protest after observing all these irregularities. Most of the disgruntled delegates of the primary election have gone to various courts to depose to an affidavit of events that transpired.”

    The Nation was informed that the Appeal panel recommended a repeat of the governorship poll.

     However, rising from a crucial meeting at the party national secretariat on Monday, decided to forward Nwoye’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to meet the deadline for submission of names of candidates for the election.

    National Organising Secretary Osita Izunazo, who confirmed the development told newsmen that the NWC threw out Sen. Uba’s petition against Nwoye and also overruled the recommendation of the Appeal panel for total concelation of the primary poll.

    “I can confirm to you that the NWC has issued certificate of return to Tony Nwoye as APC governorship candidate for November 18, Anambra election.”

  • Uba debunks PDP defection

    Uba debunks PDP defection

    Sen. Andy Uba says he has not defected from  the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the outcome of the Anambra governorship primaries.

    Uba, who is from Anambra South made this known to newsmen at his country home, on Tuesday.

    He debunked  reports making the rounds that he planned to dump the APC for a new party.

    In a statement issued by his media aide, Mr Joseph Itazi, the senator said that he was still a supporter of the APC, irrespective of the outcome of the party’s primaries.

    “Let us put the record straight, I have no intention of leaving our great party -APC – for another party.

    “I have always supported the party, so please people should stop spreading false news that I am planning to defect to another party.

    “I am still a member of the APC,’’ he  said.

    Uba  emerged second with 931 votes at the just-concluded APC primary election, losing to Mr Tony Nwoye.

    Uba and Nwoye were members of the PDP before defecting to APC.

  • Senator Andy Uba defects to APC

    Senator Andy Uba defects to APC

    Sen. Andy Uba, representing Anambra South Senatorial zone under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Uba disclosed this at a news briefing on Wednesday in his home country, Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

    The lawmaker said that he joined the APC at the ongoing registration of party members in the state.

    According to him, APC has ideology and focus which he needed to tap into to provide quality representation to his constituents.

    Uba further said that he joined the APC because of other personalities in the party with sound ideas and whom he looked up to in politics.

    He listed some of the personalities to include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, and APC National Auditor, Chief George Muoghalu.

    Uba stressed that with such caliber of people, the party would take the state to enviable heights.

    The senator said he would be very effective in serving the yearnings of his people more now that he was in APC and urged other Igbo politicians to join the bandwagon.

    The registration of senator Uba had doused speculations of his defection to APC which had been on for many weeks in the state.

  • Senator faults funding of political parties by govt.

    Senator faults funding of political parties by govt.

    Sen. Andy Uba, Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, has faulted government’s funding of political parties, saying it will undermine the ongoing electoral reforms in the country.

    Uba, who said this in Abuja on Monday at the 6th lecture of the INEC’s Electoral Institute for Political Parties, noted that funding by government could make the parties “stooge’’ of government.

    According to him, instead, political parties should find ways to generate their own incomes as it is done in civilised nations.

    “Countries across the globe, you find political parties creating businesses and other legitimate means of generating money as this will make them to be financially independent.

    He said political parties depending on government for funding should be ready to take instructions from the government because “he who plays the piper dictates the tune’’.

    Uba said the time has come for political parties in Nigeria to become independent and design means of funding their activities.

    He said that nothing stops Nigeria from copying the America and Ghana system of political party funding to enhance party activities.

    The senator said the conduct of local government elections by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs) was becoming of a great concern to the nation.

    He noted that it had become apparent that there was no democracy in elections conducted by SIECs.

    Uba said that he was making some moves with other lawmakers to resolve the problem legislatively.

    Earlier, some parties’ chieftains had stressed the need for the Federal Government to resume funding of the registered political parties in the country.

    The chieftains, who spoke under anonymity, said that the existing political parties were not sufficiently solvent to be denied grants from the government.

    One of them stated that political parties were facing challenges in keeping afloat without regular financial support from government.

    He said that membership registration by the political parties did not attract special revenue for the running of their secretariats and other activities.

    Malam Buba Galadima, National Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it was wrong for government to continue to fund political parties.

    He said the time had come for political parties to be independent of government.

    Galadima said all political parties must imbibe the act of self-reliance to encourage discipline among the virile political parties