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Tag: Senator Ayogu Eze

  • One killed at APC candidate’s home

    One person has been reportedly shot dead at Umuida, Igboeze North Local Council, home of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ayogu Eze.

    Eye witness said the victim was hit by a stray bullet fired by the policemen who were trying to scare away an angry mob who were about lynching suspected thugs who stormed the polling station.

    Trouble started when the thugs who posed as reporters came around and demanded to see the APC candidate for an interview.

    But they failed to produce the identity cards when asked to identify themselves.

    The crowd that gathered grew suspicious and descended on them.

    In the ensuing chaos, the policemen around the area started shooting into the air following which a stray bullet hit one of them.

    The police in Enugu said they were yet to receive the report as at the time of filing this report.

    However, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe, in a terse text message, said there was no casualty at Umuida. He wrote: “Nobody is killed please.”

    Meanwhile, the governorship and House of Assembly elections took off as scheduled by INEC in all parts of Enugu State with an early turnout of voters.

    In most areas visited INEC officials and materials were already at voting centres just as voters trooped into polling units.

    Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, contesting for reelection, was at his polling booth, Amaube ward 1and 2, Orba, where he cast his vote at exactly 9.35am.

    Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu, had called the bluff of APC leadership in the state which protested on Thursday, calling for postponement of the exercise.

    APC was, however, a lone voice as 70 other political parties in the state passed a vote of confidence on the REC and urged INEC to go ahead with the exercise.

    The REC who assured parties of a free and fair exercise in the state said he will not be intimidated, saying the exercise would go on as planned.

  • Eze boycotts guber election in Enugu, alleges foul play

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu Eze, on Saturday boycotted the governorship/state assembly elections in the state.

    Eze told journalists in his country home at Umuozzi in Enugu-Ezike, Igboeze North council of the state that he was angry that his name was not included among governorship candidates contesting in the state.

    He alleged that INEC published final list of governorship candidates leaving out his name in spite of Appeal Court order reinstating him as the APC governorship candidate.

    “INEC claims to have party logos on the ballot paper so why didn’t they publish only the logos of all the political parties and leave the candidates?’’ Eze complained.

    The APC candidate said that his supporters refused to vote because they were angry that they had not been treated well by INEC.

    He said that he pleaded with them to go and vote but they insisted that he would not vote until INEC created a level playing ground.

    When contacted, the INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Emeka Ononamadu debunked the allegation saying that the commission included his name on Friday, March 8.

    The REC told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that as soon as it received directive from INEC headquarters in Abuja, he restored his name.

    According to him, at the commencement of work on Friday, March 8, the administrative memo arrived and his name has been inserted back at the appropriate place as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for over 24 hours.

    The REC urged the residents especially the media to get things right by informing the people appropriately on developments at the commission.

    “After this briefing, I will take time to show you the communication from our headquarters in Abuja.

    “And those communications are purely administrative and it is clear that we put back his name on time after the Thursday’s Appeal Court Judgment.

    “I saw the thing, the administrative communications concerning the issue, on Friday, in the morning when I came to work. It was then resolved.

    “However, let me say, that the APC before now has been in the ballot paper.

    “If you go to the polling booth now, you see APC name abbreviated with its logo in the ballot papers,’’ he said.

    Ononamadu explained that INEC is one and the Enugu office is a sub-section of the INEC headquarters, Abuja.

    He added that the INEC Enugu office would always take directives from its national headquarters since it did not have the powers to remove or add any name of candidate or party for election. (NAN)

  • One killed at APC gov candidate’s home

    One person has been reportedly shot dead at Umuida, Igboeze North local council, home of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Ayogu Eze.

    Eye witness said the victim was hit by a stray bullet fired by policemen trying to scare away an angry mob who were about lynching suspected thugs who stormed the polling station.

    Trouble started when who posed as reporters came around and demanded to see the APC candidate for an interview.

    But they failed to produce the identity cards when asked to identify themselves.

    The crowd that gathered grew suspicious and descended on them.

    In the ensuing chaos, the policemen around the area started shooting into the air following which a stray bullet hit one of them.

    The police in Enugu said they were yet to receive the report as at the time of filing this report.

  • Osinbajo, Senator Ayogu Eze meet in Aso Rock

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday held a private meeting with former Chairman of Works Committee in the 7th Senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Senator Ayogu Eze arrived the Villa at about 2pm.

    He was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

    Read Also: Osinbajo signs three bills into law

    Ayogu Eze, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator representing Enugu North from 2007 to 2015, aspired for the ticket of the PDP to run for the governorship position in Enugu State in 2015.

    He lost to the eventual winner and present Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Last week, Ayogu Eze had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    His visit to the Villa on Monday followed his defection to the APC.

  • Court extends injunction

    Court extends injunction

    An Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice R. O. Odugu has extended an order it granted, restraining a governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ayogu Eze, from parading himself as the party’s candidate.

    Justice Odugu, who granted the application by the plaintiff/applicant, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is the governorship candidate recognised by the party, adjourned the case till December 22 for further hearing.

    The order also restrains the PDP from recognising or submitting any name other than that of Ugwuanyi as the governorship candidate.