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Tag: Uche Ogah

  • I’m still in Abia gov race, says Alex Otti

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has debunked rumours making rounds that he has withdrawn from the race.

    There were unconfirmed reports that Otti and Dr. Uche Ogah, gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had met in Umuahia South Local Government Area at the home of one of the chieftains of the APC for a possible coalition ahead of the Saturday March, 9 governorship election against incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, which ended in deadlock.

    It was gathered the meeting had barely ended when rumours started flying around in the state that Otti had agreed to step down for Ogah.

    But Otti in a release on Monday through Kazie Uko, Director, Media and Publicity Alex Otti Campaign Organisation debunked the claims, stressing he is still in the race, adding that he hasn’t stepped down for anybody.

    Part of the release reads “…Consequently, the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation hereby states unequivocally that the reports by an online media blog that Dr. Alex Otti has stepped down for the APC candidate, Uche Ogah, is false and deliberate attempt by desperate politicians to demoralise and confuse the Abia electorates.                                                                                                                                                                                                          “The Alex Otti Campaign Organisation urges Ndi Abia to remain focused in our resolve to vote Dr. Otti, on Saturday, March 9, 2019 thereby enthroning credible leadership at the government house in Abia State and not be distracted by false rumours by rejected and hopeless politicians and their collaborators in the fake media.

    Read Also: ‘How we ensured peaceful polls in Abia’

    “Just on Friday, March 1, 2019 the Accord Party governorship candidate, Barr. Emeka Uwakolam, led his deputy and teeming number of his party members to the Alex Otti Campaign Organisation where he formally stepped down for Dr. Otti, declaring that the APGA candidate stands tall above all the other candidates in the race.

    “Whereas this elicited excitement and hope across the political skyline of Abia State, it must have obviously sent shock waves across the camps of the opposition APC and the PDP, prompting the resort to fake news and propaganda by enemies of Abia State.

    “Abia people should be rest assured that Dr. Alex Otti is determined to win the March 9, 2019 election on the platform of APGA and will not trade that for anything. Just like we did in 2015, APGA will win the 2019 election, this time with even wider margin.

    “We urge Ndi Abia to remain vigilant and not allow anybody to pull wool over our eyes as we conclude the journey to reclaim our dear state next Saturday, from the hands of marauders who have plundered the state for past 20 years.”

  • 2019: Abia guber candidates sign peace accord

    The governorship candidates of the three major political parties; Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, including Blessing Nwagba of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have signed a peace accord agreement.

    The peace accord deal, The Nation gathered was to ensure that there was a violent-free 2019 election on Saturday February 16 and March 2 respectively in the state as the parties square up against each other.

    The event which was organised by Hope Givers Initiative; a civil society organisation, in collaboration with Vision Africa radio station and the Abia State branch of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was witnessed by the clergy, Abia INEC Resident Commissioner; Joseph Iloh, Abia Commissioner of Police; Eden Okon and governorship candidates of various parties.

    The President of Vision Africa Radio, Bishop Sunday Onuoha of Methodist Church reminded the main actors the need to have the interest of the state at heart while they push to convince Abian electorate to vote and give them the opportunity to govern the state.

    Onuoha said signing the peace accord was to ensure that the governorship candidates and other elective position seekers including their supporters were ready to accept the outcome of the elections.

    Joseph Iloh, the INEC Resident Commissioner who said that the importance of the peace accord cannot be overemphasized said there was the need to sustain the prevailing peace in the state before, during and after the polls which required the full cooperation of all the candidates and their supporters.

    Iloh assured that the commission would provide a level, playing field for all the political parties and their candidates.

    Read Also: I’ll help Abia create jobs – Atiku

    On his own part, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Eden Okon disclosed that the command has put necessary measures in place to ensure that there was adequate security in the state during and after the polls.

    The Police Commissioner who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Godwin Akoh, said, “We have enough security on ground. Nobody should be afraid or feel threatened, because police are ready and prepared to protect Nigerians during the elections.’’

    In their separate speeches, the guber candidates among others expressed their readiness to abide by the content of the peace accord during the polls.

     

    According to Gov. Okezie  Ikpeazu said, “It is my desire and sincere wish that no single blood will be spilled during this election.

    “I have express faith in the Prof. Yakubu-led INEC and the capacity of our REC to do the needful to ensure that nobody was allowed to do away with the result sheet.’’

    While Ogah of the APC said he had the interest of the people of Abia at heart and would continue to contribute to the growth of the state.

    “I am a man who stands for peace. We will ensure that the activities of my supporters are governed by peace.”

    Otti also, spoke in a similar vein, saying that he believed in peace and would do everything within his power to maintain peace and unity in Abia.

    “I call on my fellow candidates that have appended their signature to be honest to execute what we have signed.”

  • Court strikes out forgery case against Ogar, Somoye

    A Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has struck out a forgery charge against the President of Master Energy Group, Uche Ogah, and a former staff of United Bank of Africa (UBA), Deji Somoye.

    Chief Magistrate K. B. Ayeye struck out the case following an application by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, had filed a six-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and fraud against the defendants and seven others in June 2016.

    The police claimed that sometime in August 2011, at the bank’s regional office in Palmgrove, Somoye failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission or the completion of the crime by Ogah’s firm.

    Ogar and Somoye denied the charge.

    Somoye insisted that the case was “baseless and without iota of fact” as he had left the banking industry in 2012 when the transaction took place, thus “he could not have used his position as a General Manager to perpetrate or encourage anyone to alter signatures” as alleged.

    Making the application for withdrawal, prosecuting counsel, Henry Obiazi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), informed the court that he was under instruction from the police boss.

    Obiazi said: “I have been directed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to withdraw the charge.

    “My application is brought under Section 73(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2011 for a withdrawal of this charge against the Defendants, based on instruction from the IGP that the case file be withdrawn.”

    In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Ayeye held: “The case is hereby struck out.”

  • Court uphold Ogah as Abia APC governorship candidate

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday held that Uche Ogah was the validly nominated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the next governorship election in Abia State.

    Justice Anwuli Chikere, in a judgment in the suit by Ogah, held that, by the provision of Section 87 of the Electoral Act, it was the National Working Committee (NWC) of a party that can conduct a valid governorship primary.

    Read also: PDP suspends Ekiti Deputy Speaker, Deputy Leader, five others

    Justice Chikere further held that since Ogah emerged from the primary held by the APC’s NWC, he is a product of a valid primary.

    The judge proceeded to void the primary conducted by the Abia State Executive of the APC, from which Ikechi Emenike was said to have emerged.

    Justice Chikere barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from substituting Ogah’s name with any alternative provided by the APC.

  • APC raises alarm over destruction of Buhari, Ogah’s campaign posters

    Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over the destruction and defacing of campaign posters of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr. Uche Ogah within Umuahia, the state capital.

    In a telephone interview with the Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson on Wednesday, the party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being behind the defacing and destruction of President Buhari and Ogah’s campaign posters.

    APC while warning that the party would no longer watch the ruling party in the state using hoodlums to destroy campaign posters of the President, its governorship candidate in the state and any other candidate of the party said that henceforth anybody caught engaging in this wicked act would be dealt with according to the law.

    According to Godson, the defacing of its candidates’ campaign posters is a sign that the ruling party is defeated already and stated that the party is concerned about at the moment is how to sell ideas of their candidates to the people of the state and ensuring that President Buhari gets maximum votes in Abia State.

    Godson, while enjoining members of the party and Abians to get their PVCs and be ready to vote out bad government from office come 2019, assured that the party would ensure that the votes of the people counted.

    “I want to advice our brothers in the opposition party that this is not the way that democracy is being played. I believe that they have seen that we have come to take over the state and I want to plead with them to gently hand over the mantle of leadership of Abia State to Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah who has come to liberate Abia from bondage come 2019.

    Read Also: Court sacks Anambra APC chairman

    “Destruction of billboards and posters Mr. President, Uche Ogah and other candidates of the party is undemocratic and that cannot stop us from returning Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari who has done so well in terms of good roads, constant light, better life for Nigerians and Uche Ogah as both President and governor of the country and Abia State respectively.

    “It is important to say that the PDP government that we have in Abia State has failed Abians in all ramifications. They owe teachers from Primary to tertiary. The roads that they claim that they have built have caved in and they cannot justify the amount of money they claimed to have spent on such roads.

    “The little that we are seeing in the state are being built by the federal government through the NDDC.

    “We want to assure them that nobody has monopoly of violence and destruction of posters. We are warning the PDP to stop destruction of our candidates’ campaign posters with immediate effect,” said Godson.

    In a related development a statement issued by Ogah’s campaign office on Wednesday corroborated Godson’s claims and further alleged that eyewitnesses has it that a team of six mobile police men in company with some agents of Abia State government along Aba Road and other parts of the state capital carried out the ugly act.

    “To confirm this report, a team was dispatched from our Campaign Office to the said locations and it turned out to be true. Many of our newly pasted posters of Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/Buhari with the All Progressives Congress logos had been destroyed. But the shameless elements who perpetuated this barbaric act had escaped from the scene before the arrival of our team but our eye witnesses gave a valid account of all that transpired.

    “Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah frowns at this unholy behaviour that can only be perpetuated by low lives and cowards. He wants to sound a note of warning to the Abia State government led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to desist from such shameful act or be ready for an appropriate response.

    “Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah believes that election is about the contest of ideas and the opportunity to present the people with a program of action on how to better their lives and that of their generations yet unborn; That those who seek to lead must have the confidence to face public scrutiny amidst contending ideas.

    “In the light of the above, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is asking the failed PDP government in Abia State to challenge the All Progressives Congress in Abia State based on their records of performance and allow free contest devoid of intimidation or harassment to enable Ndi Abia to make their choices without fear of molestation. He is hereby assuring the PDP and their failed administration in Abia State that the party and merriment is over. From now on, any act of intimidation by the PDP in the state, the government and their agents will be severely retaliated within the confines of the law.

    “All Abians are hereby encouraged to report any act of intimidation, harassment or molestation in any part of Abia state to Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s Campaign Office and the appropriate response will follow.

    “It is no longer going to be business as usual. All Abians are equal stakeholders in the state and they can no longer be made strangers in their own affairs. They must be allowed the freedom of choice that they deserve to choose between the failed diabolical PDP government that have looted our state to waste and the deliverable action plan of the APC led by Dr.Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah and Martins Azubuike; which will transform Abia into a prosperous sub national economy.

    “All Progressives Congress members in Abia State and other members of the Abia public are hereby encouraged to report anybody in their locality who dares to harass them or to tamper with Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/President Buhari’s posters or Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson  Ogah/ Rt. Hon Martins Azubuike’s posters and other campaign materials. We promise to ensure that such actions are severely punished and any individual or groups involved brought to justice.

    “The peace and development of Abia state is the primary focus of Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah and Rt Hon Martins Azubuike and that will not be allowed to be toyed with,” the statement concluded.

     

  • APGA, SDP excos to merge with APC in Abia —Uche Ogah

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Abia, Dr Uche Ogah, yesterday in Abuja expressed optimism that the party would take over the state in 2019. Ogah spoke with State House correspondents after he and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, had a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. The APC candidate said that executive members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) would soon `submit’ to APC in Abia State. He said that his chances in the governorship contest were very bright as he was the man to beat, adding that he was upbeat that President Muhammadu Buhari would also win the presidential election in 2019.

    Ogah said that if elected, he would harness the untapped potentials of Abia for the good of the citizens. Ogah said he will improve security, facilitate industrialisation, ensure good welfare for the people and revolutionalise development in the state. Ogah, who is the president of Maters Energy Group, said if elected, he would ensure that infrastructure in Abia State would be second to none ever since the inception of Abia State. “If you get to Abia State, everywhere is Uche Ogah. He is the only answer for the people of Abia State. I am the only person who has the capacity to take Abia State to the next level.

    “My message is that of hope; the future is brighter; there is hope for every Nigerian come 2019 and Buhari will be voted into power the second time. “If you are on ground, you will know that people went to APGA because I refused to go to another party. “There was apathy of the people; but by next week the entire executive of APGA are submitting themselves to APC in Abia State. “The entire executive of SDP are submitting themselves to APC. If you go to Abia, you ask questions.

    There is only one candidate to beat and that is Uche Ogah. He said that Abia people earnestly yearned for him to tackle the persistent challenge of bad roads and infrastructure facing the state. On his part, Nnamani told State House correspondents that the party was still harmonising after its primaries and congresses. The APC chieftain said that there were quite a few conflicts which were common in a political arena. “Right now, we are grappling with the outcome of the primaries, trying to bring everybody together. “We are not asking anybody to go to hell. We are asking them to come together; if you do not do well, there is nothing to cheer; if you do well, everybody will be happy. “We are still working on appeasing a number of people so that we can be happy,’’ he said. Nnamani said that APC is a national party, adding that the stakeholders were working towards integrating the people of the South- East.

  • Uche Ogah emerges Abia APC guber candidate

    Uche Ogah emerges governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2019 with a total vote of 86,875, martins Azubuike 10,889, Akomas 2,123, Amb Okey Emuchay, Prince Paul Ikonne 999, Friday Nwosu 3,529.

    Another faction of the party earlier chose Chief Ikechi Emenike as its own candidate. The Emenike group said it has a court order, which it recognises its executive council as the authentic one.

  • Supreme Court Verdict:  Abia PDP set to go on fence mending mission 

    Supreme Court Verdict:  Abia PDP set to go on fence mending mission 

    The Supreme Court judgement which affirmed the validity of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s nomination for the governorship election he won two years ago has made the Abia state chapter of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to set machinery in motion to bring back estranged members.

    Speaking in Umuahia on the outcome of the judgement the chairman of the party Chief Johnson Onuigbo said that with the court case over that the party has commenced moves to bring back some those who left the party.

    Onuigbo said that it is obvious that some of their members who felt aggrieved with the result of the party’s governorship primary left the party and that now the court case is over, “The next thing to be done is to bring them back”.

    He said, “We’ve lost friends and associates during the legal tussle, now that the apex court has finally laid to rest any doubt concerning Governor Ikpeazu’s victory at the polls all those that had left the party should come back and join hands with the governor to build Abia”.

    Onuigbo said that it was a thing of joy Uche Ogah, who was one of the litigants that dragged the Abia governor all the way to the Supreme Court, has congratulated Governor Ikpeazu after the Supreme Court judgment.

    He said, “I learnt that Ogah had called to congratulate the governor which is welcome development which means that the war is over, the next thing is for others like him to do the same and also come forward to help build the state”.

    The Abia PDP chairman acknowledged that the long drawn legal tussle had taken its toll on the governor because “for two years now this governor had been under pressure from left, right and centre.”

    Onuigbo said that notwithstanding the distractions Governor Ikpeazu has been performing very well in driving development across Abia, adding that having finally overcome his traducers he would redouble his efforts to do more for Abia people.

    He said, “The CJN wondered how four people would want to be governor of a state at the same time which is not possible, I advise politicians to put their house in order and stop putting undue pressure on the judiciary”.

    “The judgement of the Supreme Court shows that there are still good people in Nigeria as their judgement on the Abia governorship issue has shown that there is future for the common man which the judiciary represents”.

    Onuigbo commended the governor for the rapid development in the state despite all forms of distractions which have come his way in the last two years he has been in office and urged him to continue the good work he has been doing.

    He lauded the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen for exposing the antics of politicians and chiding for interfering with the judicial process by trying to influence judicial officers with inducements.

    He said that the advice the CJN gave to politicians was in order, adding that the disposition of justice Onnoghen was a strong indication that “good men are still around and that the judiciary remained the last hope of the common man”.

    The CJN had while delivering judgment on the Abia governorship advised that politicians “should allow the judiciary to be independent because without an independent judiciary, there will not be a just society”.

    He had noted that there were several security breaches, where desperate politicians made frantic efforts to compromise the court officials in the course of doing their job.

    The CJN therefore warned that attempts to bribe judicial officers to pervert justice constituted serious offences and they would be thoroughly investigated to unmask the politicians and make them face the wrath of the law.

     

  • Magistrates’ absence stalls forgery charge against Ogah

    A Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, Thursday adjourned till October 10, for hearing of an allegation of fraud against the President of Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, following the absence of Chief Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye.

    Ogah was arraigned by the police on June 16, alongside an ex-employee of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Deji Somoye.

    The oil firm and UBA were also joined with the defendants on three counts bordering on forgery and conspiracy.

    No reason was given for the absence of the Mrs Ayeye but the court registrars adjourned the matter till October 10 for trial.

    The police said Ogah allegedly forged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited and Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited sometime in March 2011.

    Ogah and some other persons still at large were alleged to have forged the signature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun.

    The alleged forgery was reportedly committed in Ikeja, Lagos.

    During their arraignment, the police also alleged that the bank aided Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited to open an account in the name of Mut-Hass Petroleum to perpetrate a fraud without applying its internal control procedures in the opening of the account.

    It claimed that UBA allowed the said account to be opened sometime in 2011 at its regional office in Palmgrove, Lagos, in breach of the provisions of the Bank and Other Financial Institutions (BOFIA) Act 2004.

    Police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Henry Obiazi told the court that the offences contravened Sections 363 (3) (u), 408 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The charges reads in part, “That you, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, and others at large sometime in March 2011 at Ikeja, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to wit: forgery.

    “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 one 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.

    “That you, Deji Somoye, United Bank for Africa and others still at large, sometime in August 2011, at UBA regional office, Palmgrove, in the Lagos Magisterial District, knowing that Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited designed to commit an offence, failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission or the completion of the crime.”

    The defendants denied the charge and were admitted to bail in the sum of N200, 000 each with one surety each in the like sum