The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Wada

  • Wada, deputy lose constituencies

    Wada, deputy lose constituencies

    Kogi State Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost his Dekina/Braidu Constituency to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s House of Assembly election.

    His deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, also lost his Mopamoro Constituency to the APC.

    According to an unofficial result from Mopa, APC polled  2, 985, PDP, 2, 231 and AP, 2, 208.

    The governor and his deputy lost in their areas to the opposition APC in the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Other constituencies where PDP lost to APC include Ankpa I, Ankpa II and Lokoja I.

  • Wada sues for peace

    Wada sues for peace

    Kogi State Governor Capt. Idris Wada has rejoiced with Nigerians, especially Christians, on this year’s Easter celebrations.

    He enjoined them to emulate the humility and selflessness of Jesus Christ.

    Wada, in a goodwill message by his Special Adviser, Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, said the Easter festivities as symbolised by the Lent and Passion Week, is an invitation to a life of peace, sacrifice and holiness.

    While in festivities, he called the citizenry not to lose track of the message of love and hope, which Jesus Christ preached and practised.

    He encouraged Christians to convert the “unique atmosphere offered by Easter in an election year to call on God for His continuous protection on our country and for our leaders to overcome every challenge of leadership”.

    He advised that in the spirit of Easter, “Nigerians should remain united and put behind them acrimonies of tongue and partisanship”.

  • Wada and his many battles in Kogi

    Wada and his many battles in Kogi

    The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be the worst-hit in the gale of defections that have rocked the party in the country in the last few months, no thanks to the loss of confidence of key party stakeholders against the state governor, Idris Wada, reports Assistant Editor,  Remi Adelowo

    The ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Kogi State is presently in a bad shape.

    Though top party leaders, including the state governor, Idris Wada, are putting up a façade that all is well, not a few of them are reportedly concerned of what has become of the party, which has become a shadow of itself 12 years after it gained control of the state from the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003.

    The immediate former governor, Ibrahim Idris of the PDP, had defeated ANPP’s Abubakar Audu, whose Achilles-heels despite his modest success in infrastructural development, was his fall-out with civil servants, teachers and key stakeholders in the state.

    And for eight years, Idris ruled the state before handing over to Wada in 2012.

    No sooner had Wada become the new occupier of the Kogi Government House than he fell out with his predecessor over issues not unconnected to the running of the state and control of party apparatus.

    For about four years now, several efforts by influential elders in the state to wade into the feud proved futile as the two erstwhile political associates have refused to sheathe sword.

    Perhaps in protest against his alleged marginalisation in the affairs of the party, Idris has, in the last three years, completely distanced himself from PDP, a fact that is not lost in the national headquarters and the Presidency, which sources revealed have also made entreaties to him without much success.

    The former governor’s disenchantment with Wada, according to sources, may have also accounted for his conspicuous absence at some of the rallies held by the party in the state and at the zonal level.

    But Idris recently denied it all, insisting that all is well between him and Wada. He also dismissed rumours of his likely defection to the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), saying, “I remain a staunch member and leader of the PDP. It is very ridiculous for me to leave a house that I built to become a tenant in another person’s house. I have not left and there is no basis for me to consider leaving the PDP.”

    He continued: “Nothing has happened to warrant my defection to the opposition. Elders of our party are working very hard to ensure the victory of the party in the March 28 and April 11 elections.”

     

    Wada losing grip

    While the incumbent governor may have succeeded in putting his predecessor in check, his grip of the party in the state appears to be waning every passing day.

    With unconfirmed reports of the governor’s ill health gaining ground all over the state, many critics have also labeled him as an ‘absentee governor’ who practically spends the better part of his time in Abuja, which was his base before his election.

    His alleged poor performance, say sources, has also swayed public opinion heavily against the governor and his party.

    One PDP chieftain who is unimpressed with Wada’s alleged abysmal performance in office so far is a former governorship aspirant of the party, Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo.

    In a recent interview in which he took the governor to the cleaners, he said, “The governor leaves in Abuja and visits Lokoja once or twice a week. The state capital, Lokoja, is getting dirtier by the day. It looks like a glorified village. Yet, state resources are being looted or misappropriated. The governor and his wife are often the first to show up at IBB Golf Course in Abuja in the morning. There is no one in charge of Kogi.

    “It is obvious that Wada was not prepared for the office. He is totally clueless. This is why the national leadership of our party must intervene and ensure that Wada does not return to office at the end of his current four-year tenure in January 2016.”

     

    Gale of defections

    In recent times, Kogi PDP has suffered from a mass exodus of many of its prominent members to rival parties, with the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), as the biggest beneficiary.

    The list of defectors include a former governorship aspirant, Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atawodi, former Accountant General of the state, Ubolo Okpanachi, and former state chairman of PDP, Barrister Dangana Ocheja.

    Other chieftains of the PDP that have joined APC included Senator Nicholas Ugbane, Samson Ihiabe and former Executive Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Sani Ogu, two former Speakers of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello and Asiwaju Clarence Olafemi, to mention but a few.

    Within the top echelon of Kogi PDP, there are fears that the party’s fate in yesterday’s presidential election and the 2016 governorship election is hanging in the balance.

    Adinoyi Ojo also shared in this notion. His words: “The people of Kogi State are disenchanted and disillusioned with the Governor Idris Wada-led administration. They are not happy about the low standard of governance in the state. The defections in the party amount to a vote of no confidence on the government.

    “Nothing is happening in the state; salaries are not being paid as and when due. The public education system has almost collapsed. Kogi State roads are the worst in the country. Even the road leading to Government House in Lokoja is full of potholes.”

    Speaking further on the way forward, the former journalist-turned-politician was of the opinion that for PDP to regain its lost glory in the state, Wada must be asked to step aside once his first term is over.

    He argued, “Some of us will be happier if he leaves much earlier. He is killing the PDP by his lack of leadership and poor performance. When those of us in Kogi Elders Forum sent open letters to the president and the National Chairman of the party two years ago about the situation in the state and the need to halt the party’s hemorrhaging, nothing was done about it.

    “Our predictions have come to pass. The PDP is in its death throes in Kogi. If there is an election now and the PDP fields Wada, our party will lose woefully to the APC even if the APC fields a goat. It is that bad. Ask anyone on the streets of Lokoja, Kabba and Idah. This government is very unpopular.

    “Wada must not return in 2016. The party should pick a dynamic, competent and visionary person to lead it to victory. The national leadership of the PDP made a mistake in 2011 by allowing former governor Ibrahim Idris to impose on the party someone who was not a card carrying member of our party.

    “Ibrahim Idris ruined and vandalised the state for nine years and when it was time to go, he brought his brother-in-law to come and complete the wrecking of the state and end the reign of the PDP.”

    The big poser remains: Can the Kogi PDP regain its groove with Wada still in charge? Only time would provide the answer.

  • Supreme Court upholds Kogi gov’s election

    Supreme Court upholds Kogi gov’s election

    The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal which had sought the nullification of the 2011 governorship election of Captain Idris Wada (retired) as the governor of Kwara State.

    Idris contested the election as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The appeal was initiated by the governorship candidate of the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), James Ocholi (SAN). Ocholi, amomg others, urged the court to nullify Wada’s election and declare him the validly elected governor.

    Ocholi had contended that Wada was not qualified to contest in the December 3, 2011 governorship election because he (Wada) was not a candidate for the election earlier scheduled for April 26 of the same year.

    He argued that the election earlier scheduled for April 26, 2011 was not cancelled but only postponed to December 3, 2011, on the account of a court order.

    Ocholi argued that ‎the submission of nomination forms by candidates having closed on February 28, 2011 for the rescheduled April 26 election, Wada, who later became a candidate in the election held on December 3, 2011 was not qualified to participate in the election.

    In a unanimous judgment Friday, the Supreme Court held that Ocholi’s appeal lacked merit.

    Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun read the lead judgment.

    The Court affirmed the concurrent judgments of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court ‎in Lokoja, which had both dismissed the appellant’s case. It held ‎that the Federal High Court, Lokoja had in its judgment delivered on July 10, 2013, rightly dismissed Ocholi’s suit ‎for lack of jurisdiction.

    It further held that the prayers sought by Ocholi, in substance and in nature, was a matter that could be entertained by the election petition tribunal.

    “The aim of the appellant’s suit was the nullification of the victory of Wada at the election held on December 3, 2011 and a declaration that he is the lawful winner of the election and the person validly entitled to be sworn in as the governor of Kogi state.

    “The Federal High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain his claims. The concurrent decisions of the two lower courts in this regard cannot be faulted. The appellant has not advanced any cogent reasons to warrant interference by this court.”

    The court held that Ocholi waited for more than three months after the conduct of the election that produced Wada as governor before raising the issue of qualification of the candidates who participated in the election.

    “It had become a post-election matter that could only be determined by an election tribunal. I agree with the learned senior counsel for the respondent (Wada) that having regard to the facts and circumstances of this case, the appellant had every opportunity to institute his action before the conduct of the election.

    “Not only did he fail to challenge any of the steps taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission such as the publication of a new timetable for the conduct of primaries, the new election date and the list of qualified candidates for the December 3rd 2011 election, he fully participated in the new primaries and contested the election,” The court said.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Justices  Afolabi ‎Fabiyi, Dantijo Muhammad, Clara Ogunbiyi, John Okoro and Centus Nweze, who were in the panel that heard the appeal, agreed with the lead judgment.

  • Wada at loggerheads with elected council officials

    Wada at loggerheads with elected council officials

    Kogi State Governor Idris Wada is at loggerheads with elected local government officials, for sidelining them on trumped up charges. Five months ago, the governor procured a high court judgment, to set aside the elected local government (LG) functionaries on grounds that the officials were stealing funds belonging to the councils, saying that was the reason why they were not able to pay full salaries. The government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, took over direct payment of salaries of local government employees. This action contravenes the law guaranteeing the autonomy of the third tier of government.

    But, since the ministry took over payment of salaries, there has been no improvement as far as the payment of salaries of local government officials is concerned. The ministry has only been able to pay an average of 50 per cent of staff salaries; less than what the “thieving” chairmen were paying.

    This calls into question, the government’s rationale for taking over direct payment of salaries of LG employees, contrary to provisions in the 1999 Constitution guaranteeing LG autonomy. From January allocation alone, the state deducted a flat 12 million from each of the 21 local governments through the ministry, amounting to a total of 252 million.

    In addition, a sum of N1.2 billion is deducted from LG allocations each month for primary school teachers’ salary. Yet, teachers are being owed five months arrears. According to observers, many of the chairmen are afraid of speaking out because those who dared to question the development have been hounded out of office by the governor’s aides.

    An attempt was made to pacify the councilors, who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when they threatened to defect the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). On February 12, they were invited to see the governor, perhaps to settle the matter internally within the party. But, the governor kept them waiting for eight hours and eventually refused to see them.

    Prior to this development, the chairmen were tongue-lashed publicly, in front of journalists, because they dared to ask why teachers were not being paid regularly. The political appointees of Governor Wada, who are part of the beneficiaries of the fraud in the State Universal Basic education Board (SUBEB), misinformed the governor that the council chairmen could not pay full salaries because they were stealing local fund. The governor who had been looking for an opportunity to deal with the chairmen, for being “assertive” summoned and lambasted them before media men.

    According to observers, the issue of delay in payment of salaries has been a recurring decimal. As at May 7, 2013, when the elected council assumed office, virtually all the LGs owed their workers several months’ arrears of salaries running to hundreds of millions of naira. The reasons for the anomaly, according to the observers, are: the dwindling revenue allocations; prevalence of ghost workers; the over-bloated staff position as a result of illegal recruitments between 2010 and 2013 and over deductions from the Statutory Revenue Allocations (SRA) of some local government councils, irrespective of their monthly actual teachers’ salaries bills.

    Though staff screening exercises were carried, which led to disengagement of most illegally-recruited staff in November, 2013, it is believed that ghost workers still exist within the system. Similar screening exercises were carried in conjunction with each local government chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), to determine the actual number of teaching and non-teaching staff. The aims, among others, were to determine the monthly teachers’ salary bill of each local government, so as to determine the monthly amount deductible from each LG statutory revenue allocations.

    Even though SUBEB board had been dissolved twice on account of fraud within the past 18 months, results are yet to be implemented up to now. It is so ridiculous that local government councils with less than 800 teachers and those with more than 3,500 teachers contribute equal amount common black purse called SUBEB. Even at that, the over N1.4 billion deducted every month never gets to the teachers as at when due. Kogi State owes teachers three months salaries.

  • ‘Wada unfair to workers’

    The dissolved Kogi State local government councils’ chairmen have accused Governor Idris Wada of being insensitive to the plight of council workers.

    The governor procured a High Court judgment to dissolve elected council chairmen towards the end of last year, a source alleged

    The source said for the last five months, the state, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, took over direct payment of local government employees, but paid 50 per cent of workers’ salary, less than what the chairmen paid.

  • Their Wada Noise

    Remember Wada Nas (Allah bless his soul!)?  He was the Sani Abacha loyalist, till death did them part.  Even after Gen. Abacha had exited, and the dictator’s reputation as regards sleaze was zero, Alhaji Nas never deserted his hero. He died virtually still proclaiming his trust and pride in Abacha.

    That was Wada Nas, an epitome of noble devotion to a cause, even if not a few felt that cause was ignoble.  He lived and died for what he believed.

    Every crisis time in Nigeria produces its own Wada Nas. Indeed, at the zenith of Sani Abacha’s legitimacy crisis, the good Alhaji’s voice was so grating, against common sense and popular temper, that he was simply dubbed Wada Noise.

    In the immediate aftermath of  the June 12, 1993 presidential election result annulment, the Wada Nas of that era was Comrade Uche Chukwumerije (many market folks in Lagos, where the June 12 battle was fiercest, in no less fierce anger, simply dismissed him), on account of his scare-mongering propaganda in support of the reactionary forces that scuttled that mandate.

    So ferocious was Minister Chukwumerije’s propaganda that not a few, not the least Easterners living in Lagos, believed the crisis would lead to a shooting war. Thank God, it didn’t, though road crashes claimed some fleeing travellers; and the consequent war attrition eventually consumed Abacha; and set up this democratic dispensation.

    The present Jonathan dispensation, with its eternal crisis needing urgent spinning, has produced its own Wada Nas-es.

    One was Labaran Maku, hitherto Information Minister, who gave the impression that his principal, the President, was the greatest thing that ever happened to humanity.  But partisan interest has since put paid to all that.  Maku has since jumped ship, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has come to his Nasarawa governorship rescue, and Jonathan and his party can look into their collapsing houses!

    But Maku isn’t the quintessential Nas, for Wada never jumped ship!

    Another is Doyin Okupe, the doyen of roforofo-fight-as-presidential-spinning. But when the chips are down, would he jump ship too like Maku?  That is in the belly of time. In any case, the good, old doctor and Remo blueblood is not likely to seek an elective office in a hurry.  So, we might not know if his own Wada Nas is mere noise without substance.

    But the loudest Jonathanian Nas has got to be Olisa Metuh, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.  He, it was, who invented the Janjaweed label to tar the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).  He it was too, who summarily decreed, amidst boisterous partisan cheers, the rival party an “Islamic” party.  It took a Yemi Osinbajo entry into the vice-presidential race for his claim to pitifully collapse.

    But even as things are collapsing around President Jonathan and his doomed second-term presidential bid, the loquacious Olisa is still all excitement: “We have very popular and acceptable hard working candidates, which the people are anxious to vote for.  Our presidential flag bearer (standard-bearer), President Goodluck Jonathan, with verifiable achievements (ah!)… remains the candidate to beat. We have engaged in issue-based  campaigns” (ah!!) — even with Jonathan’s endless mud-slinging and bad temper?

    When the chips are down, will this Wada Nas remain true to his cause like the original, or jump ship at the earliest challenge like Maku?

    Time will tell!

  • Ajaokuta is Kogi’s hope – Wada

    Ajaokuta is Kogi’s hope – Wada

    When he assumed office in January 2012, Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State did not only set out to build on the achievements of his predecessors, he was also poised to raise the level of development many notches up. Nearly three years after, the numerous projects so far initiated and those completed in the state are clear indications that he is on track in his quest to change the face of Kogi State.

    The Ministry of Information recently took the media on a tour of projects to assess the governor’s efforts so far. The level of work put in place so far suggests that the governor is passionate and far-sighted in his effort to transform Kogi to a modern state.

     

    On tourism development

    Lokoja is a historic city. The government has mapped out historic relics in the state. These include: the cenotaph of some national heroes; the point where the Royal Niger Company flag was switched to the Union Jack. It also includes the site of the first bank in Northern Nigeria; the first primary school in Northern Nigeria; tombs of some emirs that were arrested and brought to Lokoja by the colonial masters, among other interesting sites. The Lord Lugard House, where the former Governor-General used to rest at the top of Mount Patti, is another site being developed by the state government as a tourist attraction. Aside from the Lugard House, other tourist and historical sites have been refurbished, remodelled and renovated. Tour buses have been provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ministry has also trained tour guides who are knowledgeable enough to take visitors round tourist destinations.

    The government is at the point of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a partnership agreement with a private company for the development of the tourism potentials in the state, beginning with the Mount Patti. The site is being developed into a special tourist and leisure site where people can come to unwind, when they want to escape from the hustle and bustle of big cities like Abuja and Lagos. The government is also promoting excursions by schools from within and outside the state. The Confluence Hotels in Lokoja has also been developed. It has been refurbished and upgraded. For instance, a golf course has been added as part of the hotel’s facilities. The accommodation facility is also being modified, to attract a higher calibre clientele, particularly those who may want to spend time in the state for leisure or those in transit.

     

    The bond projects

    We applied for a Bond of N20 Billion and we are doing 11 projects with the fund. We have received the first tranche of N5 Billion and we have kick started all the projects conceived in respect of the Bond. In terms of prudent management, the Securities and Exchange Commission sends a team periodically to assess how the funds released is being utilised. The issuing houses monitor you to see where you are on the projects for which the fund is meant and also see the challenges you face to advise the government on steps to ensure the successful implementation of the projects. All of these affect the release of subsequent tranches of the fund. We have a team of commissioners monitoring the progress of implementation of the Bond projects to ensure that all the projects are of the right quality and the pace at which we want them to go. We also have a team of consultants who are monitoring the projects and present periodic reports to us on the performance of the projects and on any challenge the projects may be facing. This is to certify that the funds are being utilised prudently. Contracts for all the projects were awarded through due process.  These are tested contractors and so far we are happy with their performance. I am satisfied that the money so far released is being used prudently.

     

    Water Project

    The Greater Lokoja Water Project was done by the previous administration but they had not completed the payment when we took over. We made substantial payments for the completion of the project.  We have also been involved in the operation and maintenance. You know it is one thing to build, it is another thing to operate and maintain so that the project is of value. That is the role we have played as an administration in the Greater Lokoja Water Project.

     

    Curbing political violence and restiveness

    We were determined during the electioneering campaign not to be involved in thuggery. We made very clear statements everywhere we went that our political aspiration is not worth the loss of life of any individual or person. And that nobody should fight for us to have votes. They should just allow us to canvass for votes in the most civilised and peaceful way by talking about issues and the programmes and projects that we would bring on board if and when we get elected. I think people trusted our sincerity and that posture that we would not tolerate thuggery. And when we came in, we mobilised the security agencies to handle those who were identified with such practice or of violent dispositions and once we made example of few people.  With the support of the security agencies, the posture of our government and the grace of almighty God, we have been able to control incidence of political violence in the state.

     

    Expansion and orderly development of infrastructure in the state

    We have done the mapping of the city with proper layout of different segments of the city. For instance, there are new layouts along Lokoja-Okene Road like the place where we have the permanent site of the Federal University in the state. We have also mapped out industrial areas. We are also mapping out new areas along the Ganaja bypass as you saw during your tour of the state capital. We are laying out that whole area so that people can live in an organised way. We are also looking at the eastern side of our state which is separated by Rivers Niger and Benue. We have proposed the construction of a link bridge. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private company to construct the bridge on a Public Private Partnership basis. The construction of the Shintaku Bridge from Lokoja to link the eastern part of the state will facilitate the link between the western part of the state and the east. The eastern part of the state capital has a considerable amount of flat land and we can exploit this link to expand the capital city. The main challenge is that the construction of the bridge is very expensive.

    For now, we are doing the Geographical Information System of the state capital to restore order in land allocation and housing development in the Lokoja. That would give us clear satellite imagery of Lokoja and the neighbouring locations so we can build better houses in the city. We have mapped them out, structured them and clearly identified the places where people can build either as developers and private individuals who can own their houses and live in decent locations rather than build houses on hills.

    In terms of road construction, we have awarded the contract for the construction of a four-lane carriage way.  The four-lane road is the main road in our state capital. The road will be the signature road in our state to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of our capital city. We want to do it properly with good drainage system and pedestrian lanes and an embankment to protect the shore line. We want to make it a reference point in road construction in the state and to add to the beauty and aesthetics of our capital city. Because of the topography of the area and proximity to water, every time the road had been constructed in the past, it deteriorates after one year. This time around, we want to make it the reference road and you will be proud of it when you come to Lokoja. We have approved payment for mobilisation of contractors.

     

    Unity of divergent groups in the state 

    Our efforts to unite our people in terms religion and ethnic groups is achieving a lot of results. In terms religion, we have the State Inter-religious Council which meets regularly in a bid to sustain religious harmony in the state. In terms ethnic balance, we have ensured equitable distribution in appointments and projects such that people can see and attest to across board.  We are deliberate about equity and justice in the state.

    Employment generation through Ajaokuta and Obajana Cement

    Ajaokuta is the hope of Kogi state. We are making efforts to get the Federal Government to give the project the level of attention it deserves. We believe that Ajaokuta Steel Company will revolutionise Nigeria. Our transformation as a nation cannot go the full course without Ajaokuta being operational. Mr. President has said several times that he would get Ajaokuta working. I have put a lot of pressure on the Federal Government to make sure that Ajaokuta works. Recently, I worked with both the minister of Trade and Investment and that of Solid Minerals Development to see how far they are going. We are in the process of preparing a report to be presented to the Federal Government. I have visited Ajaokuta four times since I became the Governor and I have continued to encourage the management and staff and that have resulted in the rise in their morale. We are privy to the negotiations that have brought on a number of private investors in Ajaokuta.  Right now there are four lines which are basically operational now.  Four out of the 24 lines are working. The State also derives employment and some revenue from tax from Ajaokuta.

    Obajana Cement is the largest cement project in Africa. And Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the promoter of the company has helped our state in so many ways. Recently, we signed an MOU with him to establish a vocational training Centre in Lokoja to train our young people towards self-employment. I am aware that he had committed funds and other resources to this project already.

     

    Youth empowerment

    When we came into office, one of our first programmes was to create opportunities for youth. We have a programme called Youth Advancement Programme for Kogi (YAD4KOGI). Under this programme, we take 1000 youths across the 21 LGAs in the state every 3 months. They are camped at NYSC Orientation camp in Asaya in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of the state.

     

  • Supreme Court dismisses CPC’s appeal against Wada

    Supreme Court dismisses CPC’s appeal against Wada

    The Supreme Court yesterday, dismissed an appeal filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)  challenging the election of Idris Wada as the Kogi State governor.

    The court, in a unanimous judgement,  held that since the CPC which filed the appeal had  merged with the other political parties to become the All Progressive Congress (APC), it ceased to be a political party and therefore could not file or sustain the appeal.

    In the lead judgement, Justice Tanko Muhammad held that the merger of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and the CPC  on July 31st, 2013 signalled the death of CPC.

    “CPC from that date was no more a political party and lacked the capacity to carry out any legal business transaction including filing an appeal.”

    He held that following the death of the CPC on July 31st, 2013, no appeal or any process for that matter is maintainable in the name of the CPC before any court of law.

    “If there is an appeal or process or anything hinged on the appeal, such is afflicted by the death of its initiator (the appellant),” he added.

    The court also ordered CPC to pay N100,000 as costs to all the respondents which included Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Peoples Democratic Party, Captain Idris Wada, APC, ANPP, Elder Ubolo Okpanachi and James Ocholie, SAN.

    CPC had appealed to the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal threw out its appeal challenging the decision of a federal high court which refused to entertain the party’s case.

    The appeal court in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice I.T.A. George-Mbama, the court held that the issues raised in the  appeal were electoral matters that should have been taken to the electoral tribunal for adjudication.

    The court held that the high court was right in dismissing the suit.

    It consequently upheld the decision of the trial court.

    The court noted that the appeal challenged  the election of Wada and his qualification to contest the governorship election in the state.

    This, the court said, could only be done at the election tribunal and not the Federal High Court.

    He cited sections 285 (2) of the constitution, which provides that an election can only be quashed by an election tribunal.

    He also cited Section 138 of Electoral Act, which stated the ground upon which an election could be questioned.

    “Where a court lacks the competence to determine a matter, an appellate court will uphold the decision of the high court declining jurisdiction.

    “We hold that the trial court was right in holding that it lacked jurisdiction.”

    The court had earlier upheld Wada’s election in an appeal filed by Jilbrin Isah, a member of the same party with Wada, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

  • ‘Stop Wada from freezing councils’ accounts’

    ‘Stop Wada from freezing councils’ accounts’

    The Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) yesterday urged the Kogi State House of Assembly to stop Governor Idris Wada from auditing local government accounts.

    Addressing reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, CHRCR Executive Director Idris Miliki described the governor’s order of the freezing of the local government accounts as “unconstitutional”.

    Miliki said: “It is common knowledge in the last few days that the governor ordered the freezing of local government accounts and constituted a panel to audit same. Reasons given were that some local government chairmen were allegedly corrupt and could not pay the salary of council workers.

    “We are worried that the function of the auditor-general to audit local government councils is being taken over by the Office of the Governor, which amounts to illegality and is unconstitutional.

    “The auditor-general is statutorily mandated to audit local government councils and submits its report to the House of Assembly, not the governor.

    “It is the Assembly, through its relevant committees, that can act on the auditor-general’s report and sanction erring local government chairmen, not the governor.”