The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yari

  • Tambuwal, Ambode, Yari, Umana get APC’s tickets

    Tambuwal, Ambode, Yari, Umana get APC’s tickets

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidates  emerged yesterday, across the country, signalling the final countdown to February’s general election.

    The party’s presidential candidates will emerge next week in Lagos to climax the pre-general election activities.

    The party will pick its House of Representatives and Senate candidates this week.

    House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal picked the Sokoto State ticket. Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode took a commanding lead in Lagos —as of 1.a.m. Mr. Umana Okon Umana won in Akwa Ibom, Olorogun O’tega Emehor is the Delta State candidate.

    In Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Belo is the standard bearer.

    Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) got the tickets to run for second term.

    Speaker Tambawal polled 3,466 votes to emerge tops, ahead of four other contenders.

    His opponents’ scores are as follows: Professor Lawal Bashir (0), Yusha’u Ahmed Kebbe(13), Senator Umaru Dahiru Tambawal(23) and Jibrin Bello Gada(0). The primary was held at the Gingiya Memorial Stadium. The delegates were drawn from the 23 local government areas and 244 wards.

    Total delegates accredited 3,569, total votes cast 3,513 and total valid votes 3,501.

    The chairman of the four-man Electoral Panel, Bolaji Khalil, said 10 votes were invalid.

    Tambuwal, who attributed his victory to Allah, praised Governor Aliyu Wamakko for his resilience in providing the right kind of leadership.

    “ I, therefore, wish to thank delegates and the good people of Sokoto State with the hope that you will extend your support to the party to ensure we form a responsive government that will transform the state,” he said.

    After a rowdy scene, a former secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Okon Umana, was declared the winner at the Uyo Township Stadium.

    Umana, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week, scored 2,444 of the 2,453 valid votes.

    His opponent, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, scored only six votes.

    The shadow poll kicked off in Lagos  around 1.30 pm, following the accreditation of about  6,000 delegates from the pre-existing 20 local governments.

    As from 9 am, the aspirants stormed the venue. They include the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Hon. Lanre Ope, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Olasupo Sashore (SAN), Senator Ganiyu Solomon and former Health Commissioner Wahab Tokunbo.

    Others are: Mr. Tayo Ayinde, Mr. Adekunle Disu, former Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Mrs. Tobun Agbesanwa, the only woman in the race.

    At 1 pm, the gate of the venue was locked. Ambode entered the stadium,shortly before the closure of the gate. The chartered  accountant went around the high table to greet party leaders and co-aspirants. He cracked jokes with Senator Solomon before sitting next to the House of Representatives member, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

    Voting started at 20.25 pm. Delegates from Epe Local Government Area were the first to cast  their votes, shortly after the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Pastor Peter Obadan, a former deputy governor of Edo State, highlighted the voting procedure.

    Obadan directed that delegates should put their badges on before voting. He also asked the local government chairmen to identify the delegates to prevent impostors from participating.

    Obadan assured aspirants and delegates of a fair exercise, saying that “counting will be done in the open and the result will be announced”.

    Governor Babatunde Fashola  was absent. However, his deputy Mrs. Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, Secretary to Government Dr. Oluranti Adebule and some commissioners witnessed the poll.

    Also there were former Deputy Governors Rafiu Jafojo, Femi Pedro, Abiodun Ogunleye and Sarah Sosan; Senators  Tony Adefuye, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Oluremi Tinubu and Gbenga Ashafa; House of Representatives members Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Lanre Odubote, Yakubu Balogun, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Deji Jakande, Adeola Olamilekan, Samuel Adejare and Akinderu  Fatai.

    Also present were Pa Abiodun Sunmola, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Chief Funso Ologunde, Alhaji Ganiyu Badmus, Alhaji Seriki Akanni Bamu,  Comrade Joe Igbokwe, Abiodun Salam, Chief Raheem Daramola, Hon. Hakeem Oris, Abiodun Mafe, Chief Lanre Rasaq, Mrs. Kemi Nelson, Mrs. Olayinka Olagunsoye, Tunde Braimoh, Rotimi Agunsoye, Bayo Osinnowo, Hon. Segun Olulade, Bayo Ajisebutu, Chief Mutiu Are, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, Dele Alade, Tunde Oshinlalu, Foluso Jayeoluwa and Hon. Joko Pelumi.

  • SSS wades into Yari’s Abuja property deal

    The State Security Service (SSS) has waded into the dispute between the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari and a private corporate body, Nestello Gateways Group, over the ownership of an Abuja property.

    The governor is contesting the ownership of the property, which he claimed was sold to him for N200 million in 2010 by a former employee of Nestello Group, Mr. Obinna Kanu, who is on the run.

    The SSS on Monday invited one of the directors of Nestello Group, Mr. Mike Mbanefo, for clarification on certain issues raised in an earlier petition to the agency.

    Mbanefo, who confirmed the invitation to our correspondent yesterday, said he honoured the invitation by the SSS over the petition and was engaged by the legal department of the SSS for about six hours.

    He said: “The SSS operatives were very polite in their approach. From my discussions with them, I found out that they have worked on the petition we submitted to them.

    “I am happy to tell you that my discussion with them was meaningful because after the discussion, they accompanied me to the property to see things for themselves.”

    Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in June 2010 ruled that the property, located at 1, Fatai Williams Street, Asokoro, Abuja, be returned to Nestello Group.

    In Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/486/10, Justice Okeke ordered the eviction of Governor Yari from the property. The judge also ordered the governor to pay accumulated rent arrears running into millions of naira.

    The eviction order was executed on May 8 last year, but the governor found his way into the property the next day with his seized personal effects returned to him.

    The court issued a second and third eviction order on the same property, but execution of the order was resisted by armed policemen, ostensibly on the order of the governor.

    Members of the judgment enforcement team from the court reported that they were harassed and manhandled by armed policemen when they went to execute the last eviction order on October 15 last year.

    A report by the leader of the enforcement team, Mallam Abubakar Karofi, dated October 16, 2012 said the policemen had threatened to shoot the officials for attempting to carry out the eviction.

    The report stated inter alia: “Upon our arrival at the residence, we met about eight people, who unknown to us, were mobile policemen, supposedly stationed on the premises.

    “We introduced ourselves and told them our intention, but to our surprise, they said ‘NO’.They said nothing would be enforced; they quickly went inside the house and appeared fully dressed in their mobile police uniform, carrying guns.

    “They stood between us and the building. At that juncture, I called the Director of Litigation, while they also made a few calls.

    “From their conversations, I got a hint that they were given an order not to allow us carry out the enforcement, which was clear from their action; guns were cocked and pointed at us with a threat of being shot if we tried anything.”

    Obviously miffed by the action of the policemen, owners of the property had petitioned the SSS and the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing certain top officials of the court of complicity in the matter.