Aba Daily News Update

Obingwa Chairmaship/Councilorship Election: PDP pilots extraction of electorial materials.

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Title: Obingwa Chairmaship/Councilorship Election: PDP pilots extraction of electorial materials.
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The level of tension within Obingwa LGA in Abia State has been gaining great weight as each day adds to meet the election date. Political ...

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The level of tension within Obingwa LGA in Abia State has been gaining great weight as each day adds to meet the <br /><br />election date. Political Parties campaigning and employing different strategies to get their candidates win the election <br /><br />scheduled for 21st December, 2016.<br /><br />Violence has been kept to its lowest degree through the hard word of the peace keeping body established within wards in <br /><br />the LGA. <br />Yet some political hoodlums has gone far with their strategies. <br />As expected, electorial materials arrived Obingwa LGA later in the evening of 20th December, 2016 against the election <br /><br />holding the next day being 21st. Credits to INEC for making the materials available as scheduled. <br />After dispatching materials to WARDS, it has been reported that great count of ballot papers is missing. <br /><br />According to reports in Obingwa Ward 5, after confirmation of the original number of ballot papers and other materials, <br /><br />Some political warlords within the ward from PDP conived with who so ever, making deals and took to their custody <br /><br />good number of ballot papers from each Polling Unit in WARD 5. <br />As earlier reported in a previous date, it has been brought to limelight that the electorial process is at the fear of being <br /><br />faulted.<br /><br />Hence, other parties at whose disadvantage this exploit is being carried out has raised great alarm. The call for open, free <br /><br />and fare election is at its high to ensure a serene exercise.

Obingwa Chairmaship/Councilorship Election: PDP pilots extraction of electorial materials.

The level of tension within Obingwa LGA in Abia State has been gaining great weight as each day adds to meet the election date. Political ...

Whistle Blower: Fear in Obingwa LGA in Abia State as Electoral process is faulted

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Title: Whistle Blower: Fear in Obingwa LGA in Abia State as Electoral process is faulted
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Notifications has gone round the Obingwa LGA in Abia state of an incoming fault in the up coming Councilorship Election holding on 21st ...

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Notifications has gone round the Obingwa LGA in Abia state of an incoming fault in the up coming Councilorship Election holding on 21st December. This News is in its highest peak, pointing accusing fingers to political lords in the Obingwa Ward 5.<br />
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Obingwa Ward 5 is made up of about 18 polling units which include: Iheorji/Umuojima, Obikabia/Umuariama, Umuonyengwa, Ahiaba Ubi, Amangwu/Umueme, Umuagbaduru, Umuohia, Osusu Umuikpeghi, Umuelendu/Umuokea, Umunwankwo, Umuobasi Ukwu, Umuagu, Ohuru, Umukalika, Osaa Okea, Umuariama, Abala Umuotu, Ohuru Umuohia, Ohuru Amaisii, Ohuru AMaiyi, Umuagwula Umuojima.<br />
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Sources gathered that some political parasites with the aid and full sopuurt of tycons and political warlords are in the path of DETECTING the end result of the voting exercise by posting their own candidate as the winner of the electoral exercise, hereby nolifying the people's choice and making invalid the votes casted.<br />
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This alarm was raised by some electoral peace keeping body in the ward who overheard a descreet discussion/arrangement some daysback during their usual patrol to ensure an accommodative polling atmosphere.<br />
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Reports has also been filed to security units to curtail foul plays and violence during the up coming councilorship exercise.<br />
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The body also plea with INEC to ensure a fare play during the exercise and also to the media to help spread this alert.<br />
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Whistle Blower: Fear in Obingwa LGA in Abia State as Electoral process is faulted

Notifications has gone round the Obingwa LGA in Abia state of an incoming fault in the up coming Councilorship Election holding on 21st ...

Federal High Court Affirms Ikpeazu As Abia Governor, says Tax documents not forged

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Title: Federal High Court Affirms Ikpeazu As Abia Governor, says Tax documents not forged
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*says Tax documents not forged Justice A.I Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Owerri, has affirmed the election of Governor Okez...

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*says Tax documents not forged</div>
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Justice A.I Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Owerri, has affirmed the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.</div>
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Ruling on the matter filed by Mr. Friday Nwosu against, Ikpeazu, Uche Ogah, PDP and INEC, on alleged forgery of tax documents by Governor Ikpeazu, the court ruled that the plaintiff, (Nwosu) was unable to prove that the tax documents where forged.</div>
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Federal High Court Affirms Ikpeazu As Abia Governor, says Tax documents not forged

*says Tax documents not forged Justice A.I Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Owerri, has affirmed the election of Governor Okez...

Abia elders, traditional rulers back Ikpeazu

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Title: Abia elders, traditional rulers back Ikpeazu
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Abia State elders and traditional rulers have described the issuance of Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent Nation...

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Abia State elders and traditional rulers have described the issuance of Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the order of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja, as perverse and reckless.</div>
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The elders who declare their full support for Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, appealed to Abians and every interest group in the tussle for leadership of the state, to remain calm, for the good of the state.</div>
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Addressing journalists after a meeting in Abuja, on Monday, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, who read the communique of a meeting they held at Asokoro home of Prince Vincent Ogbulafo in Abuja, commended the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for his quick and timely intervention which the elders said, has helped to reduce tension in the State.<br />“We, the concerned elders of Abia State, worried by the developments in the last five days which threatened to plunge our State into anarchy, violence and bloodshed, met today in Abuja to review the situation”</div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">The elders, he said, “reviewed the judgement of Justice Okon Abang, which is the beginning of the unfortunate crisis and INEC’s decision to issue a certificate of return to our son Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, which decision exacerbated the crisis.</span></div>
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“We came to the conclusion, unanimously, that Justice Abang’s order to issue a certificate of return to someone who never contested the governorship election against the Electoral Act and well known decisions of superior courts was perverse and reckless and we condemn it in its entirety.”</div>
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“We have also noted the unseeming haste of INEC to issue the certificate just a few hours after the Justice Abang order, and in spite of the fact that INEC had been duly served with a notice of appeal of the said order and the motion for a stay of execution.<br />“We are worried by the impression created of a conspiracy involving INEC to throw Abia into confusion and anarchy.</div>
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“We condemn in very strong terms the attempt to set Abia on fire and create a situation which can only compound the problems which our country is currently having to bring an end to violence in the North East and Niger Delta.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">“We have also noted with appreciation the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation, Malami, who has urged all parties to follow the rule of law and wait the conclusion of proceedings in the appellate courts. We join in this appeal for peace and urge all parties involved in this matter to calm down and await the conclusion of matters at the courts.”</span></div>
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“We also commend our people, the people of Abia who have remained peaceful in the face of recent provocations. We urge them to remain calm and maintain the peace as we wait the courts to conclude their processes”, they said.</div>
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The elders stated that they have “faith in the Nigerian judiciary and believe that in the end, Justice will be done.”</div>
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They also used the opportunity to commiserate with families of notable Abia citizens who lost their lives recently, among who is Chief Ojo Maduekwe, who died recently.</div>
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“We also discussed our recent bereavement as a people, especially the demise of Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe, just as our state was being thrown into confusion as well as the earlier death of Senator Onyeka Okoroafor.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">“We offer our sincere condolences to their respective families and pray that Almighty God will comfort and strengthen them and the State.”</span></div>
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The meeting was attended by notable Abia elders and traditional rulers among who are all the current serving Abia Senators including Former Governor Theodore Orji, (Abia Central,) Mao Ohuabunwa, (Abia North,) Enyi Abaribe, (Abia South).</div>
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Others are Senator Adolfus Wabara, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Chief Empire Kanu, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, HRH, Eze Ngozi Marthias Nwoko, Professor S.O. Igwe, Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta, and Professor Herbert O. Orji.</div>
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Other Royal father’s present at the meeting include, HRH Eze J O Akaliro, HRH Eze Dr. Eberechi Dick and HRH Eze P M Okponku, amongst other personalities.</div>
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Abia elders, traditional rulers back Ikpeazu

Abia State elders and traditional rulers have described the issuance of Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent Nation...

Identity of ex-female minister who allegedly owns N2.5bn In housemaid’s account revealed

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Title: Identity of ex-female minister who allegedly owns N2.5bn In housemaid’s account revealed
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The identity of a former female minister who allegedly owns the N2.5bn traced to the account of her housemaid has been revealed. Earli...

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The identity of a former female minister who allegedly owns the N2.5bn traced to the account of her housemaid has been revealed.</div>
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Earlier report did not name the said minister, but a report by SaharaReporters revealed that former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who is now a senator representing Anambra State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the unnamed ex-female minister.</div>
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According to the report, two EFCC sources confirmed that the bank account and its huge deposits had been opened and operated without the knowledge of the former minister’s housemaid.</div>
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“Senator Oduah apparently opened the account with her housemaid’s name, image, and details without the housemaid knowing about it,” said one EFCC agent familiar with the scandal.</div>
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Another EFCC source the report said confirmed that Ms. Oduah had been going around to some top officials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration seeking their help to scuttle her impending trial. <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Last week, she asked for a meeting with EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu, claiming she wanted to meet in her official capacity as a senator.</b></div>
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The two EFCC sources who spoke on the “housemaid” account disclosed that Ms. Oduah was the sole signatory to the account, adding that they were still connecting the dots to uncover how the ex-Aviation Minister managed to pull off such a money laundering operation.</div>
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“As of last week, the account was still active and contained over N2.5 billion,” said one EFCC source.</div>
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He added that he could not ascertain whether the EFCC chairman, who is currently traveling in Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj, had ordered the freezing of the account.</div>
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EFCC sources revealed that the discovery of the “maid” account meant that the former minister must have stolen as much as N5.6 billion so far from the Aviation Ministry’s funds during her ministerial term.</div>
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It was earlier reported that EFCC investigators had so far determined that Ms. Oduah split N3.6 billion that she acquired illegally among eight companies.</div>
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However, Stella Oduah has reacted to the reports, calling them “totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform.”</div>
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In the statement, signed by Francisca Onyeisi, head of communications, <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ms. Oduah said that if the reports were true, she would have been arrested long before now, especially at a time when the EFCC is “freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.”</b></div>
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The former minister, therefore, urged her supporters and the general public to ignore the reports, saying she had “made a mark in oil and gas and Agricultural businesses before joining politics.”</div>
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Ms. Oduah was removed from office in February 2014 after she was found to have received armoured BMW cars, worth N255million, from an agency she supervised.</div>
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Identity of ex-female minister who allegedly owns N2.5bn In housemaid’s account revealed

The identity of a former female minister who allegedly owns the N2.5bn traced to the account of her housemaid has been revealed. Earli...

‘Riding The Back Of A Tiger Could Land You In His Belly’, Abia PDP Warns Ogah

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Title: ‘Riding The Back Of A Tiger Could Land You In His Belly’, Abia PDP Warns Ogah
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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, July 4, 2016 formally broke its silence on governorship tussle in Abia State in which Uche...

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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, July 4, 2016 formally broke its silence on governorship tussle in Abia State in which Uche Ogah is challenging Governor Ikpeazu Okezie.</div>
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The party decried the political turbulence in the state and described the “the hijack of democratic processes” as unfortunate.</div>
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In a statement signed by the Abia State chairman of the PDP,  Johnson Onuigbo, the party’s legal adviser, Ikechukwu Omenihu, and its spokesperson, Don Ubani, the party warned Dr. Uche Ogah, saying that he should not mistake the party’s “golden silence” for cowardice. “He who makes peaceful change impossible makes violent change inevitable,” the main opposition party in Nigeria said.</div>
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The PDP maintained that contrary to the allegations of tax default levelled against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, “there is no requirement for payment of tax at all or as and when due in the constitution, electoral act or the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, nomination form”.</div>
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The full press statement is published below:</div>
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PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ABIA STATE CHAPTER HIJACK OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN ABIA STATE</div>
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INTRODUCTION</div>
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In the last few days, the whole world has been transfixed and spell-bound at the unprecedented but well-scripted plot to hijack the office of Governor of Abia State from the lawful occupant, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D., the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the general elections of April 2016. This evil plot is orchestrated by Mr. Samson Uchechukwu Ogah with very powerful forces backing him. The good people of Abia State are shocked not only at the highly perverse and ridiculous judgment entered in his favor by an Abuja Federal High Court, but much more stunned at the obvious collusion by Agencies of State, in the very desperate Agenda to foist Ogah on them. Without indulging in too much legality, it is now a trite principle of Law and indeed of Public Policy that if there is a Judgment against an occupant of an elective position invalidating his election, he remains in office until he has exhausted his right of appeal which in the case of the Abia Governor, terminates at the Supreme Court. Yet, inspite of the fact that Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D., has filed and served a Notice of Appeal against the decision of the Hon. Justice OkonAbang of the FHC, Abuja, purporting to have invalidated his election as Governor of Abia State as well as a Motion for Stay of Execution and said processes had been served on INEC, the latter who should be an impartial arbiter went ahead to RECKLESSLY issue a Certificate of Return to Uche Ogah. Nigerians ask: What exactly is the haste? The answer lies in the events of Thursday the 16th June 2016. On that day, Uchechukwu Samson Ogah, his Company, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited and their co-conspirator, One Deji Somoyewere docked and arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for alleged fraud. They were docked on three counts of forgery, conspiracy, etc with the Police alleging after an investigation, that Ogah forged documents and signatures with which they fraudulently opened an account in the name of Mut-Hass Petroleum and used it to commit fraud. Ogah and his co-conspirators were admitted to bail and the case was adjourned to 4th August 2016 for commencement of Trial. From that moment a very DESPERATE hunger for immunity before the 4th August 2016 was activated; large humongous resources was deployed and the rest as they say is now history. In the desperate attempt to obtain immunity so as to evade his criminal trial, Ogah and his co-conspirators are prepared to bring down Abia State, stain the judiciary and other institutions of State in order to achieve their selfish goals. Unfortunately for them, Abia is God’s own State and this conspiracy by enemies of the State will fail.</div>
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ISSUE OF TAX AND ALLEGED FORGERY</div>
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Nigerians should be informed in no uncertain terms that (1) there is no requirement for payment of tax at all or as and when due in the Constitution, Electoral Act or INEC Nomination Form; the tax documents were included in the documents accompanying his Nomination Form by Dr. Ikpeazu’s aides by mistake; (2) The tax documents included by aides of Dr. Ikpeazuin the Nomination Form sent to INEC are genuine and there are absolutely no false entries in them and (3) Even if for purposes of argument (Not conceded), there were mistakes in the tax documents, Dr. Ikpeazu was not responsible for such mistakesand his mandate given by hundreds of thousands of Abia voters cannot be invalidated on the basis of a spurious and unfounded allegation.</div>
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Before addressing these issues, the PDP urges Nigerians to appreciate exactly the gravity of what is at the heart of this evil plot. We are talking about the SACRED MANDATE of Dr. Ikpeazu given by hundreds of thousands of Abia Voters and validated by the Judiciary. Such a sacred mandate cannot be interfered with on trumped up and unfounded allegations which are without clear legal foundations. In OKE & ANOR V. MIMIKO & ORS., (2013) LPELR-20888 (CA), the Court of Appeal had this to say in respect of election Petitions and which is also applicable to pre-election cases:</div>
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“Election into political office is a matter of getting the required number of votes as prescribed by law. In mature democracies, once an election is conducted according to law and a winner has emerged in compliance with the law, the loser like a good sportsman simply congratulates the winner. The will of the majority as required by law is regarded as sacrosanct. Power is recognised to belong to the people. In such mature democracies litigation is the exception and in some of them, unheard of. Our Electoral Act attempts to ensure that the will of the people which is expressed through the ballot box is difficult to upturn. Our courts also hold that there is a presumption that an election result is correct until the contrary is proved. See Buhari vs. INEC (2008) 18 NWLR part 1120 p. 246. Where therefore a loser in an election is dissatisfied with the outcome of the election our extant Electoral Act tries to ensure that he has a genuine case by holding him up to rigorous standards of proof. ” Per DANIEL-KALIO, J.C.A. (P. 34).</div>
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The same Court similarly held in Harriman V. Ideh (1999) 9 NWLR Pt. 619) Pg. 482. as follows:<br />“…before any tribunal could nullify any election duly conducted by the authority saddled with that assignment, all the necessary factors must be meticulously taken into consideration with the aim of ensuring that there are compelling factors to warrant or justify such a serious decision. This stand is buttressed by the fact that nullification or invalidation of an election is the gravest punishment that a candidate duly declared elected and the authority charged with conducting such election can experience….” We shall heed to this caution of being circumspect in nullifying any election. Before an election may be nullified the Petitioners would adduce a robust and compelling reason to do so.”</div>
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We have taken the trouble to set out these few examples of the principles governing our democratic process just to demonstrate to Nigerians what is under attack by Uche Ogah and his cohorts: a sacrosanct mandate donated to Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu by citizens of Abia State. It is the Constitution that sets out the criteria for eligibility to stand for election as Governor. By Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution, there are only four requirements or conditions for eligibility to the office of Governor: Citizenship of Nigeria, attainment of 35 years of age, membership/sponsorship of a Political Party and education up to School Certificate level or its equivalent. S. 182 of the Constitution sets out other events that could disqualify a candidate and non-payment of tax at all or as and when due is not one of them. There is no requirement for payment of tax under the Electoral Act. An examination of the Nomination Form for all elective offices in Nigeria including for Governorship shows clearly that Payment of tax is not mentioned and tax receipts or tax clearance certificates are not one of the documents required to be included in the form. Indeed, if copies of the Nomination papers and accompanying documents of Governorship and Presidential candidates at the 2015 General Elections for instance, are called for from INEC, Nigerians will discover that almost none contains tax clearance receipts. Dr. Ikpeazu’s tax documents were either mistakenly included in the bundle of documents accompanying his Nomination Form by his aides or simply added out of the abundance of caution. The question remains whether the election of a Governor can be invalidated on the basis of contents of a document which is not even required by the Constitution or the Electoral Act in the first place? Ogah and his co-conspirators claim that their action is brought under the provisions of Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).</div>
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The totality of that Section is that candidates should submit Nomination Forms, affidavits in support and the documents which demonstrate that the candidate meets the four requirements set out under S. 177 of the Constitution and in the Nomination Form of which a tax document obviously is not one. An interested person may apply for a CTC of such documents and if he believes that any information in the documents is false, such person can go to court for a declaration that the information is false and if he succeeds the candidate is disqualified from contesting the election.</div>
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The first question which arises then is:can any other document other than those in proof of the eligibility requirements set out in S. 177 of the Constitution be the basis for such disqualification. Does it mean that if in putting together his Nomination Form, affidavit and the documents required by law, a candidate inadvertently includes his grocery Bill or his Nepa Bill, he is thereby disqualified from standing election if any of such Bills contains false information or incorrect entries? S. 31(5) is very clear and unambiguous, it relates to “information GIVEN BY A CANDIDATE in the affidavit or any document” submitted by him.</div>
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Thus the alleged false entry or information in such document or affidavit must be one given by THE CANDIDATE HIMSELF and not that given by another person contained in a document submitted by him. Why would a candidate have his election invalidated because of a false statement or entry in a document given to him and submitted by him when he was not aware or responsible for any error the document may contain? An analogy is appropriate.</div>
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If a person requires his Bank Statement for submission to an Embassy for Visa, he merely goes to his Bank, collects the request form, fills his name, account number and signs it. When he hands it over to the Bank official, his role is complete. The Bank will on their own generate the figures, compute the entries, produce it, print the Statement, stamp and sign it and hand it over to the person. Assuming the customer was contesting for Governorship election and either by error or in the mistaken belief that his account Statement is one of the documents to be submitted to INEC, includes it in his Nomination Form, is cleared to contest election, wins, goes through the challenge of his election victory at the Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and wins, should his election/victory be invalidated simply because, it was subsequently discovered that some entries in the account statement are incorrect or “false”?</div>
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Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D was at all times material to this dispute a PAYEE (Pay As You Earn Employee). His taxes are deducted at source by the appropriate authorities before his salaries are paid. He does not see the taxes; he does not remit it, he is given no receipts. 90% of PAYEEs do not see their tax receipts for the entire 35 years of their employment, until retirement and afterwards.</div>
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There are only few instances in Nigeria where evidence of tax payment is required. However, if a PAYEE for any reason needs his tax receipt, he merely applies to the relevant tax authority or Board. The Tax authority will themselves call for his tax records from the Agencies where he worked, generate the figures themselves, compute it, write the receipts, stamp and sign it and then call the PAYEE to come and collect it.</div>
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The PAYEE is not present at any stage of this process and has no input whatsoever; he is not the one who informs them as to how much he earns; he is not the one who assesses how much tax he should pay based on how much he earns; the tax authorities generate these figures themselves.</div>
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Where the PAYEE has asked for his tax receipts for the last three years, say 2013, 2014 and 2015, the tax officials will write it in the current tax receipt booklet being used by them. No tax official writing the tax receipt for a PAYEE which was already automatically deducted in 2013 for instance will go and start looking for the booklets used in 2013. All three years will be written in the current booklet and the official will write the receipts one after the other.</div>
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In doing that, he could decide to write the receipt for the taxes deducted from the PAYEE’s salaries for 2015 first, then on the next page write that for 2013 and on the next page, that for 2014. The order in which receipts for the three years is written is irrelevant and in any case, the PAYEE is not present when it is written and has no input.</div>
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To then suggest that the order in which the tax receipts were written or the fact that they were all written in one tax receipt booklet, one after the other, is “forgery” or “fraud” or “false statement” and on that ground proceed to annul the election of a candidate is the height of absurdity.</div>
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All tax officials can confirm that a tax year ends on 31st December of every year which is denoted in every tax receipt. The fact that in some years, 31st December ends on a Saturday or Sunday is moot and goes to no issue. Whatever dates where written on the tax receipts by the relevant tax officials has nothing to do with Dr. Ikpeazu.The tax officials did file affidavits deposing to the fact that the documents they gave to Dr. Ikpeazu were genuine, correct, and certainly not forged.</div>
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ALLEGED CONFLICTING COURT ORDERS</div>
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Ogah and his group have been giving the impression that there are conflicting court orders on the matter of his being sworn in but this is not true. The Hon. Justice Okon Abang gave no orders for Uche Ogah to be sworn in; only for INEC to issue him a certificate of return. In that context, the order of interim injunction obtained by Dr. Ikpeazu restraining the chief judge of Abia State or any other judicial officer from swearing in Uche Ogah stands alone and is unimpeachable.</div>
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THERE ARE NO TWO CONFLICTING COURT ORDERS in this respect.</div>
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Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, remains the Governor of Abia State.On the contrary, the Hon. Justice Okon Abang made several orders which are conditions precedent before a certificate of return could be issued to Ogah but none of those conditions have been fulfilled as yet and so the purported issuance of said certificate is a COMPLETE NULLITY.</div>
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For instance, Justice Abang’s 6th Order was for PDP to submit the name of Uche Ogah to INEC as their candidate for the 2015 general elections. The question of the validity of such an order in 2016 after the election in April 2015 aside, PDP has not yet forwarded Ogah’s name to INEC, so how could a certificate of return be issued to him contrary to the said order of Justice Abang?</div>
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The enrolled order also mandated INEC to publish Ogah’s name as a candidate for the 2015 election; again, we are not aware that this has been done and again, the failure of INEC to fulfil this condition precedent before issuing the said certificate renders it a nullity.</div>
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ALLEGATION THAT THE CHIEF JUDGE ABSCONDED</div>
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Another ulterior card being played by Ogah and his co-conspirators is their false allegation that the Honorable Chief Judge of Abia State absconded from the State on Thursday the 30th day of June 2016. This is absolutely false.</div>
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This false and wicked allegation is being made by Ogah and his co-conspirator to set the stage for finding alternative means other than the constitutionally provided procedure to achieve their evil enterprise. When the bailiffs of the Osisioma High Court accompanied by lawyers to Dr. Ikpeazu went to serve the restraining order of the Osisioma High Court on the Hon. Chief Judge, she was sitting in her court in the open, presiding over her cases. They had to wait until she rose around 4 pm before they could serve her. Her record book, the testimonies of litigants and lawyers who appeared before her can testify to this.</div>
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The PDP, Abia State Chapter, calls on well-meaning Nigerians to take notice that our democracy is under assault by enemies of Nigeria. Those who ride the back of a tiger could end up in its belly. The PDP is a law-abiding and Democratic Party as its name indicates. But we will guard our hard-won electoral mandate with every lawful weapon available to us. We and our teeming supporters will resist this attempt at impunity and warn Ogah and his cohorts not to take our peaceful disposition for granted. Let wise counsel prevail!!!!<br />Long live Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Ph.D., Long live PDP, Long live Abia State, Long live Nigeria.</div>
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Signed:</div>
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<strong>Chief Johnson Onuigbo (State Chairman)</strong><br /><strong>Barr. IkechukwuOmenihu (State Legal Adviser) </strong><br /><strong>Sir. Don Ubani (State Publicity Secretary)</strong></div>
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‘Riding The Back Of A Tiger Could Land You In His Belly’, Abia PDP Warns Ogah

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, July 4, 2016 formally broke its silence on governorship tussle in Abia State in which Uche...

INEC followed court order by giving Ogah certificate — Lawyer

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Title: INEC followed court order by giving Ogah certificate — Lawyer
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Mr. Monday Ubani Mr. Monday Ubani is one of the counsel for Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah, who was declared by a Federal High Court as the true...

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "poppins" , sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Monday Ubani</span></span></td></tr>
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Mr. Monday Ubani is one of the counsel for Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah, who was declared by a Federal High Court as the true winner of the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary in Abia State. He tells <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">LEKE BAIYEWU</strong> that the interim injunction of stay of execution obtained by the embattled governor is inconsequential</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">W</em></strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">hy </em></strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">did the Independent National Electoral Commission go ahead to issue Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah a certificate of return when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had already appealed his sacking by the Federal High Court?</em></strong></div>
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An appeal, in law, does not operate as a stay (of execution). The judgment of Justice Okon Abang was that INEC should issue the certificate of return immediately to Dr. Uche Samson Ogah and that the Chief Judge of Abia State was ordered to swear in Ogah immediately; that was the judgment of the court. Even if they have appealed, the appeal does not in any way operate as a stay of execution, except there is an express order by that same court staying execution or by a higher court – in this case, the Court of Appeal. In the absence of that express order, there is nothing standing on the way that order being obeyed as I speak to you.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">It appears that there is a legal logjam in Abia on this matter.</em></strong></div>
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There is no logjam. People are just creating unnecessary issues. They went to a high court to obtain an interim order restraining the chief judge from swearing in Ogah. The (Abia) high court is a court of equal jurisdiction with the Federal High Court which gave the judgment on Monday, ordering that Ogah should be issued with a certificate of return; ordering the chief judge to swear in Ogah immediately. That decision (judgment) has not been reversed by any higher court. INEC gave a very explicit explanation on what it had done; that the order before it now was to issue certificate of return to Ogah and there was no contrary order, either by the same court or any higher court. And that is the fact. That somebody has gone to court to file any motion (of appeal) does not operate as a stay (of execution); there must be an order by a court for a stay to operate. They should stop creating issues or legal logjam that does not exist. There is no legal logjam anywhere.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">What if Ogah has been sworn in before then, can his installation be reversed at that stage?</em></strong></div>
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If he (Ogah) has been sworn in – just like the man (Ikpeazu) had been sworn in and his certificate has been cancelled – his certificate can be cancelled. Was Ikpeazu not sworn in before?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Are you saying the interim injuction granted by the Abia court should be disregarded?</em></strong></div>
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It is of no consequences. It cannot vacate an existing judgment of the court (FHC). At best, you can call it a black market injunction. And that is the kind of injunctions they were obtaining during the time of (military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim) Babangida; it was called ‘quorum shopping.’ You would go from one place to another, looking for a court order. Who assigned that case (for the interim injuction)? We heard that the Chief Judge of Abia State was in Abuja. So, where was this case filed, when was it assigned, who assigned it and when did the court take the decision they are presenting to the public?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The chief judge was alleged to have absconded. Do you see him as confused over this matter?</em></strong></div>
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The truth is that the chief judge may have been appointed by the current government, so his loyalty will be for the man (Ikpeazu) who is there now. The report that he has absconded may be not to do the needful by swearing in the new governor (Ogah). I understand that they are keeping the chief judge away and hiding him somewhere in Abia State; that is the story. It is a dirty way of playing politics by trying to vitiate a valid court judgment ordering the chief judge to swear in Ogah (as governor).</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is there any legal implication if the chief judge fails to execute the court order under what specific period?</em></strong></div>
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Of course, there are implications. The Chief Judge of Abia State is under oath to comply with the judgment of a court with competent jurisdiction and he must keep the oath in order to obey the Constitution and the laws of the land, including carrying out lawful instructions. It was a lawful order that was given to the chief judge and I understand that the chief judge is running away from implementing the order. That has implication because the Nigeria Judicial Council can be approached to complain about this particular act and it will be looked into. Evidence will be presented on what happened. He is not there; the chief judge is not there!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Your learned colleague, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, is alleging that the whole idea may be an agenda set by the All Progressives Congress to govern Abia State. Do you see the hand of the APC in this matter?</em></strong></div>
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I must say that I am totally disappointed by this kind of allegation from a person who is supposed to be a lawyer. I am totally disappointed for any lawyer to open his mouth and make an allegation that has no fact. How can he say the APC is sponsoring it in order to get power? Some even told me that he said Ogah would later defect (from the PDP) to the APC after he becomes governor. How can he make such an allegation when he doesn’t have any fact? There is no truth in it. We started this case a long time ago. In fact, I was the one who was even telling Ogah to do certain things and he said, ‘No, I will remain in the PDP.’ He said, ‘Ubani, I will remain in the PDP because God told me to remain in the PDP.’ Ogah has never shown any doubt about where he belongs – the PDP. For somebody to make such an allegation that has no fact and basis, I am totally disappointed. I am ashamed of such kind of allegation.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Onagboruwa also believes that as much as the executive alleges that the judiciary is frustrating enforcement of the rule of law, it is also harassing those in the judiciary, including judges and lawyers. Have you experienced such?</em></strong></div>
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I cannot say I am frustrated. Our judicial system has a way of correcting itself and that is why we have the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. If there is any wrong done at the lower court, you can approach a higher court and get the mistake corrected. I have so much faith in our judicial system. I believe in our judicial system. I also believe that all lawyers must try as much as possible to get the mistake corrected.  I consider it a cheap blackmail. When a judge wants to do justice and you start blackmailing him or her just because you are a lawyer or you have access to the press; that cannot be tolerated. I know that our judicial system will correct itself even in this particular case. But if you read the judgment of Justice Okon Abang, it was very comprehensive, profound; a novel case that cited so many authorities where the Supreme Court had made pronouncements.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">If you say the interim injunction Ikpeazu got is from a court of equal jurisdiction and the chief judge is not available to swear in Ogah, what is the next step for your client?</em></strong></div>
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Apart from the chief judge, there are other people who can conduct the swearing in. The chief judge is under a mandatory order to swear in Ogah but if he fails to do that, other options can be explored.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">What are the other options?</em></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></strong></div>
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I won’t disclose that. We will pursue other options if the chief judge fails to do what he is supposed to do.</div>
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INEC followed court order by giving Ogah certificate — Lawyer

Mr. Monday Ubani Mr. Monday Ubani is one of the counsel for Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah, who was declared by a Federal High Court as the true...

INEC’s declaration of Ogah as Abia gov illegal — Adegboruwa

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Title: INEC’s declaration of Ogah as Abia gov illegal — Adegboruwa
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Human rights lawyer, Ebun-OIu Adegboruwa tells BAYO AKINLOYE that the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission of issui...

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Human rights lawyer, Ebun-OIu Adegboruwa tells <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">BAYO AKINLOYE</strong> that the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission of issuing Certificate of Return to Uchechukwu Ogah is illegal and can cause chaos</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Despite </em></strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">a stay of execution filed by Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State against Justice Okezie Abang’s ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday issued a Certificate of Return to Sampson Ogah, a runner-up to Ikpeazu in the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship primary in the state. What is your view on this?</em></strong></div>
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There is a grand conspiracy laced with a hidden agenda by the ruling All Progressives Congress to entrench a one-party state in Nigeria and this is with the consent of the President (Muhammadu Buhari) whose body language has reflected a preference for dictatorship. The president is fighting the National Assembly and the judiciary; virtually, all the two organs of government are to be silenced and muzzled. In law, once Governor Ikezie Ikpeazu has filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal, followed with a stay of execution of the judgment (handed down by Justice Abang) no authority in Nigeria is entitled to enforce that judgment until that application has been decided.</div>
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And this is a principle of law that the president himself benefitted from recently. In the case that was challenging his eligibility to contest as president because he did not have WAEC (West African Examination Council) certificate. The president told his lawyer to file a preliminary objection but Justice Adeniyi Ademola dismissed that objection and the president recruited 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria to file an appeal against that ruling of the court. While they filed that appeal, they also applied for stay of proceedings before the High Court and immediately the judge of the High Court suspended his proceedings to allow the president to exercise his right of appeal. Therefore, if it is possible for the president to benefit from the rule of law, if it is possible for the president to exercise his right to appeal, why would the (federal) government through INEC not allow Ikpeazu to exercise the same right to appeal?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Could it be that the court papers were not served on INEC and Ogah?</em></strong></div>
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The papers were served. I can confirm that to you that they (INEC and Ogah) had been served.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">But why would INEC do what it ought not to do by issuing a Certificate of Return to Ogah?</em></strong></div>
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Most of the people in INEC are appointees of the president. They are his in-laws, relatives and adoptive children – daughters and sons. Some of them are alleged to be card-carrying members of the ruling APC. Thus, INEC as we have it now is not an independent entity. The proper name of INEC is ‘Inconclusive National Electoral Commission.’ That is the name we have given to INEC. Under Buhari, no election conducted by INEC has ever been conclusive – right from Kogi State to Bayelsa and Rivers all the elections have never been conclusive. The INEC is doing the bidding of the president, who has a hidden agenda to impose a one-party state on Nigeria. Therefore, I am calling on all Nigerians so that we do not descend into a state of anarchy. The governor of Abia State is still the governor of the state until he has exercised his right to appeal up to the Supreme Court. There is no reason to force him out of office since he has decided to appeal against the judgment.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Are you saying what INEC did is illegal?</em></strong></div>
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It is an affront against the rule of law. It is a challenge against the integrity of the court system. It is a total invitation to anarchy because the sitting governor will be resisting (any unlawful attempt to unseat him) while Ogah will be insisting that he should be sworn in. and the caveat we have here is that the Chief Judge of Abia State will not go ahead against the application of stay of execution not to swear in Ogah; that is the caveat. I do not think the chief judge will do. I am therefore calling on the chief judge to refuse to be drawn into this impunity. The certificate purportedly issued to Ogah is illegal and cannot stand in law. Ogah cannot be sworn in based on that certificate while there is an appeal against the judgment.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">It was reported that the judge had absconded?</em></strong></div>
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Why would he not abscond? He does not need to abscond; once they served him with a notice of appeal and the motion for stay of execution, nobody can force the chief judge to swear in Ogah. But I think this (situation) portends grave danger for our nation, especially as the president is revealing day by day that he is not a democrat. He still wants to be ruling us as he did during his 1984 military junta. We are in a democracy and we appeal to the president to follow the rule of law.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">But why are you so convinced this development is an APC-inspired conspiracy when Ogah is a PDP member?</em></strong></div>
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There is a plot, which we have uncovered, to swear in Ogah and immediately get him to defect to the APC. Remember that there is a current dispute of factionalisation in the PDP involving Modu Sheriff on the one hand, and Ahmed Makarfi on the other. So, the grand plan is to swear in Ogah and get him to defect to the APC using the current factionalisation in the PDP as a reason for that defection. Then, effectively, the APC will then take over Abia State and eventually get all the members of the Abia House of Assembly to also defect to the ruling APC. That is the grand plan.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is the country now faced with a plan of the APC to enforce a one-party state?</em></strong></div>
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I believe that is their agenda. The current anti-corruption war is targeted at 2019; it is meant to put a tag on those who are perceived to be likely opponents in the future elections and then put a corruption tag on them; that is why you see that the (anti-corruption) war has no end. Every day new facts will emerge until 2019 and give a dog bad name and hang it, to the extent that there will be nobody who will be credible enough to stand in opposition against all the candidates of the APC.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is anything the lawmakers both at the state and federal levels can do about this situation?</em></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: justify;">
I think the matter at hand now is purely for the court. I think that the court that gave the judgment has a duty to pronounce on the application for stay of execution whether he will grant it or he will refuse it. This confusion can only be cleared by the same court that granted the judgment. Once an appeal has been filed and a motion of execution has been filed before a court, that court has to determine it – whether to grant it or to refuse it. As things stand now under the constitution, the Abia State House of Assembly has no role to play because they are not the ones that initiated the removal of the governor.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Does the attorney-general of the federation have a role to play in this matter?</em></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: justify;">
The attorney-general of the federation also as the minister of justice has a duty to direct INEC not to issue a certificate of return once appeal has been filed and motion for stay of execution has been filed. The attorney-general is the chief law officer of this nation but I regret to say that this current attorney-general with all due respect to him has been playing the role of the APC’s legal adviser –which shouldn’t have been so.</div>
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INEC’s declaration of Ogah as Abia gov illegal — Adegboruwa

Human rights lawyer, Ebun-OIu Adegboruwa tells BAYO AKINLOYE that the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission of issui...

Jonathan failed because he ignored advice – NEF

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Title: Jonathan failed because he ignored advice – NEF
Author: Admin
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The Deputy National Leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, said former President Goodluck Jonathan would have take...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu1fEpXvHkwg4qzBaPCOlw2-odo1WIAxLTlV-9z3d5JAh7QBVNyViNQw8RtWN1sUWwdNxImJldUWj2SHHm3KT1lWSUfZJRoaUwTD28DgTQ2E38jJ-9a_awHeZ6YhJPdI4sHqfPuHHFFf0/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu1fEpXvHkwg4qzBaPCOlw2-odo1WIAxLTlV-9z3d5JAh7QBVNyViNQw8RtWN1sUWwdNxImJldUWj2SHHm3KT1lWSUfZJRoaUwTD28DgTQ2E38jJ-9a_awHeZ6YhJPdI4sHqfPuHHFFf0/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Deputy National Leader of the 
Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, said former President Goodluck 
Jonathan would have taken the credit for ending insurgency in the 
country if he had listened to the advice of the forum.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unongo said NEF wondered why Jonathan refused to implement the group’s blueprint to end the war against the Boko Haram sect.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In an interview with our correspondent 
on Wednesday, Unongo said the recommendations which Jonathan allegedly 
ignored were being used by President Muhammadu Buhari.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The NEF leader berated some opinion leaders who said President Buhari’s anti-corruption war was selective.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Citing the trial of the Senate 
President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Unongo said 
the President’s body language had shown that the new government would 
not condone corruption.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said the NEF would not hesitate to criticise the new government if it acted against the wishes of the masses.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unongo said, “We (NEF) have not written 
any letter to President Buhari on Boko Haram. I am sure he picked up the
 recommendations we sent to Jonathan and they are working for him. NEF 
didn’t condemn Jonathan because he is Jonathan. We gave Jonathan a piece
 of advice.</div>

Jonathan failed because he ignored advice – NEF

The Deputy National Leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, said former President Goodluck Jonathan would have take...

Senators disagree over N5,000 stipend for jobless Nigerians

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Title: Senators disagree over N5,000 stipend for jobless Nigerians
Author: Admin
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The Senate chamber was in an uproar on Wednesday when senators of the All Progressives Party and those of the Peoples Democratic P...

<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, seconded Aduda’s additional prayer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But Omoworare immediately raised the Senate Standing Order 53(6) to oppose the additional prayer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This led to a sharp disagreement between the senators of the ruling APC and those of the opposition PDP.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Senate President, Senator Bukola 
Saraki, however, intervened after about 22 minutes by bringing the 
rancorous session to an end.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He first asked Aduda to repeat his additional prayer, which the lawmaker did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, when Saraki put the additional 
prayer to voice vote, the ayes obviously had the loudest voice – in 
support of the payment of the stipend but the Senate President banged 
his gavel in support of the nay voice vote coming from the APC senators.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Saraki, thereafter, gave Omoworare the privilege of raising another additional prayer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Osun senator said, “I want to move 
that the immediate past government be made to account for every penny 
spent on SURE-P and other poverty alleviation programmes, and I so move,
 Mr. President.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When Saraki put the question to voice vote, the ayes response came from the APC senators, but the PDP senators kept quiet.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Saraki told the session that the issue of unemployment transcended party lines.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said, “Unemployment affects all of 
us. We should stay above party line. We all agree that the Federal 
Government alone cannot do it. It is the private sector that can do it 
but an enabling environment must be provided.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Moving his motion earlier, Akpan 
observed that the latest figures of Nigeria’s soaring unemployment 
situation by the National Bureau of Statistics had increased to 8.2 per 
cent in the second quarter of 2015 from 7.5 per cent in the first 
quarter of 2015 and 6.4 per cent in the last quarter of 2014.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said, “The latest statistics as 
released by the bureau reveal that economically active population or 
working age comprising Nigerians within the age range of 15 to 64, is 
now 103.5 million, increasing from 102.8 million in the last quarter of 
2015 while the unemployed labour force now stands at 74 million Nigerian
 youths.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He expressed concern that about N2tn had
 been spent on intervention funds by the Federal Government to boost the
 productivity of various sectors of the economy in the last five years 
without any commensurate impact on employment generation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said, “With a projected population 
growth of 200m by 2020, we project an unemployed population of about 
100m Nigerians or more. Where lies the economic future of this country?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“If the unemployed youths of this 
country are effectively engaged in gainful employment, terrorism, 
kidnapping, armed robbery and other socio-economic and cultural vices 
will be drastically reduced. As the saying goes, ‘an idle mind is the 
devil’s workshop’,” he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In their various contributions, the senators overwhelmingly supported the motion.</div>

Senators disagree over N5,000 stipend for jobless Nigerians

The Senate chamber was in an uproar on Wednesday when senators of the All Progressives Party and those of the Peoples Democratic P...

Fasoranti rescinds decision to resign as Afenifere leader

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Title: Fasoranti rescinds decision to resign as Afenifere leader
Author: Admin
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The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has rejected the resignation of Pa Reuben Fasoranti as the leader of the group an...

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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, 
Afenifere, has rejected the resignation of Pa Reuben Fasoranti as the 
leader of the group and has thus begged the octogenarian to rescind his 
decision and continue to lead the association.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was against the expectation that the group would appoint a new leader on Wednesday.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Publicity Secretary of the 
association, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, disclosed this while addressing 
journalists at the end of the meeting held at Fasoranti’s residence in 
Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Odumakin explained that members of the 
association, at the meeting, pleaded with Pa Fasoranti to withdraw his 
resignation and to continue to lead Afenifere.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He added that after much pleading, Fasoranti agreed to continue as the leader of the group.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The meeting resolved to urge him to continue as the leader of Afenifere and <em>Baba </em>(Fasoranti) has agreed to withdraw his resignation letter and continue as our leader. The good news is that <em>Baba</em> has withdrawn his decision to step aside,” the Afenifere’s spokesperson stated.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fasoranti, while reacting to the 
development, said he had accepted the resolution of the meeting and 
agreed to continue to lead the group.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the allegation of disunity among the 
members, Odumakin said there was no crack in the Afenifere family, 
insisting that the leadership would continue to uphold the ideals of the
 founding fathers of the association.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“We want to state that there is no crack
 in Afenifere and we remain committed to the great ideals of our 
founding fathers,” he added.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Odumakin, however, noted that there was 
no plan by the group to choose any leader in an acting capacity when the
 current leader (Fasoranti) is still alive. He said if that would 
happen, it would be an internal arrangement within the group to choose a
 person to act.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The meeting which lasted for several 
hours, had in attendance dignitaries including the Ondo State Governor, 
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a former Minister of Finance, 
Chief Olu Falae, Chief Korede Duyile, and Chief Supo Sonibare.</div>
Fasoranti had on Sunday resigned as the group’s leader on the grounds of alleged disunity among its members. <strong><em></em></strong><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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Fasoranti rescinds decision to resign as Afenifere leader

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has rejected the resignation of Pa Reuben Fasoranti as the leader of the group an...

Court bars FRC from interfering with Stanbic IBTC operations

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Title: Court bars FRC from interfering with Stanbic IBTC operations
Author: Admin
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday barred the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria from interfer...

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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High 
Court in Lagos on Wednesday barred the Financial Reporting Council of 
Nigeria from interfering with or impeding the normal operational 
activities of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc and its subsidiaries.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The judge also restrained the council 
from molesting or inviting the entire members of the board of directors 
of the plaintiff for interrogation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Buba made the interlocutory injunction 
following arguments over an application to that effect by the 
plaintiff’s counsel, Prof. Fidelis Oditah (SAN).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said the plaintiff had made a case strong enough to warrant making an order for the maintenance of the status quo.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said the order would subsist until 
the determination of the plaintiff’s suit against the FRC and the 
National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The suit followed the Monday suspension 
of the Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mr. Atedo Peterside, and three
 directors of the company, barring them from signing any financial 
statement over allegations of improper disclosures in the bank’s 
financial statement for 2013 and 2014 financial periods.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The FRC claimed that Stanbic IBTC 
misrepresented its operational expenses by concealing important expenses
 in its financial statement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Also suspended were the Managing 
Director/Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, 
Mr. Authur Oginga and Dr. Duru Owei.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But arguing the application on Wednesday, Oditah said the FRC had been acting in excess of its powers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said the suspension of the 
plaintiff’s N18bn right issue by the Security and Exchange Commission, 
on the instigation of FRC, had resulted in the fall of Stanbic IBTC’s 
share price from N23 to less than N19 within a week.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The plaintiff asked the court to determine, among other things, whether FRC had the power to impose a fine of N1bn on it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But counsel for the FRC, Chief Olusina 
Sofola (SAN), urged the court to reject the plaintiff’s application, 
saying the invitation of the plaintiff by the FRC had been overtaken by 
events.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sofola said, “The day of the meeting has
 come and gone and they (plaintiff) did not attend. The heavens did not 
fall. They have not said they are being invited to another meeting. The 
meeting did not hold, so what is this court being asked to stop?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“As we speak now, they are carrying out 
their business. The letter does not run afoul of the law. If they feel 
we acted outside our powers, they should bring an application to 
challenge our powers. I urge My Lord to dismiss their application.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But in his ruling, Buba said the 
plaintiff had established a case strong enough to warrant ordering the 
parties to maintain the status quo.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“The whole essence of having a court of 
law in any civilised society is to ensure that everything is done 
according to the law and not otherwise. No court will stop a statutory 
authority from performing its statutory duties.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“However, the court must emphatically 
add that where it is alleged that a statutory authority is acting ultra 
vires its statutory powers, the courts have powers and are imbued with 
jurisdiction to enquire into whether it is true or false,” Buba held.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Further proceedings have been adjourned till November 6, 2015.</div>
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Court bars FRC from interfering with Stanbic IBTC operations

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday barred the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria from interfer...

Six killed in Edo bank robbery, police recover explosives

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Title: Six killed in Edo bank robbery, police recover explosives
Author: Admin
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No fewer than six persons, including a motorcyclist and two bank customers, have been reportedly killed in a bank robbery at Iga...

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No fewer than six persons, including a 
motorcyclist and two bank customers, have been reportedly killed in a 
bank robbery at Igarra, in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo 
State.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was learnt that the robbers stormed 
the town in two Sienna minibuses at about 6pm on Tuesday, where some of 
them reportedly attacked a police station in the area and killed two 
policemen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The others were said to have raided a 
Keystone Bank branch on Momodu Ajayi Road, destroyed the security door 
with explosives and carted away an undisclosed sum of money.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The motorcyclist, bank customers and a private security guard were also said to have been shot dead on the bank’s premises.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The robbers were said to have made for Unity Bank which is located opposite Keystone Bank but were not able to enter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>News Men </i>learnt that the 
robbers were later confronted and one of them was killed by vigilantes, 
who were said to have mobilised and barricaded their exit route, along 
Ekpedo-Ekpe Road which borders Kogi State.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the vehicles said to have been used by the robbers was also seized by the local security groups.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A leader of a vigilante group in the 
area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that many of the robbers
 escaped with bullet wounds.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The vigilante leader said, “When they 
started the operation in Igarra, we quickly mobilised our people around 
the surrounding villages because they (robbers) came through Lampese to 
Ososo and down to Igarra and they were also going back through the axis,
 passing through Enwan.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“And our men barricaded their route and 
there was an exchange of gunfire. One of them was killed; another was 
arrested while many escaped with gunshot wounds. They (vigilantes) also 
impounded one of the vehicles they used.”</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, 
Mr. Chris Ezike, who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent on 
the telephone that one of the suspects had been arrested.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He also said that the police recovered a total sum of N4, 452,500, 11 AK47 rifles and 39 Improvised Explosive Devices.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ezike said, “I can also confirm that one
 of the robbers has been arrested. One died in a shoot-out. Eleven AK47 
rifles were recovered; I have just finished a press conference in Igarra
 now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“We have also recovered N4,452,500 from 
them. We have recovered 41 AK47 magazines, 39 Improvised Explosive 
Devices, and we recovered assorted ammunition.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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Six killed in Edo bank robbery, police recover explosives

No fewer than six persons, including a motorcyclist and two bank customers, have been reportedly killed in a bank robbery at Iga...

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