₦airaland Forum

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi seeking to stop his probe over an alleged N96 billion fraud.

In a lead judgment prepared by Justice Emmanuel Augie but read by Justice Adamu Jairo, the apex court dismissed the appeal of Mr Ameachi on grounds that the issue of not been given fair hearing does not arise as no one is on trial.

The move by Rivers State is a panel of enquiry into the alleged fraud.

Mr Amaechi had prayed the apex court to prohibit Governor Nyesom Wike from investigating his 8-year tenure as executive governor of the state.

The former governor predicated his opposition to probe on the ground that it was aimed at witch-hunting him, to embarrass him, humiliate him and to as well disgrace him in view of his political differences with his successor.

Governor Wike who constituted a 7-man through his counsel and insisted that the the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omekeji was to look into how N96B was allegedly withdrawn from the Treasury of the state government and how it was expended.

The court also ordered Mister Amaechi to pay the sum of One million Naira Governor Wike as cost.

More details shortly.

fergie001:
vicdom

fergie001:
Just checked now, he hasn't.

Someone only offered to be his VP.

fergie001:
Not true.

Kwankwaso has picked a VP.

In less than two hours after he emerged as the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Abia, an Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia, has affirmed the suspension of Chief Ikechi Emenike’s membership from the APC, as handed down by his Ward.

The Court presided over by Hon. Justice A.O. Chijioke in the Judgment held that by the suspension of Emenike has denied him all membership privileges as provided by the APC Constitution.

It also restrained the APC from recognising or dealing with Emenike as its member while his suspension subsists.

The suit marked HU/6/2022: Chinedum Nnoke& 2 Others. V. High Chief Ikechi Emenike & 3 Others, was filed by three members of the Abia State chapter of APC challenging the membership status being accorded to Chief Ikechi Emeinike, despite his subsisting suspension by the Nkwoegwu Ward of the APC, for anti–party activities.

The three claimants in the Suit were represented by Anaga Kalu Anaga Esq, while Chief Ikechi Emenike and the APC were represented by Vitalis C.Nwankwo Esq.

Reacting to the judgment, Anaga Kalu Esq. commended the Court for “a detailed exposition of the Law, as it concerns membership rights, disciplinary measures and effects thereof on political party membership, with particular reference to the APC and her constitution.”

Commenting on the judgement, an APC chieftain, Chief Ifegwu Uduma said the judgment could definitely have a great impact on the permutations and plans of the APC in Abia State, but regretted that most credible contestants under the APC have jumped ship into other Parties before the judgment.

He said that “It is clear from this judgment that Chief IkechiEmenike has been excluded from the APC’sprimaries in Abia, thereby throwing the race for the Abia State governorship ticket of the APC, open to the remaining contenders within the Party.”

When contacted, APC Chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu said he was not aware of the said judgement as he was just returning from the party’s convention.

He said the party would respond to that later when they got the details.

Former Senator and a frontline Rivers State governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Magnus Abe, has withdrawn from the party gubernatorial primary election holding Thursday (today).

The APC primary election and State House of Assembly is scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

Abe ally and former Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Tony Okocha, made this known in a statement sent to newsmen and gave reasons why the faction would not be participating in the exercise.

Okocha who is the South-South Coordinator, Bola Ahmed Tinibu Vanguard describes the process as skewed and biased.

The statement reads, “I have been receiving a myriad of calls from our colleagues concerning the Nation~Wide Assembly and Governorship Candidates Primaries of our darling party, APC.

“Please kindly take this as an official statement that we are not participating in an already skewed, biased, and prejudiced process in RIVERS.

“All our teeming supporters are advised not to dissipate scarce energies in a Process that will not pass muster.

Comfortably lounge in houses and homes and be exceedingly happy, with no interest in the usual charade of APC RIvers.

“However, we enjoin ALL to remain vigilant as we continue to bring you up to speed with unfolding events.

“More than resolutely keep faith with the struggle. He who laughs last, laughs best.”

Former Anambra State governor and erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, yesterday dumped PDP and resigned from the race on the party’s platform.

The former governor’s resignation was contained in a letter he signed and addressed to the national chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, dated May 24.

It was however gathered that Obi has opened talks with the Labour Party (LP) which was recently adopted by some other political platforms as the much-anticipated Third Force.

Meanwhile his resignation letter from PDP titled “Resignation From Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Withdrawal from the Presidential Contest” came barely 72 hours before the commencement of the party’s presidential primary election.

It read, “I am writing to intimate you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was conveyed to the Chairman of Agulu Ward 2. Anaocha LGA, Anambra, effective Friday 20 May, 2022. Consequently, am by this letter informing you of my withdrawal for the PDP Presidential Primaries.

“It has been a great honour to contribute to nation-building efforts through our party. Unfortunately, recent developments within our party make it practically impossible to continue participating and making such constructive contributions.

“Our national challenges are deep-seated and require that we each make profound sacrifices towards rescuing our country. My commitment to rescuing Nigeria remains firm, even if the route differs.

“I wish to thank you personally for your graciousness and leadership. I wish you well and best of luck in the service of country.”

However a source close to the former governor revealed that Obi would be on the ballot in the 2023 election, adding that he decided to leave the party because “some members of the party establishment were concerned about the mass appeal he was gathering especially after he toured the country but more importantly, that he might not conform to their wishes if he eventually emerges president.”

Recall that a coalition of his support groups had urged him to dump PDP barely 24 hours before he resigned from the party.

Reacting to the development, Elder statesman and member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Olabode George, described the exit of Obi as painful.

George who was a guest on Channels TV programme , Politics Today, said “I was taken aback by his dumping the party,” adding that the former governor had established himself as a man of respect and integrity in the party.”

He added “For him to have dumped PDP I didn’t know why he did that. It is a pity. You can’t win it all the times.You win some, you loose some.”

The party chieftain stated that Nigeria is yet at the level of the western democracy and added that it would take some time for Nigeria to get to that level.

“I am not very happy that he left. I have a lot of regard for him,” George stated.

In a related development, former deputy Senate president and Enugu State PDP governorship aspirant, Senator Ike Ekweremadu withdrew from the primaries yesterday.

Director general, Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, Hon Charles Ogbo Asogwa, in a statement said, “We wish to inform our supporters and Nigerians that the former Deputy President of the Senate and foremost governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, will not be participating in the PDP governorship primary election scheduled for this Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

“Meanwhile, we continue to trust God as we appreciate our teeming supporters and the good people of Enugu State for the enormous goodwill they have ceaselessly invested in the actualisation of the “Pathway to a New Enugu State”.

“We urge them to remain peaceful and be assured that we will keep them abreast of our decision on the way forward.”

Similarly, Senate minority leader and PDP governorship candidate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, also pulled out from the contest in Abia State.

In a statement shortly before the commencement of the primaries, he said “I Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe will not be part of this charade.

“I am therefore withdrawing from the exercise, which means that I will not be part of the PDP governorship primary election that holds in Abia State on Wednesday 25th of May, 2022 as doing so would have amounted to endorsement of an illegality that is already being challenged in the courts.”

He lamented that the last couple of weeks had been tortuous as they battled hard to navigate PDP away from a self-destructive path.

“The essence was to create an unfettered democratic space and a level playing field for all aspirants vying for all elective offices in the state, to participate equally in the primary elections.

“That was not the case and of course what we are witnessing is a shambolic process driven by a procured court injunction.

“To make matters worse, the use of only an imaginary 3-man Adhoc delegates to the exclusion of the party’s statutory delegates in the primary elections to elect our candidates even when INEC the nation’s electoral umpire, has unequivocally stated that no congress held in Abia State for that purpose, has no doubt put the party and her candidates in a quagmire.

“The implication for our party is grave and as such has put all ongoing primary exercises on quick sand.

“I am known for standing firm in defence of my convictions for the right of all people to a free and fair democratic process. That was why my campaign set sail on a democratic journey that took us to all the nooks and crannies of our dear state. We covered all the local governments and we could see the enthusiasm on the faces of our people who are desirous of change to a progressive government with a human face.

“We committed human and material resources, preaching the “Rise Up Abia” message for the total emancipation of our State from the drudgery of imposition and godfatherism, which has seen the state at the lowest wrung of infrastructural, human and material development index among the states of the federation.

“Our people were and are indeed fired up for a new lease of life that will be brought about by a people’s government.

“There was no doubt that Abians are tired of being subjected to being the butt of jokes and ridicle from their peers, particularly those from the contiguous states that were hitherto far behind Abia State in the development index in the time past.

“That was the narrative we sought to change when the campaign took off.

“Unfortunately, the ugly developments ignited by a rapacious ambition to maintain the wicked governance status quo of imposition and godfatherism have aborted this quest in PDP.”

fergie001:
garfield1
Thegoodjoe
TGM2015

You remember?

AbaLion:

You're obviously an illiterate

, where is Badaru's quote in the article?
Ameachi a Catholic always gallivanting the North like an imam on turban for an election he is bound to lose. Shameless man.

-Lion

Former Minister of Transportation and Presidential Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has assured delegates of the Party in the Federal Capital Territory of better representation if they support him to clinch the Party’s presidential ticket and proceed to win the general elections in 2023.

Amaechi gave the assurance during his consultative meeting with delegates of the APC in Abuja, Tuesday night, adding that there would be equal representation between men and women, while Ministers will know their portfolios ahead of their screening and would be screened based on that.

“If you elect me as your president, ministers will know their portfolio before they get to the National Assembly, so that when the National Assembly is interviewing a Minister, they’ll interview the Minister to know their capacity, to see how qualified he is to be minister for Transport, for instance. So that when they are asked questions, it will border on how they can tackle challenges in those sectors.”

He added that Ministers from the 36 States and the FCT will be appointed by their people after stakeholders’ meetings to nominate at least three names from their States. This he noted is to ensure transparency and accountability.

“Where you give us two females, there must be one man. Where you give us two men, there must be one woman, preferably, one man, one woman and one youth. When they bring those names, the leadership of the Party at the National level will sit and choose one out of the three. The only ones I will be privileged to appoint would be the extras.”

For the people of the FCT who tend to feel marginalized by their status as a territory and not a State, Amaechi said, “I will treat you like a State, but you must give me the power to treat you like a State by voting for me. If given the chance, the FCT Minister will be from FCT.

“All of us will participate collectively. So that if we fail or succeed, all of us will be participants in either the failure or the success, but I can assure you we won’t fail, because I’ve never failed. As Speaker, as Governor, as Minister, you can see the railways.”

For safety on the rail lines, he said before he resigned as Minister, “We have put security in place so that those who will travel as soon as they (NRC) resumes (train service on Abuja-Kaduna rail line) on the 23rd will not have challenges. We have agreed with the Air Force that they will over-fly the trains so that anybody they see trying to compromise the tracks, they will shoot. People who have no business being on the track should stay away, because if they see anything suspicious, they will shoot.”

Responding, leader of the APC in the FCT, Sen. Isa Maina said, “your pedigree is intimidating. By God’s grace you’ll be President two times. Your very intimidating entourage speak volumes. We’ve had other aspirants come to speak to us and no one has come with such delegation.

“We trust your word that the FCT will be treated as a State. I urge all of us (delegates) to give him (Amaechi) the support because I know he does not lie. I know you’re very capable, you are a man of your words,” he said.

Amaechi was accompanied by high profile dignitaries and associates, including former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Yusuf Tukur Buratai, former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, Senators, among others.

tinsel:
Can one governor sign two times?

tinsel:
APC has how many governors if Tinubu got 12 and Osibanjo 14?

The controversy that ensued when it was time for the aspirants to fill the forms for the party primaries was a dramatic one. The forms had required to be signed by statutory delegates for each aspirant. Then, came the Tinubu camp saying that they had secured the signatures of 12 sitting governors, thereby laying claim to be far ahead of Osinbajo.

The Osinbajo camp came with a bigger and better picture that not only confirms their weight but also indicating their reach, they were able to secure 14 sitting governors' signatures and at the same time got the signatures of Lawmakers and others. For anybody who has little understanding of mathematics, 14 is bigger and 12. There is no controversy about that.

fergie001:
Judgement is in order. Even if it goes up to the Supreme Court, nothing will come out of it.

I Will Not Indemnify @ARISEtv

APGA member, Victor Oye, refuses to take responsibility for slandering party opposition, Edozie Njoku after @abati1990's prompt, on ARISE #TheMorningShow.

For more news and updates, watch https://t.co/npwyX7oosP pic.twitter.com/77jx6eMQ5S

— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) May 18, 2022

Nigeria: Fears Mount in APC Over Moves to Zone Presidency to North-east as New Delegates’ Template Favours Lawan.

In a move that is certainly going to generate shock waves around the country and heighten the already tensed political situation, it has come to light that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is working towards zoning its presidential ticket to the North-east, with the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan likely to emerge as its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

Many in the South who have been strident in calls for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South after eight years of Buhari in the saddle are will not likely to be amused by this evolving development.

Also, with the latest decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to allow ad-hoc delegates to elect presidential candidate at its forthcoming convention, the chances of a northern aspirant emerging as the presidential standard bearer have brightened even more.

A reliable source in the ruling party who disclosed the new zoning arrangement in the APC to THISDAY on Tuesday, further confirmed Monday’s disclosure by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal that the party may have settled for Lawan as its presidential candidate.

It also confirmed a recent THISDAY report that National Assembly’s latest amendment to the Electoral Act, 2022, to allow statutory delegates – all those elected – to participate and vote in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties, was designed to boost the chances of the Senate President in the 2023 presidential race.

THISDAY had reported that the aim of the fresh amendment to the Electoral Act which received accelerated passage at both chambers of the National Assembly, was to increase the chances of Lawan in the party’s presidential primaries and subsequently boost the Party’s chances of retaining in the 2023 presidential elections.

However, if President Muhammadu Buhari assents to the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill before him, which will allow statutory delegates to participate in the presidential primaries the dynamics of the contest will change dramatically in favour Lawan

The current Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) has no role for statutory delegates at the convention.

Statutory or “Super” delegates are elected Councillors, local government chairmen and their vice, party chairmen in the 774 LGAs and six Abuja area councils, state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, president and vice president, NWC members, state party chairmen and secretaries.

The provision in the Principal Act reads: “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidate shall clearly outline in its constitution and rule the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.

Last week, federal lawmakers amended Section 84 of the Principal Act by deleting subsection ( and inserting a new subsection ( as follows: “A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall clearly outline in its constitution and rules the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting, in addition to statutory delegates already prescribed in the Constitution of the party.”

“What the National Assembly is trying to do is to back Lawan with the huge number of statutory delegates of past and present legislators that the amendment would allow to attend such conventions and congresses. They are in the region of almost 4,000, who are most likely going to throw their support behind Lawan. So, that is why they are trying to amend the law again to suit their own selfish purposes and calculations,” a source who pleaded to remain anonymous had stated.

On the other hand, the source hinted that the APC was considering either zoning the position of the vice president to either the south-west or south-south.

Under the new APC arrangement, it was gathered that the Senate President might be zoned to the south-east if the ruling party gets the majority seat in the Red Chamber and the Speaker of the House of Representative zone by the APC to the North-west. In the same vein, it was gathered that the leadership of the party might have decided to zone its Deputy Senate President to the North Central and the Deputy Speaker to either the South-west or South-south.

THISDAY had yesterday quoted Tambuwal to have said: “They (APC) are gradually moving away from their zoning arrangement. We know their tricks. They want to see the outcome of our primary come May 28 and 29 before they will decide who will be their candidate.

“Look at the APC national chairman. He is quiet about their supposed zoning arrangement simply because they already have plans to field Senator Ahmad Lawan depending on who is the presidential candidate of our party.”

On his part, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, while speaking on a national television reiterated his support for Lawan’s presidential ambition.

The Senate Chief Whip added: “With Ahmad Lawan, I am ready to be the sweeper of the place (Aso Rock). I don’t need to have a position if Ahmad Lawan is the president,” the former Abia State governor noted.

“I can sweep the Villa; my house is very close to the Villa. I can be the sweeper of the Villa; it is just a stone’s throw. I am not joking.”

According to the former Abia governor, some presidential aspirants are already considering stepping down for the Senate President. Kalu expressed optimism that Lawan has what it takes to reset the country.

However, contrary to insinuations that the APC might have dropped the idea of zoning or picking its next presidential candidate from the south, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, yesterday, said he believed the party would do everything possible to ensure it chose a southern presidential candidate.

Ganduje said this when he received the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, whom the governor described as both loyal and successful, at the Kano State Government House.

In a related development, APC would today commence the screening of 2,822 House of Assembly aspirants jostling for the party’s tickets ahead of the May 22 primaries.

The party denied altering the date of its presidential primary, billed to take place between May 30 and June 1.

Ganduje received Osinbajo at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, and accompanied him to the scene of yesterday morning explosion in Sabon Gari, from where they proceeded to the Government House, where the vice president was scheduled to hold his ongoing consultations with APC stakeholders and delegates in Kano State.

Speaking on the debate over the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket, Ganduje noted that though the idea of zoning was “not constitutional”, for the sake of equity and fair play, the party would work to ensure that the south produced the next president on the party’s platform.

“We believe that the next president will come from the South and we will work for that,” he said.

Ganduje’s position came amid speculations that the ruling party was planning to jettison the zoning of its presidential ticket in order to retain power in the north.

Reports early this week had it that it was the idea of retaining power in the north that informed the decision of the senate president, Ahmad Lawan, and Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State to join the presidential race at the last minute.

Also, the ruling party inaugurated its screening committee for House of Assembly aspirants yesterday in Abuja, and said the exercise would end on Thursday.

APC raked in the sum of N5.644 billion from the sale of forms to aspirants vying for state assembly seats.

THISDAY can reliably report that the ruling party cleared all the 145 governorship aspirants screened last Friday, ahead of the governorship primaries to be held in 30 states on May 20.

It was also gathered that out of the 351 senatorial aspirants, the party had so far given a clean bill to 340 to contest the primary election scheduled for May 25. The outcome of the screening for the remaining aspirants was still being awaited.

THISDAY checks revealed that a senatorial aspirant from a South-west state, who had purchased the nomination form, failed to appear before any of the three screening panels at the weekend.

It was also gathered that of the 1,197 aspirants for the House of Representatives seats that were screened, preliminary reports on the exercise showed that Imo and Anambra states topped the list of states with disqualified aspirants. The affected aspirants, according to a party source, were disqualified following a series of petitions and allegations of criminal conducts against them.

In the meantime, following reports last week that the ruling party had altered the date of its presidential primary from May 30 to May 28, when the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had scheduled to hold its own poll to pick a presidential candidate, National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Felix Morka, in a statement yesterday, described the report as fake.

The party stated that should an adjustment become necessary, such changes would be communicated via its official communication channels.

Morka stated, “Our attention has been drawn to a story of purported adjustment to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Timetable/Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, which is making the rounds on social media.

“The story should be disregarded as fake news. The party’s Timetable/Schedule of Activities for the 2023 elections remain as earlier published: Governorship – Friday, 20th of May, 2022;State House of Assembly – Sunday, 22nd of May, 2022; House of Representatives – Tuesday, 24th of May, 2022; Senate – Wednesday, 25th of May 2022; Presidential – Monday, 30th of May to June 1st, 2022.”

APC inaugurated 37 screening committees to screen House of Assembly aspirants and also to elect local government and state delegates ahead of the various party primaries.

Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, while inaugurating the committees, said the screening would be conducted simultaneously with the election of local government and state delegates.

National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu, described the assignment as one of the critical segments of the party’s transition in the 2023 general election.

Argungu said, “We will provide chairman and secretary of each committee. The guidelines specify roles of the committee, which includes minimum requirements; APC requirements; educational requirements; payment of form fees, which qualifies each aspirant to contest; sponsors and if anybody goes against Section 84(3) of the Electoral Acts as amended, stands disqualified.”

Chairman of Kebbi State Appeal Screening Committee and Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, said the assignment was about building a foundation for the new leadership of the country that would emanate from the candidates of the various political parties.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, declined to grant bail to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, pending the determination of the treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him.

Trial Justice Binta Nyako held that Kanu must explain the reason why he breached the previous bail that was given to him, before he could enjoy another favourable discretion from the court.

“Until the issue of absence of the defendant for his trial, with all the bail conditions breached, is determined, the instant application of the defendant for bail will at best be premature and it is refused.

“However, the defendant is at liberty to refile the application”, Justice Nyako held.

The court noted that Kanu’s trial had since 2015, suffered various setbacks owing to over 19 interlocutory applications that have been filed in the matter.

It, therefore, implored the parties to allow the case to proceed on trial to enable the charge to be determined, one way or the other.

Kanu, told the court that he was severely tortured for eight days in Kenya, before he was repatriated back to Nigeria for continuation of his trial.

He alleged that his health condition deteriorated, following “a highly poisonous substance” he said was injected into his system, which he said is causing him to have constipation and increased heart beat.

Insisting that the DSS lacks the necessary medical facility to cater for his health needs, Kanu, told the court that he was confined to solitary confinement where he alleged that he was daily exposed to mental torture.

The IPOB leader told the court that he has “credible and reliable sureties”, pledging that he would not commit any offence while on bail.

Besides, Kanu, argued that he has not been tried or convicted by any court of law in the country, contending that he was entitled to bail.

He further drew attention of the court to the fact that he was previously released on bail on health ground.

However, FG, urged the court to refuse the bail application, insisting that Kanu, having realized the gravity of the case against him, would run away from the country and not make himself available for trial.