Diri Seeks Jonathan’s, Lyon’s Support [THE NATION]
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has called on the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate David Lyon, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and opposition parties in the state to support his administration.
He said he needed their support and that of former President Goodluck Jonathan to succeed.
He presented his Certificate of Return to the former president a few hours after he received it from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He spoke on Sunday at a thanksgiving service at Gloryland Chapel in Government House Yenagoa.
While thanking God for giving him the mandate, the governor urged all his supporters to be magnanimous in victory as he was ready to appoint people in opposition into his cabinet.
He said: “I will be governor of all, be it PDP, APC and others. We must remain united and ensure peace in our land. That is the only time we can be talking of development. Let us work together.”
The governor said his priority was to bring development to every part of the state but warned that his administration would have zero-tolerance for crimes.
Amotekun: Lawmakers To Hold Simultaneous Public Hearing On Bill [THE NATION]
Houses of Assembly in the six Southwest states will on Monday simultaneously conduct public hearings on the Operation Amotekun Bill.
Speakers Mudashiru Obasa (Lagos); Kunle Oluomo (Ogun); Adebo Ogundoyin (Oyo); Bamidele Oleyelogun (Ondo); Timothy Owoeye (Osun) and Funminiyi Afuye (Ekiti), made the next line of action on Operation Amotekun known at a meeting in Ibadan at the weekend.
“Sequel to the receipt of ‘Amotekun Bill’ by the State Houses of Assembly in the Southwest region, the Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly in the region (under the auspices of Conference of Speakers of Southwest State Legislatures) converged in Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday, 14th February, 2020 on this important Bill,” Oleyelgun said in a statement on Sunday.
The speakers’ met a day after governors in the region met in Lagos with Inspector-General (IG) Mohammed Adamu and agreed on the security outfit.
They (speakers) agreed to meet with attorneys-general in the states after the public hearings in the states to review the contents of the bills.
The five paragraph statement reads: “After exhaustive deliberation, the Conference resolved that, as a matter of urgency, all the six Houses of Assembly should commence action on the process of passage of the Bill into Law.
“The Conference, also in this regard, mandated that all the Houses of Assembly should simultaneously hold public hearings on the Bill in their respective states on Monday February 24, 2020.
“The Conference of Speakers of Southwest State Legislatures urges all the people of South West to attend and make meaningful contributions to the bill that regulates protection of lives and property in our states.
“Thereafter, the Conference of Speakers will reconvene to meet with the States Attorneys-General to address all conflicting areas and to review the contents of the reports generated at the public hearings for harmonisation into the proposed law.”
Ondo lawmakers who were on recess have been asked to resume tomorrow to deliberate on the bill.
On Sunday, the Ekiti Council of Elders urged the governors not to politicise the recruitment of personnel into the outfits, warning that doing so could undermine their efforts.
The elders noted that the personnel for the security network would be critical to ending the rising wave of insecurity in the Southwest.
Addressing a news conference in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend, the Council’s President, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi, and the General-Secretary, Niyi Ajibulu, said the governors should look beyond party lines in recruiting people of impeccable character and integrity.
They said: “We must not allow bad eggs and politics to tarnish this great Initiative. The Council enjoins Ekiti Government and others to ensure that only people of impeccable characters and unquestionable past are appointed in the board of the security outfit. Also, the Amotekun personnel are to be carefully screened so as not to bring in persons or people that would eventually become impediment to the good intention of the whole idea.
“The Council is happy that, for once, Yoruba leaders and opinion moulders are on the same page on an issue of interest to the Yoruba nation. Consequently, the Council believes that gradually, the Yoruba nation would be speaking with one voice in other matters that would promote the Yoruba nation.
“The Council dispels the fear in some quarters that the non-Yorubas in the Southwest are the target of the formation. Rather, the security outfit will enable the Yoruba to continue to be good and accommodating hosts they have been renowned for.”
Why Service Chiefs Won’t Be Sacked Now, By Presidency [THE NATION]
Troops foil Boko Haram’s attack on Damaturu
MBF: rejig security structure
Those waiting for the Service Chiefs to be fired by President Muhammadu Buhari will have to tarry a while.
The President is not ready to dispense with their services, the Presidency said on Sunday night.
It was learnt that security reports before the President, indicate that “Nigeria is in a war situation”, as a result of which the President is weighing the options before him.
A cross section of ethnic-based groups and others have been mounting pressure on the President to replace the service chiefs to give new impetus to the battle against insurgency.
The renewed spate of killings by bandits in the North and the resurgence of Boko haram attacks have also fueled the agitation for the removal of the service chiefs.
There is a plan to organise a protest on Monday against the service chiefs which the government said is sponsored.
Many people have argued that the service chiefs’ continued stay in office beyond four years, has led to low morale in the military.
But presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said on Sunday that: “Removal or sack of service chiefs does not stop all of what we are experiencing. Whether we like it or not, we are in a war situation. The President and the Commander-In-Chief is seeing things that others cannot see. This is why he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
“How can they say the President does not care? His heart is there on how to secure and protect this nation. He is being briefed adequately by the service chiefs and others and he gives directives as the C-In-C.
“It is people who don’t know what the government is doing that are saying the President does not care. They think security is like a market place where everybody is an expert.”
Katsina: Revenge Killings Not Acceptable –Buhari [SUN]
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, condemned the attack on farmers by bandits in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State that left 30 persons death and several houses burnt, warning that revenge killings constituted a breach of the country’s laws.
Bandits believed to be from Zamfara State invaded Tsanwa and Dankar villages last Friday and killed 30 people mostly women and children before setting their homes ablaze. The state police command said it had arrested one of the gunmen.
Buhari urged community leaders and local authorities to continue in their efforts and partnership with law enforcement agencies to facilitate the surrender of bandits and the promotion of peace between farmers and herders.
“No one in the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge. Local communities that catch bandits should hand over the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge. The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” the President said in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu.
President Buhari prayed for repose the souls of the victims and God to comfort families that have lost loved ones in the attacks.
In a related development, Governor Aminiu Masari has cautioned communities in the state against taking the law into their hands, following insecurity challenges in the state.
He gave the advice in Malumfashi during the distribution of empowerment materials donated by Sen. Bello Mandiya to some constituents in Funtua Senatorial District, yesterday.
He said that the killing of 30 people in Tsanwa and Dankar villages of Batsari Local Governmental of the state was a reprisal by armed bandits from Zamfara forest.
The governor appealed to all communities not to resort to self help, but report suspicious persons to relevant authorities for prompt action.
He urged people of the state to be calm, and assured that the government and security operatives were on top of the situation.
Bayelsa: Sylva Calls For Calm Over Sack Of Lyon, Apologises To Buhari [SUN]
Minister of Petroleum and former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has called for calm and restraint over nullification of the election of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, David Lyon, by the Supreme Court and the swearing in of Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor.
In a statement, Sylva also apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari for the disruption of his programme in relation to his earlier scheduled visit to Bayelsa to witness the inauguration of Lyon as governor before the Supreme Court judgment.
Supreme Court last Thursday voided the election of Lyon over the qualification of his running mate and deputy governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo. The court said Lyon’s running mate presented false information.
The apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue the political party and candidate with the second highest votes Certificate of Return. The PDP’s Diri, who came second in the election, received Certificate of Return and was sworn in as governor on February 14.
In his first statement since the development, Sylva, who is the APC arrowhead in Bayelsa, enjoined Bayelsians to “shun all acts of violence and lawlessness.”
Apologising to President Buhari, he said: “Also of great importance to me is to extend my profound apology to President Buhari over the avoidable disruption to his busy schedule which was caused by the events of the moment. I am aware that Mr. President and his lovely wife, Aisha, had concluded arrangements to travel to Bayelsa State to witness the inauguration of the APC governorship candidate as governor of the state. I therefore extend my apology to Mr. President and members of his entourage.”
Sylva asked people of Bayelsa to apply restraint at all times, adding that even though, “the events of the last few days are as painful as they are regrettable, however, tempting it might be for people to take the law into their hands, such temptation must be resisted in the greater interest of our state and the political stability of the country at large.”
… Diri Offers Sylva, APC Candidate Olive Branch [SUN]
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has waved the olive branch at leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Specifically, he extended his hands of fellowship to the APC leader in the state and Minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and the former governor-elect, David Lyon.
Diri, who stated this during a thanksgiving service at the Gloryhand Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa, said APC leaders are Bayelsans that should work with the state government to bring development to the state.
According to him, Sylva, Lyon and other leaders of the opposition should join hands with him to build a peaceful and prosperous state.
While reiterating his determination to run an all-inclusive government and be a governor for all Bayelsans, he solicited support and cooperation of all political leaders in the state, including former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Diri, who thanked God for giving him the mandate, urged his supporters to follow his directive of his inaugural speech to be magnanimous in victory.
He said his priority is to bring development to every part of Bayelsa State, noting that he is willing to consider even members of the opposition parties for appointments.
“I will be governor of all, be it People’s Democratic Party, APC and others. We must remain united and ensure peace in our land. That is the only time we can be talking of development. Let us work together,” he said.
The governor, who warned against crime and criminality, said his administration would not condone crime in the state.
“Our administration will not condone crimes and criminalities. No development can take place in an atmosphere devoid of peace,” he said.
Tension, Anxiety In Imo As Supreme Court Reviews Case [SUN]
Godwin Tsa and Fred Itua, Abuja and Stanley Uzoaru and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Fresh tension and uncertainty have again pervaded Imo State as the Supreme Court hears the fresh appeal filed by sacked governor, Emeka Iheadioha, tomorrow.
The state has been boiling in the last few weeks following the apex court’s ruling which replaced Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The verdict and subsequent inauguration of Uzodinma had sparked protests in different parts of the state and even Abuja, with the leadership and members of the opposition taking their protest to the offices of the United Nations, European Union and U.S Embassy.
Ihedioha had approached the apex court seeking the setting aside of the January 14 judgment that removed him from office.
In the motion dated February 5, Ihedioha prayed the apex court for an order setting aside “as a nullity the judgment delivered by it on the January 14, in Appeal No. SC.1462/ 2019 and Cross-Appeal No. SC.147Y0/ 2019.”
But Governor Hope Uzodimma, has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the application. His request is contained in his preliminary objection dated February 6,challenging the competence of Ihedioha’s motion.
Uzodinma, in a motion on notice brought pursuant to Section 6(6)(a) of the 1999, and his political platform, the All Progressive Congress (APC), predicated their objection on the grounds that “the application being a proceeding relating to or arising from election of a governor is barred by effluxion of time. The application constitutes an invitation to the Supreme Court to sit on an appeal over its final decision, Uzodimma posited. Besides, the objectors through their counsel, Damien Dodo (SAN) submitted that “having delivered its final decision on the first and second respondents’ Appeal No. SC. 1462/2019 between Senator Hope Uzodinma & Anor v Emeka Ihedioha & 2 Ors., the Supreme Court has become fuctus officio and divested of jurisdiction over the same subject matter.”
Elected local government officials from the 27 council areas under aegis of Association Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), will today, assemble in Owerri, for a one-million man march in support of Governor Uzodinma’s administration.
This is even as they commended the seven-man panel of Justices of the Supreme Court for their landmark judgement of January 14,2020.
They also accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for stoking anti-Uzodinma and supreme Court protests in the state in a bid to breach the peace of the state.
Addressing a press conference in Owerri, Chairman of ALGON, Chief Emeka Osuoji, said the march became necessary considering the distractive protests by “a faction of PDP in Imo State and mainly hiring non-indigenes just to breach the public peace.”
Education Still Underfunded In States – Investigation [LEADERSHIP]
Fresh facts from across the states of the federation have shown that the education sector is still underfunded by most state governors.
With the exception of a few states, topped by Imo and Rivers States, the sector did not get its fair share in 2019 from the 23 states covered in this report.
Apart from poor budgetary allocation, the states only released a paltry amount of money, which fell below the 26 per cent benchmark approved by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
In a similar investigation carried out by LEADERSHIP in 32 of the 36 states of the federation last year, the northern states had outwitted their southern counterparts in terms of budget allocation and disbursement to education at all levels in their bid to contain the out-of-school children crisis.
LEADERSHIP had revealed in that report published on November 29, 2018 that Sokoto and Gombe States stood out in their spending on education by voting 31 per cent and 30 per cent respectively of their total budget on education.
Then Sokoto and Gombe were the only states in Nigeria that not only met but exceeded the UNESCO’s international benchmark of 26 per cent budget allocation to education.
The only state in the south that came close to meeting the UNESCO benchmark was Ogun State, which allocated 23 per cent of its 2018 budget to education.
However, in the latest findings, the two states were beaten by Imo and Rivers States. The poor funding of the sector in 2019 has been attributed by some stakeholders to the governors’ concentration on political campaigns being an election year.
For instance, the Akwa State government budgeted above N10 billion for capital expenditure in the education sector in 2019 out of the N13 billion alllocated to the entire sector.
An appraisal of the previous budgets of the state over the years showed that the performance level had been fluctuating as follows 53 per cent (2013), 64 per cent (2014), 36 per cent (2015) and 43 per cent (2016). The figures were contained in the Akwa Ibom State (2012 – 2016) Public Expenditure Review the government published online.
Surprisingly, the state proposed N4.98 billion as capital budget for education in 2020, an action that incurred criticisms from individuals, civil society organisations, and organised labour.
The allocation, which represents 0.83 per cent of the total budget for 2020, is said to be too meager for this critical sector.
In Niger State, in 2019, only a paltry sum of N3 billion was released for the education; basic, secondary and tertiary education. This was considered too poor in that the state government had N159.5 billion budget for the fiscal year. And there are no signs that there will be any significant change in the state government’s commitment in the year 2020.
Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike is a leading figure in the quest to improve the quality of education in the country. In 2019, for example, the state government released the sum of N40 billion to the education sector.
A document obtained from the Ministry of Education, Port Harcourt, revealed that the ministry spent part of the fund for the reconstruction of eight secondary schools and three primary schools across the state.
According to the document, another part of the fund was used for the award of contracts for the reconstruction of Model Secondary School, Bakana in Degema local government area; Model Secondary School, Tombia in Degema local government area; and Omuanwa Community Secondary School in Ikwerre local government area.
The money was used for the funding of the new campuses of the Rivers State University at Ahoada-East and Emouha local government areas; the award of scholarships, as well as infrastructure support grants of N500million to each of the tertiary institutions in the state.
The Imo State government placed priority on education and infrastructural development in the educational sector in 2019.
Successive administrations in the state, conversant with this position, annually earmarked substantial funds for teachers’ emoluments and infrastructural development.
In 2019, the state government made a budgetary allocation of N20 billion for the development of education in the state and this represented a 20 per cent increase over the previous year’s allocation.
This figure placed the state second to Rivers on the education funding chart.
In Kebbi State, Governor Atiku Bagudu has continued to reiterate the commitment of his administration to education, but without a clear-cut budget for the sector.
For instance, the state government in its 2019 total budget of N151 billion, did not specify how much was it allocated to education.
Lack Of Funds Delaying Take-off Of Ibadan-Kano,Other Rail Projects – Minister [LEADERSHIP]
Nigerians’ excitement over the federal government’s plan to build a viable rail system is being threatened by lack of funds, the minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the minister explained that the non- availability of funds had hindered the kick-off of the Ibadan-Kano rail line, the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge, and other rail projects across the country.
On the Ibadan-Kano rail line, Amaechi said that “we are waiting for the Federal Ministry of Finance. We have done our bit. We awarded the contract. So, we wait till finance raises the money. So until they come back and say, see the cash, you and I will be waiting.”
Commenting on the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail project, the minister said that,“President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval earlier for the construction of the standard gauge, the seaport in Bonny and Port Harcourt Industrial Park, so what we have done is that we need approval again. If we start pursuing the money to construct Port Harcourt to Maiduguri now in case of loan, we may not get the loan easily. So, why not give us permission to do two things at the same time. While looking for the money for the standard gauge, allow us to rehabilitate the narrow gauge. That is to yank off what we have now and replace them with new ones and that will cost us slightly below $3 billion which is easy to get and extend it to Bonny. The people are willing to build the seaport and industrial park with their own money. But if you give us that approval, we will source for that money.
“That is what is before the president, we submitted it last week and we are waiting for his approval. The president is a bit more determined that we construct a standard gauge, but if we continue to wait, we may not get the funds to construct the standard gauge now.
“I am not saying we are not going to get it but when you see how long it took us to get $5.3 billion for Ibadan to Kano, which took us more than three years and you are asking for $12 billion loan; it won’t be that easy. So, for us at the ministry, we thought, why not at least rehabilitate the narrow gauge, remove the slippers, ballers, tracks, replace them, rebuild the stations; extend it to Damaturu in Yobe State and to Bonny in Rivers State.
“While they are running at 80 kilometres per hour, don’t forget that the standard gauge is 120 kilometres per hour. In fact, the design is 150 kilometres but the actual operation is 120km and the difference between 120 and 80 is just 40, and we can bear it pending when we get the money for standard gauge.
“But don’t forget that the president’s argument is that he wants standard gauge. We agreed with him, we are going to look for the money for the standard gauge pending when we get the money, the rehabilitation of the old ones will facilitate trips,” Amaechi said.
On the proposed partnership with GE, the minister said that GE had sold its transport company and the new buyer is not engaged in that line of business.
According to him, they (GE) handed over to East Africa Star, noting that “they are having a bit of problems, and once the two leading people are no longer there, you have to start afresh. But I also think that while we are waiting for them, we are losing business. GE asked that we should borrow $700 million and that could not have done the rehabilitation of all the narrow gauges. You are looking at Lagos to Kano and that money would not have done the rehabilitation of the stations, signalling and all that. To do all that, you need close to $4 billion between Lagos and Kano, another $2 to $3 billion between Port Harcourt and Maiduguri. So what we have done instead of waiting (because we have lost quite a lot of years,) was to try to get the federal government to allow us borrow money and fund it.”
Speaking on the new coaches that had just arrived in the country, Amaechi explained the problems they are having is transportation.
PMB, Senate Condemn Revenge Killing In Katsina [LEADERSHIP]
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest round of attacks on farmers by bandits in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari local government area of Katsina State, saying that the killings done in the name of revenge were unacceptable.
Reacting to the incidents where many homesteads were razed and several people killed at weekend, the president warned that “no one in the country has a right to take the law into his or her hands by the way of self-help or revenge. Local communities that catch bandits should hand the suspects over to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge.”
Buhari, in a statement issued by the presidency, yesterday, urged community leaders and the local authorities to continue their efforts in partnership with law enforcement agencies in the handling of the surrendering of bandits to ensure peace between farmers and herders.
“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” he said.
The president prayed that God would comfort families that lost their loved ones in the attacks and for the repose of the souls of the victims.
Also yesterday, the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, said that the National Assembly would continue to work with President Buhari to find lasting solutions to the current insecurity in the country.
Lawan stated this at Malumfashi in Katsina State, where he graced the Constituency Empowerment Programme sponsored by Senator Bello Mandiya for Funtua Senatorial District.
He commiserated with the people of Katsina over the recent deadly attacks by bandits.
Fresh Bayelsa Gov Poll: INEC Rejects APC’s Request, Party Heads For Supreme Court [PUNCH]
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday ruled out any fresh governorship election in Bayelsa State as requested by the All Progressives Congress.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, dismissed the APC’s demand for a fresh governorship poll in Bayelsa State.
He said the commission on Friday concluded its work on the Bayelsa State governorship poll.
Also, top officials of INEC, who confided in The PUNCH on Sunday, said the commission had never granted such a request and that of the APC would not be the first.
One of the officials said, “The APC is asking for what is not possible. The party should forget a fresh governorship election in Bayelsa State.”
The APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had in a letter dated February 14, 2020 and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, called for a fresh election in Bayelsa State.
The APC national chairman said the swearing-in of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Douyle Diri, as the state governor was unconstitutional as he did not meet the mandatory constitutional requirements.
The party said although the Supreme Court nullified its candidate, David Lyon’s victory, it stated that Diri also failed to meet the mandatory requirements to become governor.
It said the court judgment did not void the votes of the APC in the November 16, 2019 governorship poll in Bayelsa State. It, therefore, said its votes must be reckoned with.
The APC had said, ‘‘We are aware that Section 179(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandatorily requires a candidate for an election to the office of governor of a state to have not less than one quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two thirds of all the local government areas in the state before the candidate can be deemed to have been duly elected as the governor of the state. This mandatory requirement was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the judgment under reference.”
According to the party, Bayelsa State has eight local government areas, hence the two thirds of at least eight local government areas will be approximately six local government areas.
Why Supreme Court Can’t Hear Ihedioha’s Judgment Review Application — Uzodinma [PUNCH]
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has said the Supreme Court no longer has powers to hear the application for the review of the January 14, 2020 judgment which sacked his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, from office and installed him as his replacement.
The governor, through his lawyer, Damian Dodo (SAN), argued that the time within which the court was permitted to entertain the case which emanated from an election petition had passed.
He also cited the provision of Order 8 Rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 which he said “prohibits the court from reviewing its judgment once delivered, save to correct clerical mistakes or accidental slip.”
This is contained in his preliminary objection which he filed against the application filed by Ihedioha, seeking the review and reversal of the January 14, 2020 judgment of the apex court.
The preliminary objection stated in part, “The application being a proceeding relating to or arising from election of a governor is barred by effluxion of time.
“The application constitutes an invitation to the Supreme Court to sit on appeal over its final decision.
“Having delivered its final decision on the 1st and 2nd respondents’ Appeal No. SC. 1462/2019 between Senator Hope Uzodinma & Anor v Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha & 2 Ors., the Supreme Court has become functus officio and divested of jurisdiction over the same subject matter.
“Order 8 Rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 prohibits this honourable court from reviewing its judgment once given and delivered, save to correct clerical mistakes or accidental slip.
“The judgment sought to be set aside having been given effect by the inauguration of the 1st respondent/objector as Governor of Imo State, this honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to grant the prayer sought.”
Uzodinma added that Ihedioha’s application “constitutes an abuse of court process” and “is against public policy.”
Uzodinma, who is of the All Progressives Congress, also described it as an invitation to the court to indulge in academic exercise and answer hypothetical questions.
A seven-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, had in its January 14, 2020 judgment removed Iheodioha as the Governor of Imo State and declared Uzodinma as the winner of the last governorship election in the state.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who read the lead judgment, had upheld Uzodinma’s appeal ruling that the votes polled in 388 out of the 3,523 polling units were excluded in the final results declared by INEC in the state.
The apex court held that Uzodinma emerged winner of the election after the addition of the excluded votes.
But Ihedioha, through his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation, had on February 5, 2020 filed an application before the court seeking “an order setting aside as a nullity” the January 14 judgment.
He argued in the application anchored on Section 6 (6) of Nigerian constitution and Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act 2004, that the judgment was obtained by fraud or deceit.
He added that the apex court was misled to give the judgment.
In alleging fraud, however, Ihedioha and the PDP claimed that Uzodinma and his party fraudulently misled the apex court into holding that 213,495 votes were unlawfully excluded from the votes they scored in the governorship election held on March 9, 2019.
They said by Exhibit A1, the total number of voters accredited for the election was 823, 743 while the total valid votes cast was 731, 485.
The inclusion of 213, 695 votes for the first appellant/respondent, they argued, made the total number of votes cast at the election to be more than the total number of votes accredited for the election.
The apex court has fixed Tuesday for the hearing of the application.
We Haven’t Abandoned Operation Ogbunigwe Plan – Ohanaeze [PUNCH]
The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday, said it had not abandoned Operation Ogbunigwe, the security outfit it planned for the South-East.
Ohanaeze Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chuks Ibegbu, who disclosed this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Enugu, said community policing in the zone could still be named Ogbunigwe.
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo had on Wednesday during South-East Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Police Force tagged Strategic Partnership for Effective Community Policing in the South-East Geopolitical Zone” appealed to the Federal Government to allow the zone to establish its security outfit to be known as Operation Ogbunigwe.
Nwodo had said, “Mr IGP, our farms have been devastated and the herders that devastated our farms carry AK-47 rifles. You cannot be talking about community policing when the people you want to supervise, you do not understand their language.
“Your legal architecture doesn’t take into consideration that our governors, by the constitution, are the chief security officers of their various states, and this gives them the responsibility to protect the lives and property of their citizens. So when you begin to talk about recruitment, with the command and control, and you do not share with the governors and representatives at the local areas this command and control and recruitment, this exercise is dead on arrival.”