Breaking News: Anambra Guber Candidate kidnapped in Awka

Breaking News: Anambra Guber Candidate kidnapped in Awka

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)  Guber Candidate Chief Leonard Uchendu in the forthcoming Anambra Governorship election has been kidnapped.

Chief Leonard Uchendu was kidnapped early hours of today in Awka the state capital, a party member confirmed that his where about remains unknown while police authorities have been informed.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Friday raised alarm over alleged intimidation of its governorship candidate in the forthcoming November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, Chief Leonard Uchendu, saying that the idea of asking his governorship candidate in to step aside as the President-General of Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government, Anambra State is merely an intimidation with an intent to wear him down using government machinery and apparatus.

 

Addressing a press conference in Lagos, the NNPP national chairman, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam said that the letter requesting Uchendu to step aside as President-General of Uwuawule Town is a deliberate move by Governor Peter Obi-led All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to witch hunt the NNPP candidate.

 

It would be recalled that Anambra State government in a letter signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters, Dr. G.N. Muotolu, on September 18 requested Uchendu to humbly step aside as the President-General of Umuawulu pending the conclusion of the investigations being carried out against Uchendu over a petition that he is using the town's vigilante outfit to molest, intimidate and harass people in his community. 

 

Aniebonam said that the party through a letter written to Governor Obi on October 3, has already called on Anambra State government to immediately withdraw the letter of suspension of Chief Uchendu and restore the Uwuawulu vigilante group who to all purposes and intent enjoyed the support of the members of the community they were so ably protecting.

 

His words: "From every indication it is obvious that the popularity of our Candidate in the forthcoming Gubernatorial election may be giving sleepless nights to some members of APGA because we are reliably informed that over 75 per cent of the President-Generals of the various towns in Anambra are working with him at the moment.  It is also a fact that the present majority leader in the State House of Assembly who happens to come from the same town Umuawulu with our Candidate may be feeling threatened by the popularity of our Candidate.

"It is now very clear that the idea of asking him to step aside as the President-General of Umuawulu is merely an intimidation with an intent to wear him down using government machinery and apparatus."

 

NNPP boss also noted that: "The genesis of our Candidate's problems started from when he declared his intention to run for the position of Governor in the November 2013 election in Anambra state.  There are indications that some people who felt threatened by his position ganged-up with some other people with whom he is having a case in court to write a spurious and trumped up petition against him that he was using the Uwuawulu Vigilante group to harass, intimidate and threaten the citizens of Umuawulu. 

 

"We believe that when people try to act out an evil script, they are usually blinded by all that is equitable and legal.  For the Special Adviser in charge of town union matters in Anambra state to act in such a brazen and disrespectful manner to the court of law is not only illegal but constitutes a contempt of the court.

 

"We want to crave the indulgence of Governor Peter Obi to urgently call the officer in charge of Town Union matters to immediately withdraw the letter of suspension of Chief Uchendu and restore the Uwuawulu vigilante group who to all purposes and intent enjoyed the support of the members of the community they were so ably protecting.  This action would not only be commendable but Godly.

 

"In the interest of peace and tranquility, we call on you to urgently look into this matter and cause the immediate withdrawal of the letter advising Chief Leonard Uchendu to step aside as the President-General of Umuawulu, as the allegation against him are merely trumped up and did not offer him any chance to defend himself over the allegation of intimidation, molestation and harassment of Umuawulu indigenes with the Vigilante Group."

 

 

Court not Jonathan reversed my demotion —Ribadu

Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and 2011 Presidential candidate of the defunt Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu disclosed that the decision by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to demote, and later dismiss him from the police was nullified by a court, causing the reversal of the action taken by the government.

Ribadu who spoke at a public lecture to mark the official opening of a new Law office building of Tayo Oyetibo & co: Solicitors and Barristers in Lagos on Thursday said he challenged his demotion at the Federal High Court in Abuja, dissuading claims that he was pardoned by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ribadu was reflecting  on his sojourn in the EFCC and how he  regained his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.

"I'm here today not just to honour my brother Barrister Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, but to sincerely express a depth of gratitude for his selfless contributions to my personal and public service career. My relationship with this remarkable lawyer is one for which I must forever remain grateful.

"He has stood with me, believed in my causes while I was at EFCC and dedicated his time and resources to representing us pro bono. Among Barrister Oyetibo's many historic victories was in my case with the Nigerian Police Force in which he challenged my dismissal in court and had the decision reversed and my ranks restored. This is a huge favour which I may never be able to repay, except with these tokens of gratitude.

"I want to seize this opportunity to thank the brilliant lawyers and brothers who stood for us and provided us with their free legal service at the EFCC, especially at the time we were under tremendous pressures in our struggles to carry out assignments considered impossible by detractors," he said.

 Speaking on the theme, 'The Social Contract: Which way Nigeria',he faulted those who believe that the problems faced by the nation today resulted from its tribal, religious and social diversity, arguing however that such ought to be the real strength upon which the nation can draw.

He added that the nations that have faced more critical crisis across the world are those with common language and religion.

The former EFCC boss cited the cases of Rwanda and Somalia, one a Christian country with a single language, but with only two tribes and the other a mostly Muslim country with a common language yet both experienced crisis of unimaginable proportion.

http://weekend.peoplesdailyng.com/index.php/news/national-news/1203-court-not-jonathan-reversed-my-demotion-ribadu

Taraba Crisis: Police release Suntai aide on bail, denies working for Ag.Governor

Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The Senior Special Assistant to Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai on Media Matters, Mr. Sylvanus Yakubu Giwa has been released on bail from police custody two days after his arrest.

 Giwa  told our Correspondent yesterday on phone that  he was to go home  early Sunday morning and  report at the state police headquarters on Monday 30th September by 9am.

Giwa was arrested  at about midnight on Friday  following  a statement which he issued accusing the Acting Governor of running a parallel government in spite of the presence of the elected governor on behalf of his principal.

However The Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai has said he authorized his Senior Special Adviser Media Matter, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa to issue a statement accusing the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar of betrayal.  

 A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Taraba Governor, Hassan Mijinyanwa  said "Mr Giwa made the statement in his capacity as the Senior Special Adviser  to the Governor of a Democratic State where freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be respected."

Mijinyanwa   also debunk information in the media that he was detained by the State police command.

The Nigeria Police Force, Taraba State Command has shed light on the arrest of Chief Silvanus Yakubu Giwa, the Senior Special Assistant to recuperating Governor Danbaba Suntai, last Friday, saying the police action was as a result of an intelligence report that Giwa and his friends were planning to invade the state House of Assembly with the aim of causing chaos.

Speaking during a press conference in his office in Jalingo, the state capital Monday, the command's Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jibril Adeniyi, said Giwa and his friends were arrested at about 11.00pm while holding a meeting on how to invade the Assembly and further create crisis in the state at a hotel on the outskirts of Jalingo.

Adeniyi said that Giwa and his group would soon be arraigned in court, adding that Giwa had since been released on bail and directed to report daily at the Command headquarters while investigation continues before they are charged to court.

Expressing the preparedness of the command to maintain the peace and security of the state, the police commissioner warned those with the intention of fomenting trouble in the state to desist from such plans, saying the command would not hesitate to arrest anybody, no matter how highly placed found to be threatening the peace of the state. 

"We are determined to maintain the existing peace and security of this state. We have been working very hard to sustain peace in Taraba State and we'll not fold our arms and allow anybody to disrupt the existing peace.  We are prepared to arrest anybody, no matter how highly placed that wants to disrupt the peace of the state. We're ready to face the challenge," he said.

Refuting the allegation that he is being used by the acting governor of the state to clamp down on his opponents, the police boss maintained that such insinuations and allegations only exist in the imagination of those making the insinuation, insisting that the peace of the state remains sacrosanct and that the command would not treat any threat to the peace of the state with levity.

He implored politicians to avoid acts that are capable of breaching the peace of the state, adding that the politicians should intensify efforts at resolving the lingering political crisis in the state as well as resolve their differences in the interest of the development of the state.

Furore in Lagos PDP over ministerial slot

As Lagos politicians jostle to clinch the ministerial slot vacated by the recently sacked Foreign Affairs Minister, Gbenga Ashiru,  the gulf among the stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has continued to widen and this threatens to tear the party apart ahead of 2015 general elections in the state.  Lagos Correspondent, Ayodele Samuel writes:

These are not best of time for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos state as the party might be derailing on its path of reconciliation following a fresh crisis over who takes over the ministerial position vacated by Ambassador Gbenga The slot, believed to be for the entire South-west, has been a subject disagreement within the party since President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly told the PDP leadership to nominate people for appointment as ministers to replace the nine cabinet members he recently sacked.
In Lagos state, prominent chieftains of the party have at loggerheads over who represents the state in President Jonathan's cabinet. The crisis even more critical last week when a stakeholders' meeting summoned by leader of the party in the state and former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George was shunned by key leaders of the party.
It was learnt that while Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states have forwarded the names of one nominee each for the vacant slot, three names were forwarded from Lagos state.
But the names forwarded from the state were alleged to have been rejected by the national leadership of the party following protests from prominent leaders that Bode George did not consult any of them in arriving at the names sent to the PDP leadership as ministerial nominees.
Bode George had convened a stakeholders' forum with nominating names for the
ministerial slot as the singular agenda. The meeting which was held at George's Laugard Avenue, Ikoyi home, has widened the crisis rocking Party in the region.
Prominent among party leaders who shunned the parley were Dr. Abayomi Finnih, Chief (Mrs.) Modupe Sasore, Chief (Mrs.) Remi Adiukwu Bakare, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Deji Doherty, Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, Chief Rasheed Williams amongst others.
The decision of the leaders to stay away from George was based on their earlier position that since the slot in contention is not for Lagos State alone, the zonal leaders of the party in the southwest should be allowed to make the nomination.
"They shunned the meeting because they have aligned themselves with the two nominations already made by the southwest leadership of the party. They are not in support of George's insistence on nominating who will be minister representing the whole southwest. That is the reason why most of them stayed away. Although some of them may have other reasons. The meeting dispersed without any meaningful resolution as even iCal government party chairmen who attended in their numbers allegedly rejected Bode George's decision on the nomination," a source said.
Party sources said while George is championing the nominations of three of his associates namely Hon. Tunji Shelle, Mrs. Aduke Maina, and Dr. Segun Ogundimu. While other leaders of the party in Lagos State are is support of the nominations made by the zonal leadership of the party, another group is championing the nomination of Obanikoro's son, Ibrahim Babajide.
The southwest leadership of the party has nominated the duo of Chief (Mrs.) Remi Adiukwu-Bakare, a former commissioner and two-time gubernatorial candidate from Lagos state and Engineer Olajide Adeniji, Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) from Osun State to the PDP national leadership for consideration.
Adieu-Bakare is believed to be well positioned, since the Presidency was said to be insisting on female ministerial nominees from Lagos state. However if the Presidency interest in a Female minster from the state remains, Adenike Jones and Tanwa Olusi still remains major ministerial hopefuls.
Although party members in the state remains divided on whether or not the directive came from the President and the ability of female ministers to help the PDP win the state in 2015, sources said Bode George might be losing his grip on the party structure in the state.
"Safe for few members of the state executive committee of the party and associates of the former Deputy National Chairman, most of the people expected at the meeting stayed away. They were all duly invited because the national leadership impressed it upon George and his men that all stakeholders must be part of the decision to be taken. But they refused to be at the meeting. This portends a lot of political danger for him" the source added.
Also a political group in the South West, Network For Justice, (NFJ), has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to consider appointing Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro as a Minister in his cabinet.
NFJ Coordinator, Dr. Adebisi Akinbinu said that the youthful vibrancy, resourcefulness and grassroots political clout of the younger Obanikoro stands him out, noting, however, that the realisation of the transformation agenda of the President in the zone can only come to fruition through the involvement of such young blood.
Akinbinu pointed out that the popularity of Obanikoro's son was evident in the fact that he defeated the National Leader of the All Progressive Party (APC) in his local government but was denied his victory through a jungle electoral system, noted further that the President may loose election in the state if he continue to rely on the strength of old war horses in the state who are divided.
"Most of these old-war horse, including his father, Senator Obanikoro, cannot be relied upon to deliver the state in 2015. President Jonathan should strongly consider nominating Babajide as a minister. He is better and adequately qualified. His father, Shelle, Coker, Maina and Dosunmu are products of factions in the state but he is an independent person as evident by his political approach and dynamism."
"Ibrahim is extremely skilled at mobilizing youths. He comes from a very popular family known in all circles in Lagos State. He is popularly known to have defeated Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his local government in the recent Local Council Elections.
Akinbinu believes junior Obanikoro will serve as positive neutral rallying point for the party to refocus and strengthen itself for the upcoming election. While the politicking continues, members of the party in state believe their representation at the federal cabinet would determine its chance of victory in the state come 2015.

http://peoplesdailyng.com/furore-lagos-pdp-ministerial-slot/

Taraba: Sylvanus Giwa spoke for Governor Suntai- Taraba Govt.

Taraba: Sylvanus Giwa spoke for Governor Suntai- Taraba Govt.

 

The Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai has said he authorized his Senior Special Adviser Media Matter, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa to issue a statement accusing the Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar of betrayal.  

The Senior Special Adviser to Governor Suntai,  Sylvanus Giwa was arrested  at about midnight on  following  a statement which was issued by Giwa accusing the Acting Governor of running a parallel government in spite of the presence of the elected governor.

Giwa who is still currently been detained by the Taraba State Police Command is denial access to his family and lawyers who visited him on Saturday.

A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Taraba Governor, Hassan Mijinyanwa  said "Mr Giwa made the statement in his capacity as the Senior Special Adviser  to the Governor of a Democratic State where freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be respected"

The Secretary to the State Government {SSG}, appointed by Governor Suntai , Barrister Timothy Kataps said he has been intimated about the arrest but that he is living no stone unturned to ensure his immediate release.

 

Exclusive: Taraba Ag. Governor not consulting Governor Suntai

This are not best of time for the political 'Cabal' in the camp of Taraba State Governor , Danbaba Suntai, as peace agreement reached by the State Acting Governor  Alhaji Garba Umar UTC has not been jettison.

ayodelenews.blogspot.com exclusively gathered that the Ag. Governor has not been consulting with his boss on major decisions he has been taking since the peace agreement was reached by both parties.

The Ag.Governor  had named some new Permanent Secretaries in state without informing Governor Suntai.

Umar has continuously blamed the 'cabal' surrounding Governor Suntai who is recovering from an air mishap for not granting him access to the governor.

The Suntai Cabal believes Ag. Governor Umar is adamant and nursing a 2015 agenda.

Pro Umar Legislators in the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker strongly believes that Governor Suntai is incapacitated and unfit to resume office.

A position the Jalingo chapter of Nigerian Bar Association NBA did not share.

Channels television on Sunday Night showed  footages of  the governor exercising himself with close associates in a game of draughts as part of the therapy process, before receiving members of the NBA comprising of lawyers, representatives of federation of women lawyers and the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, led by the Chairman of NBA, Jalingo chapter, Ibrahim Effiong.

The Governor was captured saying some people in the State wants him dead.

It will be recalled that, since the arrival of the state governor from his medical treatment abroad following his plane crash, there has been political turmoil in the state, owing to who should be the leading the affairs of the state.

Political gladiators in the state have been divided, with some backing the deputy governor who has been in charge since Suntai left the shores of the country 10 months ago, while some insist that the governor who is still recuperating should immediately swing into action as the governor of the state.

Sensing political chaos in state, the ruling party, PDP sent a peace-making delegation to the state as parties involved were invited to a meeting inside the State Government house in Jalingo. After the meeting, Senator Hope Uzodinma who led the delegation briefed newsmen, some of whom had seen the governor Suntai earlier, saying there is no more problem in the state as warring parties have agreed to put the Deputy Governor in charge of state affairs until the governor recuperates fully.

Surprising, Governor Danbaba Suntai decided to exhaust legal means on the matter, by heading to court a few days after, with the Taraba High Court granting and ordering a leave to hear the suit filed by the governor against the Speaker and members of Taraba State House of Assembly.

The governor sought relief for a declaration that the letter which he sent to the Speaker is absolute, mandatory obeisant, immutable and cannot be debated or contradicted by any means and has automatically assumed his powers and responsibilities as governor of Taraba state.

The Court fixed 12th of September for the hearing of the suit, but was adjourned till Tuesday 17th of September due to late response of the plaintiffs' counsel to the preliminary objections of the defense counsel.

With the controversy lingering in Taraba power tussle, there is the need for politicians to restrain from escalating the issue at hand through dialogue and mutual understanding as the governor under goes his recovery process.