Popular Enugu lawyer, Chief OAU Onyema has written the Department of State Service, DSS, seeking the immediate release on bail of the chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming local government election in Enugu State, Mr Ugulu O. Ugulu who was arrested by the Department of State Service, DSS on the December 21, 2023 alongside his son, a serving NYSC member.

In a letter dated January 2, 2024 and addressed to the State Director of the DSS, Barr. Onyema asked for the release of the detained father and son pending the outcome of investigation.

He recalled how the family received a phone call on December 20, 2023, inviting Mr. Ugulu to the DSS office in Enugu the following day, which he honoured.

“Since then, there has been no contact with the detained individuals, causing distress for their family.”

He raised concerns about the potential political motivation behind the arrest, given Mr. Ugulu’s involvement in the upcoming Enugu State LGA Chairmanship Election.

Advertorial

Onyema in his letter emphasized the violation of the fundamental human rights of his clients during the festive season.

He called for a timely review of the application, hoping for a swift resolution of whatever issues that may have warranted the arrest and detention.

“Sir, our client stated that on the 20th day of December 2023, their husband/father Mr Ugulu Okafor Ugulu received phone calls from your men which enquired whether he is Mr Ugulu, the PDP CHAIRMANSHIP ASPIRANT for the forthcoming Enugu State LG CHAIRMANSHIP Election slated for February 2024, and he answered in the affirmative. And in the discussion that they had on telephone, while Mr Ugulu was eating with his wife, they invited him to the DSS office at Enugu next day being 21st day of December 2023.

“On the said 21st day of December 2023, MR UGULU O. UGULU was driven to the office of DSS at GRA Enugu by his son who is a serving Corp member, who returned from his station for the yuletide, called MR EBUBECHUKWU PATRICK OKAFOR.

“Since the 21st day of December 2023 when they drove into the compound of the DSS Enugu ( where their car – Mercedes Benz 190 model with Reg No: Kaduna AA 921 DKA is currently parked) they have not seen or heard from them.

“This incident became a great source of worry to the family who have tried severally to be allowed to see them in vain. They only see from the gate their car where it is parked inside the compound of the Enugu DSS, till this date.

“Indeed, our clients are at loss, what must have happened, as they know that their father and son are not criminals; and they are confused as to why they were arrested and detained since 21st day of December, 2023, and they strongly suspect that any allegation against them is politically motivated, so as to frustrate him from meeting the requirement of his Political Party ( PDP) before the dead-lines.

“Mr Ugulu O. Ugulu is a well known Politician and former ADMINISTRATOR OF MBANABO SOUTH DEV. AREA in Enugu State; as well as former Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Enugu State.”

Former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to set aside the judgment of an FCT high court which barred her from holding public office.

Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court had on Dec. 18 barred Tallen in a case filed against her by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) over her alleged “disparaging” comment against an earlier court judgement.

Advertorial

The Judge had, however, given Tallen an option of publishing a personally signed apology letter to the NBA, the judiciary and Nigerians in one full page each of two national dailies, the Guardian and the Punch, within 30 days from the date of its judgement, failing which the order becomes perpetual.

Tallen prayed the Court of Appeal to set aside the said judgment, arguing that the ruling was tantamount to a miscarriage of justice.

Advertorial

In a Notice of Appeal filed on Jan. 2, 2024, and cited by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Tallen, through her lawyer, JK Gadzama SAN, formulated 13 grounds of appeal against the trial court’s decision.

The former Deputy Governor of Plateau and one-time Minister of State, Science and Technology, also prayed the appellate court to, among other reliefs, dismiss the suit and set aside the decision of the court.

She stressed that the trial court erred in law, arguing that its decision against her preliminary objection on the competence of the respondent’s affidavit, locus standi, propriety of the suit, in spite of the credible evidence submitted, was a miscarriage of justice.

Advertorial

It would be recalled that while delivering judgement on the case, the FCT High Court had described Tallen’s alleged comments against the judiciary concerning a decision of the Federal High Court in Adamawa State as “unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging.”

It further held that the former minister’s call to disobey the judgement of the court was “contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.”

Tallen’s battle with the NBA began after Sen Aisha Dahiru (Binani) the then Adamawa APC governorship flagbearer, had polled 430 votes to defeat her closest rival, Nuhu Ribadu, who polled 288, during the May 2022 APC primary elections.

Advertorial

Binani’s closest opponent, Nuhu Ribadu, now National Security Adviser (NSA), challenged the outcome of the contest but Justice Abdulaziz Anka, nullified Binani’s victory on account of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, Nigeria’s constitution, and the APC’s guidelines.

Tallen, as the serving Minister of Women Affairs and stalwart of the APC, while reacting to the judgment at a public function allegedly described it as a Kangaroo judgment, whose aim was the marginalisation of women in Nigerian politics.

She alleged that many women, like Binani, who was the only female aspirant in the Adamawa APC governorship primary, were not fairly treated during the primaries for the 2023 general elections.

The NBA, led by its then President, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, did not take the former minister’s comments lightly and sought an apology from her but to no avail.

The NBA then wrote her a letter, dated 14 November 2022, demanding a withdrawal of the alleged disparaging comments and tendering of an unreserved and public apology to the Court, which Tallen did not oblige.

According to the NBA, its letter was never responded to and its demands therein were not complied with by Tallen, hence the institution of the suit against her before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. (NAN)

Spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2023 Presidential election, Daniel Bwala, has said Atiku Abubakar would contest again in 2027.

Bwala said Atiku was the president Nigeria should have because he understands how the private sector works.

Advertorial

Featuring on Channels TV, Bwala said: “Sure, he would run. He has the capacity, he has the wisdom, he has the knowledge, he has the energy.

“And he is a president we never had. Because to be honest with you, if any politician understands the private sector very well, it is Atiku Abubakar and our economy can only come alive if there is a private sector-led economy.

“He’s the president the country is missing because of his experience and capacity.”

Atiku had six failed attempts to rule Nigeria starting from 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.

During the last presidential election, some chieftains of PDP had worked against Atiku.

Senator Magnus Abe, the Rivers State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 general elections, has returned to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Chief Abe had left the party in the heat of 2023 election.

Advertorial

In a Channel Television’s ‘Politics Today’ program, he said he is back with the APC to enhance the good things President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing in the country and promised to mobilize his supporters for the party.

“Politically, I am heading back for the APC,” he said.

“The position of the lawmakers is being contested from different angles. Their former party, the PDP is contesting the position. The governor had agreed that they can stay in the APC at the present time.

“In terms of the agreement, I think their position is secured for now, but there are some outside forces who are not party to this agreement who will still contest that fact based on the constitutional provisions.

“This is not over yet. What we need in the state is peace and everybody has something they can do to contribute to give us peace in the state,” he said.