The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has fixed a meeting to discuss the state of the nation.

The meeting, which will hold on Tuesday in Abuja, is the first of the forum after the 2023 general elections.

The governors, are expected to discuss the state of the nation, the policies of the new All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and the unending crisis ravaging the party since the presidential primary of last year.

The governors, sources said might also set up a committee to try and resolve the crisis in the party and reconcile party bigwigs that have been working against the interest of the party.

Meanwhile, the notice of meeting signed by Hon. CID Maduabum, Director General, PDP Governors Forum, said the Governors under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on Tuesday at Abuja.

The DG said the meeting is the first of the Forum since Governors Bala Mohammed and Seminalayi Fubara were elected Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Forum in June.

He said the Forum is expected to discuss the state of the nation, especially recent developments in the country, politically, socially, and economically.

“The meeting will also discuss the State of the Forum, the Party and the role of the PDP Governors in stabilising the PDP and the nation.

“In addition, the new leadership of the Forum may likely unfold their unity and progressive agenda during the meeting,” he said.

The National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has charged members of the party to be prepared for a presidential rerun.

He said he had been informed that President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) led government was also getting set for a rerun.

Abure also urged millions of party members to be on the alert and get ready to “further humiliate” APC and its government at the polls.

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He said this during a virtual meeting held with Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy led by Prof. Eddie Oparaoji, who is the Lap Diaspora Chairman in the United States, on Monday.

“Those in government are already planning for rerun and this is one of the support we will be canvasing from you. We should also be getting prepared because since all those in government are already preparing for rerun we too should not be taken unawares.”

“So we will be needing your engagement and support on this aspect if par adventure it happens today, that the election is nullified which is not what we are asking for, because we are asking for outright declaration of Peter Obi as the President of Nigeria.

“We believe strongly that we won that election given the statistics we have, given the result we have, we are not expecting anything less than the declaration of Peter Obi as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But supposing that didn’t happen as the government is believed to be planning for a rerun, it will not also be out of place for we to be preparing for a rerun election,” Abure said.

The LP boss said the party is hopeful that if the matter gets to the Supreme Court, the apex court will also act in their favour.

Also, the Director of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign, Ambassador Oseloka Obaze, urged ObiDatti members in diaspora to see the struggle “for recovering of our mandate” as a collective responsibility and one that no one can actually abandon for any other reason.

In his speech, the chairman of the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, said that the group in partnership with all Obidients in diaspora has the potential to contribute significantly to Nigerian’s development.

“Through advocacy, human rights promotion, capacity building, investment, education and healthcare support, diaspora engagement, and policy advocacy, we can play a crucial role in fostering democratic governance, justice, and socio-ecobomic progress in Nigeria,” he said.

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike into his cabinet.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain gave the advice while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying “Wike is an asset to Nigeria, Asiwaju [Tinubu] needs a man like Wike.”

There have been romours of Wike, a PDP chieftain, making the President’s ministerial list but Fayose said nothing is wrong with it, adding that Wike is a courageous man who is not afraid to speak the truth.

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Wike led a group of five governors in PDP who worked against the candidature of a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 presidential election, insisting that it was the turn of the South to produce the president of the country.

Fayose, who was one of the first PDP members to call for a southern president, disclosed that he also worked against the candidature of Atiku in the 2023 presidential election.

“I never worked for PDP during the last election. I cannot work for two people at the same time,” he said.

“The reality is that I worked for Asiwaju (Tinubu). He is a respectable person from the South-West. It is the time of the South.”

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, defeated Atiku in Fayose’s Ekiti State. Tinubu won in all 16 local government areas of the state.

Fayose

Still speaking on the ministerial list, Fayose vowed not to accept a ministerial position from Tinubu.

He insisted that it was time for the old to give the younger generation space in government.

According to him, Tinubu’s cabinet should be 40 per cent for the old, 30 per cent for women, and 30 per cent for youths.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has broken its silence on the invitation of the lawmaker representing Zamfara West Senatorial District, Abdulaziz Yari.

There were different reports on the alleged arrest of Yari but Peter Afunanya, spokesman of the secret police, did not respond to inquries.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Afunanya debunked reports that stated the supposed reason for the arrest, but did not state why Yari was grilled by the DSS.

Afunanya further described the reports that the lawmaker was arrested for refusing to answer Tinubu’s call as the height of junk journalism.

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He equally debunked the reports that the DSS officers raided the offices of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and carted away some files from the agencies.

“The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to false reports by sections of the online media. The so called news platforms variously and wrongly fed the public with misleading narratives and accusations against the Service.”

“For instance, SaharaReporters wrote that the Service stormed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and carted away certain files from them. Jackson Ude falsely claimed that there is a rumble in the DSS due to nepotism.

Abdulaziz Yari

“He further accused the Service of snooping on Judges on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

“On its part, Peoples Gazette reported that Senator Abdulaziz Yari was arrested for alleged refusal to pick the President’s phone call (whatever that meant). There are other variants of unsubstantiated and anonymous petitions flying around against the DGSS, his family, and some officials.

“The Service ordinarily would not have responded to these inaccuracies but for the fickle-minded and vulnerable persons as well as the unsuspecting public that may take the lies for facts.

“To set the records straight, the DSS did not execute operations of any kind at the ICPC and CCB or remove files from their offices. Instructively, the two agencies have, on their own, refuted the news in widely circulated press statements. It is petty, if not laughable, to report that Yari was invited for refusing to pick the President’s call. This is the height of junk journalism. Yari knows why he was invited.

“In fact, the Service denies all the allegations as they lack any factual basis or credibility. They are only figments of the creators’ imaginations. This is more so that the publishers in question have been noted in and outside the country for their notoriety for peddling fake news, sensational and gutter journalism.

“Without a modicum of proper and civilised behaviour, they indulge in character assassinations and sundry blackmail as business. Restating its respect for the rule of law, independence, and autonomy of other agencies including the Judiciary and Legislature, it will not shirk its responsibilities or allow some detractors to prevent it from undertaking its statutory duties or carrying out lawful orders by constituted authorities.

“If Yari or anyone else is to be invited or taken into custody, the Service will not hesitate to do so as far as that is procedurally done within the confines of the law.”

Afunanya, who stressed that the DSS will remain focused, resilient, patriotic, and professional in the conduct of its affairs, enjoined Nigerians to disregard the misleading stories which are aimed at causing disaffection in the country and disparaging the Service’s leadership.

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“The Service will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to address security challenges in the country in line with its mandate and the directives of the President. It does not matter how many times naysayers and hostile agents will plan to distract it,” the DSS spokesman added.

The crack in Isi-Uzo local government chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has continued to widen as the rift between former allies and loyalists of the State chairman of the party, Hon. Augustine Nnamani worsens.

Daily Gazette gathered that within one week, Chief Augustine Nnamani held two meetings with his allies to discuss how to handle the threat posed by the group of stakeholders led by Alhaji Friday Sani Nnaji.

The face off is worsening by the day as Chief Augustine Nnamani reportedly dismantled a gigantic iron framed industrial structure adjacent his house at Neke belonging to Alhaji Friday Sani Nnaji who since his return to Isi-Uzo has empowered many youths and women through mechanized farming and improved seedlings. Aside his philanthropy, Sani has been a great financier of PDP in Isi-Uzo and Enugu State without expecting anything.

Sani’s only disappointment with the system was the failure of the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government, Hon. Obiora Obeagu to use the local government allocation for the good of Isi-Uzo people and all his efforts to call him to order, failed.

Report say Hon. Obeagu is the reason behind the dwindling fortune of PDP in Isi-Uzo council area as a result of his handling of security situation in the council, his high handedness and mismanagement of local government resources.

It was alleged that he failed to mobilize resources during the general election, resulting to the defeat of the party in the local government.

The source revealed that the state chairman of the party, Hon. Augustine Nnamani is still supporting the local government chairman, insisting that Obiora Obeagu should be supported for second tenure.

It was alleged that it has become a tradition in isi-Uzo that every chairman shares the council allocation with Chief Augustine Nnamani and some of his cronies instead of using it for the development of Isi-Uzo LGA.

In any case, not many have problem with Augustine Nnamani as a person except for his support for Barr. Obiora Obeagu whom many think is responsible for the defeat of PDP in Isi-Uzo as result of greedness, disregard for stakeholders and refusal to use the local government allocation for development projects.

It was reported that in his efforts to stay afloat, the State Chairman of PDP, Hon. Augustine Nnamani in collaboration with Hon Obiora Obeagu are currently planning solidarity rally to government house Enugu as a way to prove to the Governor that they are still in charge.

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The source said the money being shared now would have been used do execute development project and in turn boost the party’s chances at the concluded polls.

Alhaji Friday Sani Nnaji and his group are interested in what works for the people. Report shows that majority of Isi-Uzo stakeholders are with the Sani group, Dr. Kingsley, Prof. Sam. C Ugwu, Hon. Mrs. Amaka Ugwueze, Hon. Dr. Jideofor Ebeh, Hon. Osita Ogene were among those opposed to the Obiora Obeagu’ second term bid.

With the appointment of Prof. Sam Ugwu, it is obvious that the government of Peter Mbah understands the problem in Isi-Uzo and will likely work with the Alhaji Friday Sani group.

The Petitioners, Labour Party and her candidate for the House of Assembly election for Nkanu West State Constituency in the 2023 general elections in Enugu State, Hon. Johnpaul Anih, opened their case on Saturday, July 8, 2023 at the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu and called witnesses to challenge the victory and qualification of the PDP House of Assembly candidate, Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu.

The three-man panel of the Tribunal heard testimonies from the 1st Petitioner, the Labour Party candidate at the election, Hon. Johnpaul Anih and the Subpoenaed witness, who is a member staff of the 3rd Respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as well as the Petitioner.

During his evidence, the 1st Petitioner, Hon. Johnpaul Anih, tendered a letter dated 27th April, 2023, which was addressed to his counsel, Mr. Chimezie Ogenna Nwodo, by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in response to an enquiry made through his counsel’s letter dated 11th April 2023. In the letter of 27th April, 2023, WAEC unequivocally stated that “the Council’s records show that Candidate Aniagu Desmond Friday sat the May/June 1996 examination….”, buttressing the allegation of the Petitioners that the 1st Respondent, Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu of the Peoples Democratic Party DID NOT sit for the WAEC examination held in 1996.

The electoral umpire was subpoenaed to provide the Certified True Copy of Form EC9 with the accompanying documents of Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu (the 1st Respondent) which he submitted to INEC prior to the 2023 general elections. The document was tendered in evidence through Mrs. Nifemi Adewole of the Legal Drafting and Clearance Department of INEC.

Aside the WAEC certificate scandal, it is obvious from another document accompanying the Form EC9 of Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu, that he presented a forged First School Leaving Testimonial purportedly issued to him by the ‘Nkanu West Local government Education Authority of Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State’ in 1990 to INEC.

As a matter of fact, all certificates submitted by the 1st Respondent, Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu, to INEC prior to the election, cast lingering doubt on his qualification to contest the election.

During his cross-examination, the Petitioners, through their first witness, Johnpaul Anih further provided overwhelming evidence to confirm that the Primary and Secondary School Certificates which Mr. Iloabuchi Desmond Aniagu submitted to INEC via his form EC9, were forged or fake.

Responding to questions from journalists shortly after the court sitting, counsel for the Petitioners, Chimezie Ogenna Nwodo Esq, expressed confidence that the case is such that the Tribunal should wield the big stick and hold that the 1st Respondent was constitutionally unqualified to contest in the election in the spirit of the letters of Section 107(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), having presented forged or fake certificates to INEC.

The case was adjourned to Wednesday, 12th July 2023 for continuation of the trial.

…Say Council Chairman Should Be Facing EFCC

The suspended Enugu Councilor, Hon. Maxwell Aluagbo has denied the allegation of embezzlement of fund levelled against him by Isi-Uzo legislative council on the prompting of the Executive Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Hon. Obiora Obeagu.

Hon. Aluagbo in an interview with Daily Gazette, stated that the allegation was frivolous and unfounded. He noted that he was shocked to be linked with misappropriation or embezzlement of money meant for Internally displaced persons from Eha-Amufu who sought refuge in Umualor during the herdsmen attacks. He stated that at no time did the Chairman give him any fund for the displaced persons.

According to honourable Aluagbo, the Chairman set up Isi-Uzo Emergency Management Committee, ISEMAC to oversee the management of the IDPs in Isi-Uzo of which the former leader of Isi-Uzo Legislative house and current Supervisor for Work is a member.

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He alleged that the leader of Isi-Uzo legislative council received 10million which he used in buying three mini buses while other members received 1million each to carry out his illegal suspension.

According to Aluagbo, it is unfortunate that the chairman who at one time has sought for his help is now sponsoring campaign of calumny against him after he prevented his removal from office when his new found allies wanted to impeach him for refusing to share the local government allocation with them.

Hon. Aluagbo recalled that at certain time in December 2022, the leader of Isi-Uzo legislative council, Hon. Irenus Nnaji acting on the direction of Augustine Nnamani mobilized councilors to impeach the chairman for failing to share the allocation with him as agreed before he was nominated. He noted that the chairman reliably informed him that Chief Augustine Nnamani is collecting 10million monthly from him and also want him to be sharing another 10m among few of his cronies which he refused resulting to the plan to impeach him.

Hon. Aluagbo stated that the chairman consulted him to help break the ranks of councilors to stop his impeachment with the promise to pay him 2million if he succeeded. He stated that during a stakeholders meeting at Nike Lake Resort, the Chairman and himself were walked out of a meeting presided over by Augustine Nnamani because of their believe that he was working for the chairman.

He further noted that the 1.1million allegation levelled against him was a part payment of the deal he had with the chairman during his impeachment travail.

He insisted that he committed no offense and that his suspension by the Isi-Uzo Legislative House was illegal because the house did not follow its rule neither did the house investigate him or hear his own side of the story before suspending him.

Aluagbo expressed his disappointment that the chairman who diverted palliatives meant for Internally displaced persons in Eha-Amufu is accusing him of embezzlement when he should be facing investigation by EFCC. He alluded that Isi-Uzo Local Government Area under Barr. Obiora Obeagu has received about 3billion in federal allocation and Paris refund but has not executed any project worth 150million and should be made to account for it.

Aluagbo expressed disappointment with Hon. James Nnaji, Supervisor for Work, for accepting to do a hatchet job for the chairman by writing frivolous petition against him, forgetting that he sold Isi-Uzo legislative bus worth millions during his tenure as the leader of Isi-Uzo legislative council when Augustine Nnamani was the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government.

He concluded by saying that he is currently consulting with his lawyer on the next line of action but assured that he will fight for justice and will not accept intimidation because he attended the inauguration of member representing Isi-Uzo constituency in Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Gabriel Lebechi Eze of Labour Party.

The Labour Party, LP, on Friday, commenced its evidence against the election of Barr Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu State.

The case filed by LP and its candidate, Barr Chijioke Edeoga came up for hearing at the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

At the resumed hearing, the LP presented the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as its first witness.

Among the documents tendered by the NYSC are the alleged forged discharge certificate, as well as the original discharge certificate which Mbah ought to have collected, as well as a letter written by Oma and Partners, an Abuja-based law firm, which had asked the Corps to scrutinise the discharge certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the governor.

The Petitioners, represented by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, who is the lead counsel, alongside Dr. Valerie Azinge, SAN, Ifeanyi Ogenyi Esq, and others, led the Petitioners Witness 1 (PW1) in evidence.

The Petitioners Witness 1 is the Director of Certification, NYSC, Aliyu Abdul Mohammed, who adopted his written deposition on oath.

Awomolo sought to tender the witness’s deposition on oath as evidence before the tribunal.

The third respondent, PDP, counsel, Barr Anthony Ani, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the document and opted to move a motion dated and filed on the 7th day of July 2023, which seeks to pray the tribunal to strike out the written deposition on oath of the PW1 on the ground of incompetence.

The 1st respondent, INEC, as well as the 2nd respondent (Peter Mbah) aligned themselves with the submission of Ani and prayed the court to strike out the written deposition of Mohammed (PW1) for lack of competence.

Relying on the Court of Appeal decision in the case of ANDP & anor V INEC as well as that of Damina & anor V Adamu and ors, the respondents’ counsels asked the court to strike out the written deposition on oath of the PW1 for lack of competence.

In response the petitioners’ lawyers relying on the case of Ararume & anor V INEC, which according to them, is a conflicting decision with the authorities cited by the respondents’ counsel, asked the court to admit the written deposition on oath of the PW1.

In a short ruling, the tribunal admitted the document and reserved ruling on the objections raised by the respondents for final judgement.

The PW1 was then taken in for examination-in-chief.

Mohammed told the tribunal that he acted on a subpoena served on the Director General of the NYSC or any other official to appear before the tribunal for the purposes of giving evidence in order to clear some issues bothering on the certificate purportedly issued by the agency.

The subpoena was admitted in evidence without objection from the respondents and was marked as exhibit PTC/01/06.

Mohammed also tendered his official identity card as a staff of NYSC which was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit PTC/01/07.

In paragraph three (3) of the Petitioners’ Witness’s deposition on oath, the witness stated that in obedience to the subpoena by the tribunal, he came with the authentic discharge certificate of the governor, as well as the one purportedly given to him.

The respondents’ counsel objected to the admissibility of the documents and reserved their reasons for final written addresses.

The tribunal admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits PTC/ 01/08 a and b.

The Petitioners also fielded another witness, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mary Nneoma Elijah, a principal partner in the law firm of Oma and Partners.

She is the Petitioners’ Witness 2.

The Petitioners’ counsel sought to tender her written deposition on oath dated and filed on 22 July, 2023, as evidence, which was objected to by the respondents’ counsel, citing the same grounds raised in the first stage.

The court admitted the document and reserved the ruling during judgement.

She also adopted the subpoena of the tribunal dated 21st day of June, 2023, which was admitted and marked as exhibit PTC/01/09.

The witness’s letter to INEC, as well as the reply given by INEC was sought to be tendered by the petitioners’ counsel amid objections from the respondents’ counsel.

However, the letters, as well as the discharged certificate were admitted and marked as exhibits PTC/01/11 a, b & c respectively.

Courtroom

Also, a letter addressed to the presiding justice of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, for the production of the appointment letter dated 14 July 2003, appointing Barr. Peter Mbah as the Chief of Staff to the then governor of Enugu state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani in the same year he (Mbah) claimed he was serving, also admitted in evidence amidst objections and marked as exhibit PTC/01/13 a&b.

During cross examination, the 1st respondent’s counsel, Mr. Abdul Mohammed, applying for the subpoena, asked “confirm to this tribunal that the subpoena did not ask you about anything at the Federal High court”.

In response, PW2 said ” True”.

Mr. Abdul Mohammed further asked the PW2: “Confirm to this tribunal that you have given to the petitioners the contents of these letters at the time they were preparing this petition”.

In reply, the PW2 said, “It’s false, the letters are public documents which are in the public domain. Anybody can ask for the letters and they will be given to him.

The matter was adjourned to Tuesday, 11 July, 2023 for further hearing.