Footage from Enugu Guber tribunal 

The Enugu Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed Wednesday, 16 August 2023 for the adoption of final written addresses of the Labour Party Governorship candidate, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, Governor Peter Mbah and Peoples Democratic party, as well as the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC.

The three man panel headed by Honourable Justice Akano shall also reserve judgement after the adoption of the addresses.

The electoral umpire, INEC had declared Mr. Mbah of the PDP winner of the keenly contested March 18 governorship election in the state.

Announcing the results after three days of waiting, the state’s returning officer, Prof. Iwe said he was under authority to declare the results.

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Daily Gazette recall that the Enugu governorship results was taken to Abuja where over 30 thousand votes purportedly gotten by the PDP from Nkanu East LGA was slashed to about 19 thousand votes without any reason from the Abuja headquarters of INEC.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election which was largely described as electoral heist perpetuated by INEC in connivance with PDP, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and Labour Party approached the Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Enugu to challenge the declaration of Mr. Mbah over allegations of forgery of his certificate of national service, NYSC, over voting especially in Nkanu East LGA, substantial non compliance with the electoral act, non use of BVAS in some polling units of Owo ward, Ugbawka ward 1 and 2, computational errors, among other irregularities.

INEC had announced that Peter Mba of the PDP secured a total of 160,895 votes to defeat his closest rival, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party who pulled a total of 157,552 votes.

As Ndi Enugu await tribunal judgment with high hope, the onus is on the Honourable Justices to dispense justice without fear of sanction or favor.

The judiciary is undoubtedly in the eye of the storm and must do everything within it’s powers to redeem it’s age long batted image by upholding justice without pandering to pressure from politicians.

The people are waiting !

The Supreme Court on Friday said anybody found to have forged certificates to seek qualification to contest for any elective post in the country will not go unpunished because of the criminality involved.

The apex court said the issue of certificate forgery to secure eligibility for election is a serious issue that must not be allowed in the country’s body polity.

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Delivering judgment in the disputed Okpokwu, Ado, and Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, (House of Representatives) suit, Justice Sidi Dauda Badeh said Nigeria will be doomed when certificate forgers are allowed to take center stage in the elections for political offices.

Justice Badeh who delivered judgment in the appeal filed by Honourable Hassan Anthony Saleh upheld his nomination by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the candidate of the party in the 2015 National Assembly Election.

The Apex court said the challenger to the appellant, Mr Christian Abba, who is laying claim to the ticket of PDP for the Federal Constituency must not be allowed to have his way because he has soiled his hands in a proven certificate forgery.

Abba who was a respondent in the matter was confirmed by the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi in Adamawa State to have forged a National Diploma Certificate in Accountancy upon which he was forced to withdraw from the same race in 2011 but in a dramatic turn used the same forged certificate to secure PDP ticket in the 2014 PDP Primary Election.

Justice Badeh said the Supreme Court, being the highest court in the land must take the lead in righting the wrong so as to bring sanity into the murky waters of the country’s electioneering process.

He said the water of the Nigeria Political body will remain murky and contaminated until the people who forged certificate with reckless impunity are shown the way out and that must begin now.

Justice Badeh said that Abba has no basis to be in the race for the National Assembly election in 2015 having being found to have secured the eligibility through forged certificate.

“Let me say it here categorically and with emphasis that this court, being the highest court in the country must rise and take the lead in righting the wrongs in our electioneering process.

“The murky water will remain contaminated in our body polity until the reckless issue of certificate forgery with impunity is thoroughly address and put to a final end in our own interest,”

The Apex court therefore, nullified the nomination of Abba and ordered that the clearance issued to him by PDP for the National Assembly Election must be withdrawn.

In the same vein, the Apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately withdraw the purported Certificate of Return issued to Abba on the ground that he did not merit it.

The Supreme Court ordered that PDP ticket for the constituency must be delivered to Honourable Hassan Anthony Saleh who came second in the 2014 PDP primary election.

The court also ordered INEC that the certificate of return for the seat must be delivered to Saleh being the qualified person to fly the flag of PDP for the 2015 National election.

A Court of Appeal judgment which had earlier recognized Abba as PDP candidate was set aside by the Apex court and in its place the judgment of the Federal High Court which nullified the candidature of Abba and recommended his arrest and prosecution by the Inspector General of Police delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola was restored.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has named Lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaro as his running mate for the November governorship election.

Uzodimma, who is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election, unveiled his running mate in Owerri, the state capital, on Saturday.

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“I have enumerated a few of our achievements today just to let Imo people know that the APC government remains the best bet to the attainment of improved life and economic development we all yearn for,” he said.

“So, during the campaign for re-election, I want my work to do the campaigns. So, Imo people that I know are very appreciative of what we have done in the last 43 months,” the governor added.

‘Biafran’ Simon Ekpa and the voice of Satan

“We don’t need to employ tactics, subterfuge, propaganda, and deceitful politics to achieve re-election. That belongs to the opposition who have nothing concrete to say.”

He also reiterated his position of ensuring a peaceful environment for a free and fair election in November. Uzodimma believes his government has done well in securing lives and properties despite some security breaches in the state.

He said the choice of Ekomaro did not mean he had issues with the incumbent Deputy Governor, Placid Njoku, but that he chose his running mate as a result of political permutations.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Saturday met in Abuja, where they resolved to implement key reforms that would drive the party to victory at all levels in future elections.

Speaking during the NEC meeting, the acting national chairman of the party, Alhaji Abba Kawu Ali, said NNPP leaders should be receptive to the ongoing restructuring of the party, which was meant to further entrench and reposition the party.

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“As politically conscious Nigerians who have determined to rescue the country from political decadence and long years of misgovernance, I implore every one of us to be creative by devising initiatives and ideas that can drive the party to victory in subsequent elections,” he said.

The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the last general elections, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerian youths to remain positive and hopeful for the coming of a new Nigeria, which will be anchored on youth development and productivity.

Obi made this call in his message to mark this year’s International Youth Day.

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According to him, the current political confusion and economic challenges in the nation should not discourage the youths, but rather motivate them to remain committed and resolute in the struggle for a new and better Nigeria.

“Unless we remain committed to the struggle for a better nation, we will not be able to achieve the New Nigeria of our dreams. We must remain resilient and persevere against every hardship and obstacle on our journey to a new nation,” Obi said.

The former Anambra governor said many of the nation’s challenges will be overcome if the leaders pay attention to youth development and productivity.

He blamed the high level of insecurity and social vices associated with youths like drug and other substance abuse as well as the high inflation rate in the country to the high unemployment rates among the youthful population in their productive ages.

He said, “It’s only by providing job opportunities and massively supporting the growth of small businesses in the country, that the challenge of high insecurity, rising inflation, etc will be taken care of.”