emma.acha

<h1>Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 9 governorship election in Ebonyi, says he will contest the outcome of the poll in the tribunal.</h1>

Ogbuoji made the disclosure on Wednesday in Enugu while addressing newsmen on the position of the party following the contest which returned the incumbent, Gov. Dave Umahi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC candidate described the exercise as a sham which would not stand in the face of the law.

“We have assessed the conduct of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in our state and the experiences our people went through.

“We were not in a hurry to make our position known until we have got all the facts, consulted widely and taken accounts and discoveries from our members, candidates and supporters.

“We have decided to make some facts public and clarify impressions about what happened on that fateful day in the state,” he said.

Ogbuoji said that residents of the state during the exercise and by coercion, decided against a happy and assured future.

He said that the votes that returned the governor were procured with the connivance of the system, “a reason there are gloomy faces all over the state.

“We, therefore, reject in its entirety the shambolic exercise, the processes that led to it and the result or outcome.”

The Senator said that the leadership of the party in the state would sacrifice its convenience, overlook their victimisation to support every step that would foster good leadership in the state.

“I will continue to make personal contributions in any conceivable way that will ensure the smooth leadership of our dear state.

“At this point, our hearts go out to those citizens of the state that were killed, maimed, hurt, injured, kidnapped, brutalised and denied their rights.

“To those that felt they did the right thing and made the right choice that historic day, we wish them well and leave it for posterity to judge us all.

“We pray for Ebonyi to become that state of our dreams that will assure a better life for our people, the sole reason for which we wanted power,” Ogbuoji said.

Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi (APC)

The APC candidate described the exercise as a sham which would not stand in the face of the law.

APC rejects Ebonyi governorship result, heads to tribunal

<h1>Seventy political parties under the aegis of Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) have adopted Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as their consensus candidate for the March 9 governorship election in Enugu State. </h1>

The leader of the group, Mr John Nwobodo disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu.

Nwobodo said that the move was a reinforcement of their earlier endorsement of the governor in 2018.

He said that the group then consisting of 34 registered political parties endorsed the governor due to his performance, adding that the number had risen to 70.

He said that the ideology and policy thrust of the Ugwuanyi-led administration were in tandem with those of the concerned political parties, which necessitated the endorsement.

“We voted at our party levels to collapse our campaign structures and team up and have the governor as our sole candidate,” he said.

Nwobodo said that they had directed their members across the state to mobilise support for the re-election of the governor, adding that they would speak with their Permanent Voter Cards on the election day.

“In an occasion like this, we cannot fail to acknowledge the giant imprints of the governor in the state. He has touched lives more than all the previous administrations put together.

“From building durable roads to providing affordable housing and qualitative health care, he has created amazing opportunities for our young ones.

“The governor has provided us with employment in education, health, judiciary, agriculture and in other critical sectors,” he said.

The leader of the group said that the intervention of the governor in small businesses and the provision of seed capital for young entrepreneurs were unprecedented.

Nwobodo called on residents of the state to come out en masse to exercise their franchise on the election day.

The leader of the group, Mr John Nwobodo disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu.

Governorship election: 70 parties adopt Ugwuanyi as consensus candidate in Enugu

<h1>Chief Onu Nweze, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, has accused Gov. Dave Umahi of stifling the opposition in the state.</h1>

Nweze made the accusation in Enugu and alleged that some thugs suspected to be hirelings of Gov. Umahi assaulted him and caused him grievous body harm.

He alleged that Umahi had on Saturday stormed his Uburu country home in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state with a long motorcade and thugs ostensibly to kill him.

“It all happened around 2:20pm on Saturday after the presidential and National Assembly elections had been cancelled.

“I was in my house with some of my kinsmen when some soldiers and a few civilians walked into my compound with a brother of the governor, Maxwell Umahi, and one Innocent Igwe among others.

“This is the same Igwe that was granted amnesty by the governor and released from jail where he was serving his term for murder.

“I requested that they leave my compound and they went outside while the soldiers searched my compound,” he said.

Nweze said that in order not to endanger the lives of his guests who had come to sympathise with him following the postponement of the elections, he decided to go outside with the men.

“It was at this point that I saw the governor in a white bus without tinted glass giving instructions to his boys.

“Another group of thugs wanted to enter my house on the instructions of the governor and in an attempt to resist them the governor’s ADC slapped me,” he said.

The APC senatorial candidate said that the men descended on him and gave him the beating of his life while the governor watched.

He said that the Divisional Police Officer in Obiozara put him and his brother on handcuff while blood flower from his body and whisked them away to the police station.

Nweze said that it took the intervention of the Commissioner of Police in the state to rescue him and he was subsequently moved to Abakaliki to make his statements.

He said that he decided to brief the press in Enugu after his subsequent release as the state government had compromised journalists in Ebonyi.

“As a candidate, I have no problem with the governor. So, Nigerians should ask him why he wants me dead to the extent of supervising this attack on me.

“We are from the same senatorial zone and I did not even campaign in his Ohaozara West just to avoid problem with him,” he said.

Nweze said that members of the opposition parties had been at the receiving end of the governor’s cruelty.

“In the course of my campaign, my vehicle was attacked and the windscreen shattered by the governor’s agents,” he alleged.

Nweze said that he was putting up petition to the military high command, Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Security (DSS).

The brother to the victim, Mr Onu Odi, said that the incident was part of the fulfillment of the threat to crush the opposition in the state.

Onu said that the incident was a case of attempted murder on his uncle.

“I was also attacked when I attempted to know the reason for attacking my uncle. I was tear-gassed and bundled into the governor’s private security vehicle and moved to Ohaozara,” he said.

When contacted, Mr Emmanuel Uzor, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Umahi dismissed the purported attack as `a mere allegation that did not hold water’.

Uzor described Nweze as “an unknown political quantity who is playing out the script of those that want to be governor”.

“They want to be governor yet denigrating the office of the governor,” he said.

He described the allegations against Umahi as false, adding that the governor was too busy to descend so low and go after people like Nweze.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonyi Command, Mrs Loveth Odah confirmed the attack on Nweze.

Odah, however, said that the identity of the assailants was yet to be known, adding that investigations were ongoing.

She said that the victim was receiving medical attention.

Nweze made the accusation in Enugu and alleged that some thugs suspected to be hirelings of Gov. Umahi assaulted him and caused him grievous body harm.

APC senatorial candidate accuses Ebonyi Governor of stiffling opposition

<h1>The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Enugu State, has appealed to corps members in the state to shelve the idea of boycotting the general elections.</h1>

Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, made the appeal on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Enugu.

This followed complaints by corps members due to the postponement of the Feb. 16 elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some corps members who were mobilised for the election threatened to pull out of the exercise due to their experiences in the field.

This, he said, would have adverse effect on the conduct of the exercise in the state as no fewer than 10, 000 of the ad hoc staff were drawn from the corps.

Some of them, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said they were already in their areas of deployment in some rural communities when the news of the postponement broke.

Some of them who were posted to Igboeze Local Government Area of the state said they went through difficulties and even had to sleep in the farms.

Others who were posted to Awgu Local Government Area of the state said they were already sleeping in a pavilion in an open field when the chairman of the area, Mr Stanley Okeke intervened.

“The council hall was later opened for us to sleep; we do not wish to continue in this election due to what we are already going through,’’ they said.

The coordinator said he had been in touch with the corps members deployed for the exercise in the state, promising to take good care of them.

“The truth of the matter is that people must feel uncomfortable if their quest to get things right is anything to by.

“We are reaching out to them and encouraging them not to be deterred. They know the importance of this election because it is about their future,” he said.

Ikaka noted that the Federal Government had spent a lot of resources to mobilise them for the exercise, as such, sacrifices needed to be made by not only them, but every Nigerian under the prevailing circumstance.

“What about those saying they will not vote again due to the postponement, we have had elections postponed in the past in this country.

“It is better to delay and get it right than to rush and get it wrong,” he said.

He, however, urged them to remain calm and prepare themselves for the exercise.

2019 election: NYSC DG solicits army, police protection for corps members

Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, made the appeal on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Enugu.

Please don't boycott the elections, NYSC begs corps members

<h1>A former Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sullivan Chime has cautioned against falling for the antics of candidates promising to restructure Nigeria in the presidential polls.</h1>

Chime told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu that it was deceitful for anyone to promise to restructure the country in six months.

It would be recalled that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku was reported to have promised to start the restructuring of the country from May 29 if he is elected.

Abubakar also said that about 80 per cent of the restructuring of the country would be completed within the first six months of his administration.

However, Chime described the statements as a `deceit’ aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians.

The former governor said that in as much as he was not against restructuring of the country, it would not come easily.

He said that restructuring of any nation was a long term project and would never be achieved by any single individual.

He said that the clarification had become imperative as many people from parts of the country were beginning to fall for the bait.

“Let no one deceive you on this because restructuring of this country is beyond what the president can do alone. It takes a very long time to achieve that.

“Nothing can be as deceitful as that and you cannot be talking about restructuring without constitutional amendment,” he said.

Chime, who is a constitutional lawyer said that at the moment there was no legal framework that would support the clamour to restructure the country as the Nigerian Constitution did not recognise any form of referendum.

The former governor said that for the current structure of the country to be tinkered, it must be subjected to a well defined referendum.

“As we speak there is no legal framework to guide us to the change of let us say a parliamentary system of government or any other one.

“It will take not less than 15 years for the country to be so restructured in the true sense of the word,” he said.

Chime also said that those who were advocating for the restructuring of the country should convince Nigerians on why the current structure should be altered.

“They should convince us why it is better than what we have now,” he said.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had shown enough commitment in leading Nigeria out of the woods and needed to be encouraged to continue his good works.

“Buhari is the best thing to happen to Nigeria now because he brought us back to what Nigeria used to be. This is not about sentiments,” he said.

The former governor condemned what he described as `politics of segregation or ethnicity’ saying that it had affected governance of the country.

Chime however, called on Nigerians to reject those that want to drag the country back to the dark days.

Former Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sullivan Chime

Chime told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu that it was deceitful for anyone to promise to restructure the country in six months.

Don’t fall for antics of restructuring, ex Enugu Governor tells Nigerians

<h1>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the impression in some quarters that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is marginalising the South-East is false.</h1>

Onyeama said this on Monday in Adani, Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, during a campaign tour of the area.

The minister said that the false notion which had led to the formation of separatist groups needed to be placed in its right perspective.

He said that as a minister and member of the Federal Executive Council, he could attest to the detribalised disposition of the president.

He also said Buhari believes in equality and had not treated the South-East as a separate entity.

The minister cited the unprecedented Federal Government projects going on in different parts of the region as a clear testament that the president did not hate Igbos.

Onyeama said that the zone stood better chances of attracting federal government presence under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He assured the people of Adani known for rice production, that they would benefit from the massive road revolution going on in the zone to enable them gain access to markets to sell their farm produce.

He said that several development agenda of the federal government under Buhari including the economic renaissance would have the Igbo man as the highest beneficiary.

“We all love children and Buhari also loves children. He is concerned about their future.

“That is why in his second term, more attention will be given to education and the school feeding programme to encourage and keep them in school because they are the future leaders.

“Our people should vote for Buhari so that the benefits pensioners enjoy under the current dispensation and the security of the region will not be cut short,” Onyeama said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Uzo Uwani, Igwe Patrick Okafor.

The monarch expressed delight at the visit and assured the minister that they were in support of the re-election of the president.

The local campaign rally witnessed a massive turn out of the people of the area who also expressed their commitment to supporting the president.

Onyeama said this on Monday in Adani, Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, during a campaign tour of the area.

Buhari not marginalising South-East - Onyeama

<h1>Public primary and secondary schools in Enugu were abruptly shut on Friday following campaign rally of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the state.</h1>

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students of various public secondary schools were seen going home as early as 10 am.

A student from Day Secondary School, Independence Layout who spoke to NAN anonymously said that their teachers told them to go home because of the visit of Atiku.

It was the same situation in other public schools including O’connor Primary School, Queen’s School, Urban Girls Secondary School and Government Training College in Enugu town.

The student however, said they were not mandated to attend the campaign rally holding in Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

Meanwhile, some parents in the state have expressed mixed feelings on the decision to send students home over a political campaign rally.

Mr Francis Ogbu said it was wrong to have suspended academic activities due to an individual’s political aspiration.

Ogbu said that under aged students needed not be dragged into politics.

Mrs Uzoamaka Onukwuburi wondered what may have informed the closure of public schools before the usual time.

Onukwuburi said that she could not understand why politics had degenerated to the level of suspending academic activities due to a campaign rally.

Another parent, Mrs Chinwe Eke commended the decision adding that it was for the safety of the children in case of outbreak of violence during the rally.

Eke however, said that government should have announced the directive early so that the children would stay at home rather than moving up and down.

When contacted for reaction, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze declined comments.

Meanwhile, major roads leading to Nnamdi Azikiwe venue for the rally were cordoned off while traffic was diverted to alternative routes in the coal city.

Business activities in the stadium were shut to allow free movement.

Public schools shut, heavy traffic as Atiku campaigns in Enugu

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students of various public secondary schools were seen going home as early as 10 am.

<h1>The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday in Enugu paraded 13 suspected internet fraudsters popularly called ‘yahoo yahoo boys’.</h1>

The South East Zonal Head of the commission, Mr Usma Iman said that the suspects were arrested following intelligence between Jan. 17 and Jan. 31, 2019 in Awka, Anambra and Enugu States.

Imam said that the arrests were as a result of the commission’s avowed and renewed commitment to stamp out cyber crime in the country.

He said that officers of the commission on Jan. 17 raided the homes of suspected cyber criminals in Awka and arrested three suspects.

The zonal head said that similar exercise was carried out in Enugu on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 during which six and four suspects were arrested respectively.

“We are convinced after our investigations that the suspects have cases to answer. They shall be charged to court next week,” he said.

Imam said that the image of the country had been battered due to activities of cyber criminals.

“Nigerians are now treated as criminals by other countries due to activities of few individuals in our midst and the EFCC is determined to stamp it out,” he said.

He said that incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.

“At the beginning of investigations the suspects denied committing the crime but when we started analysing their mobile phones and laptops we established the offenses.

“We extracted mails and WhatsApp chats with their victims,” Imam said.

Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Obi Anikwe denied being a cyber fraudster.

Anikwe, who is a graduate, said that he was arrested in Awka by officers of the commission.

“We were sleeping in our room when someone told us that officers from the EFCC were in our compound. They searched my room and carried us to this place,” he said.

Anikwe, who claimed to be a professional photographer, said that his laptop, phone and camera were seized.

NAN reports that items recovered from the suspects include nine exotic cars, laptops, phones, printers and five unattached plate numbers which they used in their operations.

One of the vehicles has a police number plate: PF1974SPY while another has a number plate of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS): PRESIDENCY NANS-08 EN.

Another car has the number plate of one of the local government areas in Anambra.

All the suspects are below 33 years.

The South East Zonal Head of the commission, Mr Usma Iman said that the suspects were arrested following intelligence between Jan. 17 and Jan. 31, 2019 in Awka, Anambra and Enugu States.

EFCC parades 13 suspected  Yahoo Boys in Enugu

<h1>Chieftains of Ohaneze Ndigbo are split over the purported endorsement of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Abubakar Atiku by the organisation.</h1>

It would be recalled that an arm of the organisation known as Ime Obi arising from its meeting on Thursday, declared support for Atiku on the grounds that he was running with an Igbo man, Mr Peter Obi.

This endorsement is in clear contrast of earlier stance of the Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation of not endorsing any of the presidential candidates.

However, a former Secretary General of the organisation, Chief Obiora Ozobu, described the move as a hoax and personal invention of the President General of the organisation, Chief Nnia Nwodo.

Ozobu, who disclosed this in Enugu on Thursday during a media briefing appealed to the people of the area to ignore the endorsement.

He described it as a mischievous act aimed at causing division among Ndigbo.

He said that Nwodo lacked the capacity to summon a meeting of Ime Obi because his tenure as president general had lapsed.

He also wondered why such meeting was held on a day President Muhammadu Buhari was in Anambra and Enugu States for his presidential campaign when the Zik mausoleum was inaugurated.

He said that the leaders of the organisation were expected to participate actively in the inauguration ceremony of the project which was started 23 years ago but completed by Buhari.

Ozobu said that the meeting could be best described as a meeting of friends of Atiku and did not represent the wishes of the people of the area.

The meeting is an attempt to perpetuate Nwodo in office. Granted that there were attempts to extend the tenure of Ohaneze executives to four but such has not materialised, he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige described the move as unfortunate, adding that the endorsement of presidential candidates had never done anything good for Ndigbo.

Ngige said that Ohaneze as a socio-cultural organisation had no business endorsing a particular candidate.

The minister said that it was obvious that Nwodo had divided the organisation along party lines, adding that we will fight this out.

Former Enugu State governor, Mr Sullivan Chime noted that the said endorsement was done by those that had left office.

It was not a meeting of Ohaneze Ndigbo but a meeting between Nwodo and his friends. Ohaneze has no business doing what that group did, Chime said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, similarly said that it was inappropriate for such a meeting to hold at a time Buhari was in the South East for his campaign.

Onyeama described the purported meeting as a calculated attempt to exclude a significant number of the people from such gathering, assuming it was a meeting of Ohaneze.

A significant number of the membership was not present at the meeting assuming it was a meeting of Ohaneze. So it is inappropriate to have a meeting of such magnitude, Onyeama said.

Former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, said that such position made no meaning to the people of the area.

Our sons and daughters belong to many political parties and our people have never voted as a block but according to their conscience, he said.

Nnamani said that such position was not in the best interest of the people and would not stand.

In a reaction, the Personal Assistant to the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mr Emeka Attamah, said that everyone was entitled to their opinions.

Attamah said that Ohaneze Ndigbo had endorsed who they wanted, adding that the people kicking against it were members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said that it was misleading to say that the tenure of the executive members of the organisation was two years, adding that the constitution had been amended to reflect the current four-year tenure.

The tenure is four years and they should go to court to contest, Attamah said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other chieftains of the organisation at the briefing are the Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu and Chief Osita Okechukwu among others.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of Nigeria's opposition Peoples Democratic Party, pulled out of the debate 'at the last second', the moderator said

It would be recalled that an arm of the organisation known as Ime Obi arising from its meeting on Thursday, declared support for Atiku on the grounds that he was running with an Igbo man, Mr Peter Obi.

Atiku endorsement splits Ohaneze Ndigbo

<h1>Former Enugu State Governor, Mr Sullivan Chime says the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will have the final say on the zone that gets the president in 2023.</h1>

Chime disclosed this on Thursday night in Enugu while fielding questions from newsmen following the campaign tour of President Muhammadu Buhari in the state.

The former governor said that the appropriate organ of the party would make the decision at the appropriate time.

He said that the party was currently preoccupied with the reelection of Buhari.

Chime allayed the fears in certain quarters that the South West was positioning to usurp the chance of the South East to produce the president in 2023.

At the appropriate time the party will take a final decision. However, we have always been of the view that we have the reason to say it will come to us.

The reason is simple: Power is shared between Northern and Southern Nigeria. The South West and South South had taken their turns remaining the South East, he said.

Chime, however, said that the South East must work to justify its clamour to produce the president in 2023.

He called on the people of the zone to vote massively for Buhari in the Feb. 16 presidential election to stand the chance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Director General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi had at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium during the APC presidential campaign said the South East will produce the president in 2023.

APC will decide on 2023 presidency, says ex governor Chime