The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has reacted to the various campaigns of calumny directed at him by some government and political party spokespersons and warned that they should stop their de-marketing process that is presenting Nigeria in a very bad light.
Obi said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that “In the past few days, I’ve observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, the latest being allegations attributed to Information Minister Lai Mohammed from Washington DC
The Labour Party standard bearer said “It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me quite contrary to what I am and my core values, is coming from such high quarters. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking insurrection is malicious and fictitious.
I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I’ve never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state. Those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me. I’m on record as always advocating peace and issue-based campaign and not campaigning based on ethnicity or religion.
I’m committed to due process and am presently seeking redress in Court. I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in a such bad light. Our future generations deserve a new Nigeria where they can live a secure and decent life like their counterparts in other climes. It is possible”
There seems to be a subtle clampdown on Labour Party in Imo as the police has sealed its Secretariat in the State
The development was revealed via a statement issued on Monday by the national secretary of the LP Umar Farouk, stated that the secretariat was sealed by the police in connivance with the state government.
The statement read “the national leadership of the Labour Party is shocked over the Invasion and Occupation of its Secretariat in Owerri, today, Monday April 3, 2023 by the agents of Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, including thugs and unauthorized police men drafted from the government house.
Such illegal occupation was akin to similar invasion on the same Secretariat on Wednesday March 15, 2023.
Unlike the March invasion, where no reason was given by the state government on why it took such unlawful action against our political party, this time, they said that the action was due to a Court Order.
But as at the moment, no such Order to our knowledge was given. No Order has been presented to us by the court or their agents. The Police men presently occupying our Secretariat have not even shown us the Order. At the moment, all our officials and staff have been barred from accessing the Secretariat.
“We have contacted the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the on going development in the state, and it has been confirmed that the Force is not aware of any security breach whatsoever in the state to warrant the occupation of our Secretariat.
“The Police have also informed us that it has not detailed any of their officers and men to the Labour Party Secretariat in Imo state; and that the officers may have been drafted from the State House in the state.
“The Labour Party however is not unmindful of the efforts of the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma to hijack the leadership of the Party in Imo state.
These actions have confirmed the information available to us of plots by the governor to plant some surrogates wearing the garments of aspirants in the party. This game plan, as archaic as it seems, has been detected and punctured, the consequences being the aggression unleashed on the party by the state government.
“The leadership of the Labour is determined to bring the needed changes the people of Imo state have yearned since inception of this present dispensation.
“The state has been deprived of good and quality leadership. The resources of the state have being balkanized and liquidated by the administrations in the past. This is in spite of the fact that the state is not lacking in personalities with decent background and pedigree in services to the state.
“Labour Party is therefore assuring the state that it will field as its governorship candidate, a person with proven integrity in both personal and public life; and with OBidient blood running in his/her veins. No amount of intimidation by Governor Hope Uzodimma and his army of thugs will deter the party from fielding and winning the governorship election.
We therefore call on all the members of the Labour Party and OBidient family in Imo State to be peaceful even in the face of the present provocation as the party will do everything within the books to retrieve our Secretariat from the state security officers and sponsored thugs that are presently occupying our Secretariat.”
Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, said that the allegation was unfounded.
The governor’s spokesperson said ” the Labour Party’s allegation is unfounded. They should stop pointing fingers at the wrong place.”
Anti-Tinubu passenger aboard an Abuja-Lagos flight, Mr Obiajulu Uja, has been arraigned before the Zuba Magistrates’ Court, Abuja and remanded in prison custody.
His lawyer, Ejike Ugwu, disclosed this to The PUNCH on Monday.
Uja was on Friday evening carried off a Lagos-Abuja flight, after he started a lone protest, demanding that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, must never be sworn in as president on May 29.
In the viral video that made the rounds on Saturday, it took the efforts of no fewer than six airport security officers to evacuate him after holding up the aircraft for more than an hour, as the 6pm flight had yet to move as of 7pm.
A copy of the charge sheet sighted by our correspondent showed that Uja was charged with “public nuisance, resistance to a lawful arrest, threatening violence and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace contrary to sections 396, 267,188,172 and 144 of the Penal Code Law.”
The lawyer said, “He was arraigned at the Zuba Magistrates’ Court after they deceived us because yesterday he was taken to Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital, Area 11 Abuja.”
The lawyer, who exclusively spoke to our correspondent in Abuja noted that his client, was admitted at the Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital, adding that the hospital did not have a psychiatrist doctor and psychologist that to examine him.
He, however, said a doctor was invited from National Hospital, Abuja to examine Uja but the efforts unfortunately was futile.
“While we were there, it was around 3pm they told us that they wanted to arraign him in Zuba Magistrates’ Court.
“We reminded the court that the same police invited the doctor to examine him, and the same police instead of waiting for the doctors to examine him hurriedly charged him to court.
“Even with the test we did, we spent almost N40,000 at the Police clinic, all the tests they conducted we abandoned all of them; they have not prescribed any medicine.
“The way the police are handling it is as if they have an interest in the matter because you took somebody to a police clinic, you are coming to court to tell the court you want the person to be remanded in prison because you want to continue the investigation.
“Until now we do not know the result of the test that was conducted in the hospital because they hurriedly took him away from the hospital,” the lawyer said,
Ugwu further noted that his client’s bail application was coming up on Thursday.
Napoli alarmed as Osimhen loses ‘magical’ facemask while returning from Nigeria
According to Italian media outlet Calciomercato, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen returned to Italy after international duty with Nigeria without his facemask.
The 24-year-old, who has been in sensational form this term and is one of the most sort after strikers in Europe, has been wearing the mask, following a collision with Milan Skriniar during an Inter versus Napoli match in November 2021, which left him with multiple fractures to his left orbital and cheekbone.
Osimhen has scored 25 goals for Napoli this season to help the club to the top spot in the Italian league plus a first-ever UEFA Champions League quarter-final spot, where they have been drawn against Sunday’s opponents AC Milan.
According to the report, the Eagles forward lost the mask while returning to Italy after Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier March 27.
“The protective mask, in addition to guaranteeing greater safety, has also become a sort of superstitious object.
“Osimhen lost it on his return from Nigeria; he realised he no longer had it and considering the great value given to superstition in Naples, the alarm has already been raised among Neapolitan fans.
“In the meantime, the orthopaedic staff who built the mask will work to design a new one and deliver it to the player as soon as possible. It won’t be ready by Sunday when the match against Milan takes place and Osimhen will have to use the old mask there.”
Aside from losing his mask, the former Lille star returned with a knock and out of AC Milan match on Sunday and doubtful for the quarter-finals of the Champions League this month.
The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP , Professor Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali, has given reasons why he resigned as the head of the party.
Akali in a letter dated March 31, 2023, said he stepped aside to allow new hands to take over the party and consolidate on the achievements recorded in the last general elections.
Alkali, in the letter, copied the National Leader of the party and presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Chairman, Board of Trustees of NNPP, Elder Chief Boniface Aniebonam; and Secretary, Board of Trustees of NNPP, Engr Buba Galadima, stressed that the interest of the party superseded personal interest, hence his decision to step aside.
He said, “As I stated in the letter, we have done our best. We have fulfilled our objectives of contributing to the growth of democracy. And I’m sure the party will move forward.
“The party needs to go through a lot of reorganization, and the best way is to lead and live by example. I really need to lead by example. We have made sacrifices and we have to make decisions that will take the party forward.”
Dr Adah Edache Obekpa and Renaissance Network Africa (RNA) have filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) over alleged suppression of their contributions to the introduction of electronic voting (E-voting) in Nigeria.
Dr Obekpa, a US-based medical professional, and RNA, an organisation working for the unification of Africa and its Diaspora through trade, tourism, and innovative endeavours, claim to have proposed the E-voting system to INEC in 2010 and presented the “Renaissance I-voting Proposal for INEC” to Prof Mahmud Jega on behalf of INEC in October 2010.
“Our clients, Dr. Adah Edache Obekpa and Renaissance Network Africa (RNA), firmly believe in the rights of creators to benefit from and be recognised for their innovative contributions,” a statement issued on Sunday, April 2, 2023 by the innovator’s lawyers, Jonathan Akeme, said.
They view INEC’s actions in circumventing their pioneering I-voting proposal as a violation of these fundamental rights.
“Our legal action seeks to protect not only our clients’ interests but also to uphold the principles of transparency, justice, and fair recognition for inventors and innovators.
“It is our belief that these values must be honoured and defended in this matter,” he ended.
The proposal, prepared by Layer3, was given comprehensive media coverage with a special news briefing on the subject matter hosted by Dr Obekpa at the Unity Hall of Reiz Continental Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja, on October 23, 2010.
According to Dr Obekpa and RNA, the I-voting proposal for INEC is the same in contents, features, design, and operation as the Biometric Verification System (BIVAS) tech device and INEC online result viewing portal (IReV).
They allege that the failure of the BIVAS and IReV, as well as the lack of complete transparency in the just-concluded 2023 general elections, is a result of INEC’s refusal to adopt salient security features contained in the I-voting proposal submitted to the commission.
The Legal Director of Bola Tinubu-Kashim Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Babatunde Ogala has disclosed that the camp of the President-elect officially received the notices of the petitions filed at the election tribunal by the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
We reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) said they are planning to respond to the petitions.
We learnt that the APC has up till take 21 days to respond.
“Yes, we received copies of both Atiku and Obi’s petition yesterday ,” Ogala told Punch.
Meanwhile, the APC legal adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, also told the press that the ruling party had been served.
“Of course, we have received the copies of the petition and we are planning to respond. We are on top of the situation,” he said.
The Labour Party Legal Team for the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Commission has written the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
This was contained in two letters signed by the lead counsel to the team, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, and obtained by News Band on Friday.
In the first letter, the legal counsel demanded the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of election material including accreditation reports of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The demanded materials include the following:
EC8C series;
EC40G series;
ECSE;
EC8B series;
EC4OG series;
EC4011 series;
Numbers of collected PVCs where elections did not hold (sic) or were cancelled;
BVAS Accreditation Reports for the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory;
Electoral Operations Copies (ten copies) of all result forms;
National Electronic Registers of Election Results.
The team also demanded BVAS Accreditation Reports of Rivers State, Benue State, Akwa Ibom State, Kaduna State, Bayelsa State and Adamawa State.
In the second letter, the team demanded Polling Unit (PU) results for 16 states of the federation.
It could be recalled that the Court of Appeal, by an Order made on March 2, 2023, with reference number CA/PE/02M/2023, tagged “Mr. Peter Gregory Obi V INEC & Ors”, granted the Applicants leave to apply and receive from INEC the Certified True Copies of the materials used in the Presidential Election of the 25th February, 2023.
Flowing from the above-referenced suit, the legal counsel applied for the Certified True Copies of Forms EC8A (polling unit results) of the following States:
i. Rivers State
ii. Benue State
iii. Gombe State
iv. Akwa Ibom State
v. Plateau State
vi. Kaduna State
vii. Bayelsa Slate
viii. Cross River State
ix. Tanabe Slate
x. Lagos State
xi. Ogun Slate
xii. Imo State
xiii. Bauchi State
xiv. Borno State
xv. Adamawa State, and,
xvi. Ekiti State.
Mr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, versus Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
Mr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, with Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
The lead counsel, Dr. Uzoukwu, SAN, said that the team will be at the various INEC offices in the aforementioned States from 14th March, 2023, to commence the inspection of documents and receive the Certified True Copies of the said forms.
Recall that Peter Obi and his Labour Party had challenged the presidential election result as announced by the INEC which saw Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) declared the winner and the president-elect.
It is my duty as an ideologue under the tutelage of Dr. Bekolari Ransome Kuti and Chief Gani Fawehinmi, both of blessed memory, to bring to light the devilish implications of the General Bola Ahmed Tinubu led military Coup Det’at that was orchestrated and executed by the Chairman of the Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu against democracy.
It is important to say that, this is not about ethnicity or primordial sentiments. Not at all. It is about the operation of the true definition of democracy, by Abraham Lincoln; “democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
The end result of any government that falls short of this definition is anarchy.
I have asked myself what will the likes of Dr. Bekolari Ransome Kuti and Chief Gani Fawehinmi do in this scenario? My simple answer to this question is that, they will both roll up their sleeves and fight for the defence of democracy; “it does not matter whose ox is gored.”
It is in this spirit I am calling on all lovers of true democracy to join hands to do the needful; resist and foil this coup det’at against democracy.
We must save our hard won democracy that we fought for, during the draconian and oppressive military era.
Did the declaration of Tinubu by INEC, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election meet the minimum standard requirements of a free and fair election? Is this not a coup det’at against democracy?
Also, what are the implications, if we allow the Tinubu led coup det’at to succeed?
To answer the first question, it was a coup det’at led by General Bola Ahmed Tinubu and executed by INEC against the mandate of the people.
Also, it is a complete violation of the new electoral law as passed by the National Assembly and assented to, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the new electoral law, Paragraph 38 of INEC Manual 2022 in pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and section 149 of of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that: “On completion of all the Polling Unit voting and results procedures, the Presiding Officer shall:
(i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit, direct to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission.
(ii) Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as prescribed by the Commission.
(iii) Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in tamper evident envelope to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, in the company of Security Agents.
In other words, it states clearly that, “every result must be transmitted through the BVA’s to the cloud for the whole world to see and, monitor the counting of the votes. In addition, the provision of the constitution gives no exception to this rule.
It is very saddening to say that INEC broke its own law by shutting down the portal for 12 hours on the day of election, and directed its electoral officers to bring the results to the Collation Centre for uploading as this would most definitely, give room for falsification and manipulation of election results. This is the height of illegality; and good government cannot be built on illegality.
Also, why were the BVA’S for the Senatorial and House of Representatives elections working at the polling units, whereas, that of the presidential election was not working at the polling unit? Is this not a sinister move by INEC to subvert the mandate of the people?
What a shenanigan and moribund of democracy!
Prejudice apart and without mincing words, this is a coup det’at and a complete rape of our democracy?
What are the implications of allowing a government built on illegality to stand?
One: Such government will not be answerable to the people, because, it is not the peoples mandate. It will never be a responsible government, because it was superimposed on the people, against their will.
Tinubu had said it in time past, that, “there is no democracy in Nigeria but civilian government.”
Did he not also say it in one of his video clips trending on social media that, “you grab, snatch power at all cost and if possible, run away with it?”
Nothing wrong using legal means to stop Tinubu’s inauguration, says…
Is Tinubu not the defacto governor of Lagos state? Did he not turn Lagos state to a one party state?
Will Tinubu not use the federal might to dislodge and silent all oppositions; many will not have a choice but to become his slaves
The story of Mr. Moshood Salvador, the state party chairman of the main opposition party, PDP in Lagos state is still very fresh in our memories. Tinubu planted fifth columnists in the party structure of PDP in Lagos state and, at the party congress, there was a motivated and sponsored fracas by fifth columnists that led to the death of one or two of the party members that were against the leadership of Mr. Moshood Salvador. Did Mr. Moshood Salvador not end up being framed as the killer and that he spent months in prison before he was given conditions, to either resign as party chairman of PDP to join ACN or, spend the rest of his life in prison? Yes, Mr. Moshood Salvador resigned as the state chairman of PDP and joined many slaves of Tinubu in Lagos state.
Lagos is now a one party state.
Suffice it to say, Tinubu controls the judiciary in Lagos state and to the extent that he has used Lagos state money to commercialize judiciary from the state to federal level. Do not forget Ayo Salami, the former President of the Court of Appeal under former President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan.
In the legal battle of Mr. Kayode Fayemi to reclaim his mandate as the Governor of Ekiti state, was Ayo Salami not indicted for collecting bribe from Tinubu? Was he not booted out of the judiciary by former President Goodluck Jonathan government because of the scandal?
Did Tinubu not send Lukmon Ajose, former Chairman of Lagos Island local government to eight years in prison for daring to confront him over allegations bordering on his bad leadership in Lagos state?
Did he not fire Comrade Ayodele Akele for leading the Civil Servants in Lagos state to ask for better welfare of service? Did Chief Gani Fawehinmi at his sick bed not beg Tinubu to pay him his retirement benefits before he passed away? It was very sad that Comrade Lukmon Akele passed away in United States without getting his retirement benefits.
Yes, any opposition will be ruthlessly dealt with by General Bola Ahmed Tinubu because, he was not elected by the people; and he will not be answerable to the people. It is going to be impunity of the highest order.
Yes, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a would be emperor and every true democrat in Nigeria must rise up to resist the inauguration of Tinubu as the President of Nigeria. It is a total aberration of democracy because, he did not win the presidential election.
Yes, every true democrat must rise up to declare as null and void and unconstitutional, the election of Tinubu as President as declared by his co-traveller, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
Three: It will bring great reproach to our country in the comity of nations. Many democratically advanced countries will see us as a joke and they will also lose confidence in our political stability.
This will further puncture our bilateral and multilateral relationships with foreign investors.
It is only a peoples government that will truly, bring about a conducive environment for foreign investors.
Yes, we must do everything humanly possible and within the extant law to prevent the installation of Tinubu as President of Nigeria, because, his election was rigged by the so called Buhari’s cabal. He did not win the election.
This election is based on illegality and must not stand.
Before the election, the country was already sitting on a keg of gunpowder. The agitation for a sovereign nation by the Igbos, because of the lopsided sharing of power and resource control were very intense and one was expecting that the election of an Igbo President will assuage the people of the Eastern region and restore their confidence and hope as true citizens of Nigeria.
One of the reasons many voted for Peter Obi for President was to pacify the aggrieved Igbos and make them have a sense of belonging. Now that their son won the election based on the results collated by the Labour Party Situation Room as received from their polling agents from the various polling units across the country; all lovers of democracy must rise up to resist and save our democracy.
In the final analysis, Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not sign a social contract with the electorates in Nigeria through a free and fair election and he cannot be installed as president.
SAY NO TO BOLA AHMED TINUBU AS PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA ON MAY 29TH, 2023.
Popular Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has lost his 16-year-old first son, Kambilichukwu Edochie to the cold hands of death on Wednesday.
It was gathered that the Kambilichukwu collapsed while playing football with his peers on Wednesday.
A family source, according to Daily Trust, confirmed the sad news. “It is true, his son is dead.”
“After his exam in school, he joined his mates to play football and he developed a seizure and was rushed to the Mother and Child Hospital. All efforts by the doctors to resuscitate him proved abortive.”
Kambilichukwu’s death is coming barley two months after his father; Yul celebrated his 16th birthday with his wife, Mary Edochie.
Yul had on January 4 celebrated his (son) birthday via his verified Instagram handle, saying, “A very happy 16th birthday to my first son, Kambilinachukwu Leo Yul-Edochie. May God lead and protect you always. With many more happy years. Daddy loves you.”
