The dead have a special place in Igbo cosmology. When Ndigbo pray, break kolanut and pour libation, after calling on Chukwu Okike (God of creation), they call on their late relatives, known as ancestors. Sometimes they call them by name, one after another, asking them to help protect the family, compound and kindred.
Modernity and the advent of the Christian religion, which many still regard as the whiteman’s religion has eroded some of these traditional Igbo ways of worship and communing with their God (Chukwu Okike).
Deaths, like births are very big occurrences in Igboland. Present day realities suggest that deaths are celebrated more, than births judging by the large feasting that follows the death of a family member in Igboland. Such burials last many days and cost a fortune. However, many communities are beginning to regulate such outlandish burials by producing burial guidelines for their communities. There are hefty fines to pay for disobedience. Anambra state also has a burial law in place.
In Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka local government area of Anambra state, for instance, the new burial law by the Enugwu-Ukwu traditional authority stipulates that burial activities must be concluded in one day, and no longer spread across many days. The law also states that canopies set up for guests must be dismantled by 7pm of the burial day, and no music should be played in the compound past 7pm. Burial clothes are limited to only immediate family members. Only two types of soup are allowed to be served, one type of ‘swallow’ (semo, pounded yam, garri or any other). Only one type of rice meal will be served guests, and no longer the multiple choice of jollof, rice and stew, rice and sauce.
The traditional ruler of Enugwu-Ukwu, Igwe Sir Ralph Obumnaemeh Ekpeh said the burial law will encourage people to celebrate their loved ones when they are alive, rather than in death. He said it will also reduce the financial burden families face trying to outdo each other in an attempt to give the dead a ‘befitting burial’.
Christianity has popularised Christian or church burials in Igbo land. However, traditionalists in addition still perform traditional burials for the dead, after the Christian burials, especially for titled men in the communities, Ndi Nze, Ozo etc.
The belief amongst the traditionalists is that if such is not performed, ‘Ozu awaa na afa’ (the dead will be restless and may cause misfortune for the family).
My late father, Nze Edwin Okonkwo Nwora, was a member of the Nze traditional society in Enugwu-Ukwu. After his Christian burial which held on Friday, September 25th, 2020, the traditionalists sent word to the family that the traditional burial ceremony has to be performed as well. This practice is known as ‘Igbukpo ozu ife’ (Animal sacrifice). After due consultations, the family set a date for this.
The ceremony is not performed inside the family compound but outside. Certain quantities of yams and cooking ingredients are provided, 2 native chickens, coconuts and kolanuts, 2 goats and some drinks too. Ndi Umunna (kindred relatives) gather for this. A senior member of the bereaved family personally slaughters the goats and chickens while praying to God to accept the soul of the departed, and also calling on the dead, plus other ancestors to continue to ‘chekwaa ngwulu (protect the compound).
Afterwards, kolanuts are broken and the items are cooked in the presence of everyone present. The yams are cooked as porridge with some goat meat. What is left of the goat meat are then shared out in order of seniority to those present.
Once this is done, that would have concluded the burial rites in Igboland, for a titled man.
Many observe this, and many don’t. It is a case of each and his belief.
Breaking
The crisis surrounding who’s the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the November 6th Anambra governorship election might have been laid to rest as the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, has declared Valentine Ozigbo as the candidate of the party.
A three-man panel of justices led by the President of the Court of Appeal, Honorable Justice Monica Dongban- Mensem in a 65-page-judgement on Friday, gave the judgement in an appeal filed by Valentine Ozigbo.
The court held that the appeal challenging the judgement of the Awka High Court, had merit and was, therefore, allowed.
It also set aside the decision of the lower court, declaring it null and void.
The court also awarded a N10 million cost against Ugochukwu Uba in favour of Val Ozigbo
The expectation in the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is that its candidate for the 2023 presidential election may come from the north, however the reality will be clearer after the national convention of the party which is expected to hold in October. This is because a lot other party leaders are of the opinion that for the interest of equity and justice, the South-East should produce the presidential candidate of the party, being the only major ethnic zone yet to occupy Aso Rock since the present dispensation. Another school of thought also thinks that the North East should be allowed to produce the candidate. This is because no other zone in the North can boast of more membership of the PDP and has three state governors.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner was the last president from the PDP to have occupied the presidency and the Northern elements in PDP are strongly contending that the zoning should be in their favour. This is not withstanding the fact that the present occupant, President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner is on his second lap of eight year tenure. PDP has however said that for the party to have any chances retrieving power soonest, it will not be restricting the candidacy to any zone and that it is throwing open the contest to all zones of the Federation.
By tradition of the party, the national chairman of the PDP and its presidential candidate should follow the North/South understanding of power equation. The implication is that if for instance, the PDP elects a national chairman from the South, the North will be expected to produce the party’s presidential candidate, and vice-versa. It is however safe to assume that the permutation on the zoning will be clearer perspective after the October convention.
But not withstanding the contestation and debates, a good number of aspirants have already shown more than cursory interest towards the exalted office. Though as usual, there will certainly be contenders and pretenders but at least about five top contenders have so far emerged. Among them are:
Bala Mohammed
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed is one presidential hopeful who has everything going on well for. He came into prominence in 2007 with his election into the Senate to represent the Bauchi South senatorial district.
He was a leader of the Unity Forum, a group of senators that mobilised support for the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan during the protracted infirmity of late President Umaru Yar’Adua. The Bala group had mounted a support campaign for Jonathan against the backdrop of opposition perceived to have been inspired by a cabal within Yar ‘Adua’s kitchen cabinet. Jonathan eventually became President after Yar ‘Adua’s death in 2010. He appointed Bala Mohammed as Minster of the Federal Capital Territory. Bala abandoned his seat in the Senate for the ministerial position. He held the position up till 2015 when the PDP lost the Presidency to the APC. After a four-year break, he contested for the governorship in 2019 on the platform of the PDP and won the election.
As a minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Jonathan administration, Bala had gained tremendous experience as an consummate administrator who was exposed to international politics as the Mayor of Abuja whose duty also included welcoming all diplomatic corps and personalities and in which most cases he personally honoured some of them with diplomatic citizenship.
The leadership of the PDP had appointed him as chairman of the party’s committee charged with a responsibility to review the factors that led to the party’s loss in the 2019 election and to make recommendations for the way forward. One of the highlights of Bala’s committee report, which he submitted a few months ago, had called for the jettisoning of zoning of the PDP presidential ticket for the 2023 poll.
The report however, added that the committee received numerous memoranda from diverse groups and interests calling for the party’s joint presidential ticket to be zoned to the Northeast and the Southeast.
There is presently a clamour that the next president of Nigeria must be someone from the younger generation of Nigerians with vast political and administrative experience. Bala, a former journalist is believed to be one of the emerging political forces from the North, particularly the North East where PDP is incidentally gaining grounds and popular. He has within his service years gained so much as a lawmaker, minister, and now as the executive governor of Bauchi State.
So, far, he has not confirmed or denied rumours in the media space linking him to the 2023 race but a Bala presidency is certainly one project that will fly should he throw his hat into the ring. Bala Mohammed, 62, is presently serving his first tenure as governor and may seek reelection if his rumoured presidential bid fails.
Peter Obi
The former Anambra state governor was the PDP’s Vice presidential candidate in the 2019 general election. Along with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the candidate of the PDP, Obi showed his classy touch in governance particularly as it concerns the solutions to the economic quagmire, Nigeria has been grappling with in the recent.
Born in 1961, Obi graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1980 with a degree in Philosophy. He spent better parts of his life in the board rooms of many companies and conglomerates. He was elected governor of Anambra State under the Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu led-All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) where he spent eight years and seven months as the governor. He was sworn in as governor of Anambra State on 17 March 2006. However, on 2 November 2006, he was impeached after seven months in office. He took the matter to court, he won and was reinstated on 9 February 2007.
Another election took place in 2007, that brought in Andy Uba. Obi went to court to argue that he didn’t complete his four-year tenure, the court agreed with him and said his tenure ought to end on March 2010.
After his dramatic first term, Obi contested for the position of governorship again and won a second term in office, which ended on 7th of March 2014. He left APGA for the PDP but not after he had succefully worked for the emergence of Willy Obiano as his successor in Anambra.
He was later appointed the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission by former President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2015. He remained very influential and probably the best ever presidential material from the South East. He is reputed to be the only governor in the history of Nigeria that left billions of naira in the coffers of the government, and without putting the state into debt. He ran a frugal administration and built a reputation for himself as a politician who would rather work for his people than engage in primitive acquisition of wealth for which most of his colleagues have been accused of.
It was that quality that endered him to Atiku in 2019 and the qualities will certainly speak for him should the presidency be zoned to the South East.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (popularly known as “Gburugburu”) was born 20 March 1964. He was first elected to the House of Representatives of Nigeria in 2003 where he served as Chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport. A third term Reps, who later contested and won the governorship election in 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He is currently in his second term in office.
Under his leadership, Enugu state has achieved tremendous transformation in the area of rural development where he commissioned several landmarks and legacy projects- projects that impact directly on the people. Never before in the history had the state witnessed so much tranquility, a situation where all political actors had to subsume their interests all for the greater good of the state.
Because Enugu city still holds the honour of being capital of the South East zone, the governor has however continued to play prominent roles in the South-East politics where he is incidentally not just a unifying decimal but also played the chief host in several meetings where the issues concerning the zone are decided.
This calm, resourceful, humane, agile, dynamic and development driven governor most often prefered not to be seen or heard but most assuredly has proved to be factor in the quest for a united Ndigbo. In spite of the political and ideological differences of most governors and leaders in the state, Ugwuanyi has continued to exhibit a unique personality as someone who appears not politically ambitious or hungry for power. He is also seen in quaters as not being flamboyant, and as a colourless politician, however, it appears that these qualities are turning out to be his strengths on which it is being speculated that he could be the best presidential material from the South East. Like every other possible aspirants, Governor Ugwuanyi has not made any pronouncement on his future ambition but when he eventually does, he will certainly be a strong contender and will certainly not lack support from the South-East.
Atiku Abubakar:
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is one Nigerian who has shown his thirst for the presidency since the inception of the present dispensation. Atiku played key roles in the enthronement of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 whom he served as his vice. It could be said that he was packaged as a natural successor to Obasanjo in 2007 before both men fell apart over plot by the then president to trigger a tenure elongation.
Efforts by Atiku to climb into Aso Rock as substantive leader have repeatedly failed. First he contested under the AC ticket in 2007 but lost to the late Umaru Yar’Adua who ran on the platform of the PDP. Atiku returned to the PDP shortly after Yar ‘Adua’s death and struggled in vain for the party’s presidential ticket in 2011. Jonathan picked the PDP ticket and went ahead to win the election. In 2013, he joined many other prominent PDP bigwigs to dump the PDP for the then newly formed mega opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He lost the party ticket in 2015 to Muhammadu Buhari. He returned to PDP, though he picked the party’s ticket but he lost again to Buhari in the 2019 general election.
Though, he had been away from Nigeria for what he claimed was for academic reasons but he has since returned and is seen playing host to his numerous supporters, visiting states and participating in most party activities lately.
Born November 25, 1946, Atiku will be 77 in 2023, a factor that may militate against his presidential ambition as most Nigerians appear to be rooting for a younger generation of leaders.
Similarly, not a few have come to tag him a “nomadic politician” for his numerous defections from one political party to the other in the course of his political career. However, it’s a plus for him that his home state of Adamawa is in the firm control of the PDP.
Though he has not made his political intentions public, but it is believed that with his huge political capital and financial war-chest, Atiku will definitely attempt for the ‘last’ time to hit the bull at the eyes.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
The Sokoto State Governor may turn out to be one of the strongest contenders in the race for the party ticket. He has been able to maintain a relatively baggage free outlook in his political career so far. His conciliatory approach to politics has continued to endear him to many stakeholders in the opposition party.
Widely perceived to be temperate and level headed, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives has continued to build political bridges across the six geopolitical zone right from his days in the federal legislature. Seen by his colleagues in the PDP Governors Forum as a team player, Tambuwal’s contribution to the relative stability in the PDP may count for him when the chips are down.
Party sources have continued to credit the 55-year-old politician with a sense of balance between his ambition and the common good of his party. He is widely acknowledged by the various contending groups and interests in the party for his stabilising role in the ongoing efforts at resolving the leadership crisis rocking the PDP at the moment.
As chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Tambuwal, who is currently serving his second and final term as governor, is seen by many of his compatriots as a stickler for objectivity in all situations. Under his leadership, the PDP Governors Forum has become a force to reckon with in tackling the ruling APC over its obvious poor performance and the administration’s abysmal failure to tame the hydra headed security challenges ravaging the land.
Tambuwal has also played a key role in steadying the turbulent wave of crisis in the PDP, a situation which is currently threatening the ones famous umbrella.
Tambuwal started his political career as a member of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the PDP before he emerged as Speaker in 2011. He was a member of a group of disgruntled chieftains that formed the “rebel” nPDP that defected to the APC in 2013. He got elected governor in 2015 on the platform of the APC but dumped the ruling party and returned to the PDP in 2018 alongside a few others who defected to the APC about the same time.
He joined the race for the presidential ticket of the PDP in 2018, but came second, losing the slot to Atiku. He sought re-election as governor in 2019 and got re-elected for a second term.
He is no doubt a force to reckon with and having passed through both legislative and executive tutelage and alongside boasting his social capital across the party borders, Tambuwal will be a choice which if PDP decides to make, will be huge thorn in the flesh of other opposition parties.
*Chukwujekwu Amamchukwu is an executive member, Future Nigeria Movement (FUNIMO)
Fellow Biafrans and advocates for faith & freedom, the undertakings and initiatives of the directorate of State of the indigenous people of Biafra (DOS) is once again yielding fruits with the successful arrival of the IPOB international legal counsel for leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu headed by Bruce Fein of the United States of America in Abuja, Nigeria today.
The bid to solidify the legal fenses and excellence is necessary to ensuring a full protection and the rights of leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and further securing his release in no distant time.
Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s vision of principle of self-determination is profoundly ambodied in Article 1 of the chater of the United Nations. The DOS therefore holds dear the aforementioned chater and drawn in consonance with the famous quote of independence by Thomas Jefferson…. that “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” These desires are made manifest in Biafrans and leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu through a great deal of perseverance and tenacity with an irreversible believe that these must surely and imminently be achieved.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for a press statement by our combination of legal counsel scheduled to take place in a couple of hours between 11am & 12pm Biafran Time.
Thank you and may God bless leader, Nnamdi Kanu and may he bless Biafra!
Mazi Chukwuemeka Nzurumike
Deputy Head of the directorate of State. (DHOD)
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday accused the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, of being a sell-out.
He also threatened to sue the minister for defamation.
Ortom issued the threat while addressing journalists at Government House, Makurdi.
He was responding to allegations of malfeasance levelled against him by the minister at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
The governor described Akume’s allegations as “unfortunate and amounts to a betrayal, back-stabbing, double-crossing, selling out of Benue people, treachery, greed, unfaithfulness and falsehood.”
The governor dismissed the minister’s allegations as lies.
Ortom said, “The Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume levelled several allegations of killings and several others against me. I do not want to join issues with him. But I have the mandatory right to put the records straight.
“I want to say that all that Akume said were just mere lies just for him to secure his meal ticket from his paymasters but I will not be deterred.
“I remain committed to the people that gave me their mandate to lead them. My first commitment is to the people, all politics is local. My locality is Benue State and not Abuja.
To send the message to the entire world, I decided to do something so that Akume will justify or prove all those allegations that he put out to defame me and give me a bad name. He will prove all his allegations before a law court for the world to know who is telling the truth.”
Akume had at a press conference in Abuja, on Monday, accused the governor of “corruption, ineptitude and disrespect to the president.” He also called for a declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
The minister also alleged that over N500bn accrued to the state from federal allocation since Ortom took office.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the PDP, said contrary to claims by its All Progressives Congress counterpart, Ortom had a lot of respect for the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)
State chairman of the party, John Ngbede, said this at a press conference at the party secretariat, in Makurdi.
He said, “Governor Samuel Ortom has tremendous respect but this respect cannot exempt the President from discharging his constitutional responsibilities or the governor from respectfully calling on him to live up to the duties of his office.”
RUSHING INTO MILITARY COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA WILL NOT SAVE THE SINKING CALIPHATE FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE UNION DISPUTE DECLARED DECEMBER 16, 2020 BY THE NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS NATIONALITIES ALLIANCE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION.(NINAS)- September 1, 2021.
As the Nigerian Union Dispute Declared by NINAS, December 16, 2020 rages on, and as Global Powers including the United States, the European Union, the UK and China, continue to take far-reaching measures that isolate the Terror-Ridden and thoroughly Disputed Nigerian Union, including the Ban on Sale of Weapons and Cancellation of Foreign Loan Requests, it is obvious that the rush by the Caliphate-Controlled Nigerian Government to cobble up a “Military Cooperation” Agreement with Russia is a desperate action to save a Sinking Ship.
Unfortunately for the Distressed Caliphate, that rush to Russia reprieve is coming in too little and too late in the day to provide any meaningful answer to the Consequences of the Union Dispute raised by NINAS by way of the Constitutional Force Majeure of December 16, 2020, on account of which Far-Reaching Concerted Policy Measures are being taken by concerned World
The ground realities currently crystallizing before the Global Community is that Nigeria is now a heavily disputed Union, unraveling in a setting that gives the Fulani Caliphate no chance of prevailing against a determined Alliance of the Rest of Nigeria and that the Fulani are actually just using the name “Nigeria” to enter all manners of Transactions with International Institutions, Foreign Countries and Foreign entities, in a setting that render those Transactions untenable amidst the aforementioned Union Dispute, whether the Transactions be Foreign Loans or Military Cooperation.
Purchase of Weapons can be done as brisk business by Russia or any other vendor-Country, even black market by rogue regimes, but the range of Assad-Style Military Assistance and Cooperation potent enough to aid the Fulani Caliphate to Prevail against the Alliance of the Non-Caliphate Rest of Nigeria, will require a lot, lot more than an emergency switch-to-Russia can deliver.
It is just a psychological self-reassurance (delusion if you ask me) by the Fulani, to flaunt some miserable cooperation agreement with Russia at this Juncture when the US and its Allies already openly pitched tents with the Propositions and Prescriptions of NINAS Alliance.
Not when the ISIS/Al-Quaeda Terror Network FG-Assisted heavy incursions into Nigeria & West Africa is already at the center of the Calculus and Policy Thrust of the US and its Allies as this touches directly on their own Strategic National Security Interests.
Reading the US Ambassadors recent comments (below) on the unfolding situation in Nigeria in comparison with the Afghan incident will give an indication of where things are headed.
More importantly, the rigorous Implementation of the NINAS December 16, 2020 Multi-Regional Constitutional Force Majeure is now Guarantee that the crude designs of the invading Fulani will not prevail against the Strategic Self-Preservation Exertions of the Alliance of the Rest of Nigeria.
A member of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Aminu Garba, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of betraying the trust of the people of his home state.
Mr Danmusa, who represents Danmusa local government area in the assembly, was commenting on the worsening insecurity in Nigeria and increase in attacks by bandits in Katsina and the North-west region in general.
In a video clip analysed by PREMIUM TIMES, the lawmaker said the president has abandoned the people of the state.
“The people of Katsina gave him (Buhari) the highest votes in Nigeria when he was contesting but what do we have to show for it? Just yesterday, they came into Danmusa town in a locality called Marken Dambi and killed a man and took away his wife and her daughter, yesterday night.
“I went for a security meeting at Danmusa with all stakeholders outraged. There is an 80-man security force called special squad. But that does not hinder miscreants from storming in and carrying out their activities.
I specifically told residents of Danmusa to pack their belongings and relocate elsewhere. I do not regret my statement. We were all elected by the same people. I do not have anywhere else to call my town than Danmusa but yet I cannot go there at will.”
Mr Danmusa added that people of his constituency were being killed and an uncountable number of cattle rustled by bandits because security agents in the area are overwhelmed and not “combatant enough.”
He said President Buhari can bring an end to the insecurity within seven days, adding, however, that the attitude of the president is that of betrayal.
What crime have we committed? The president should listen to us and act because this hide and seek will lead us nowhere. I’m calling on all stakeholders; politicians, Islamic scholars, businessmen, emirs to go and tell him the truth.”
The Enugu State House of Assembly has passed the Prohibition of Open Grazing and Regulation of Cattle Ranching Bill into law.
This is coming two days after the House held a public hearing on the Bill.
The passage the Bill followed the consideration of the Report of Public Hearing presented by Chairman of the joint Committee, Hon. Mrs Amaka Ugwueze and Emma Ugwuerua Ph.D and Okwu Chinedu Co chairmen of the Committee
The bill which was sponsored by the leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, would forestall farmers/herders clashes as well as killing and raping of women by herdsmen.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, had, during the public hearing, said that the anti-open grazing bill is not targeted at anybody or group but to promote peaceful co-existence in the state.
The six Members of the Anambra State House of Assembly that, on Tuesday, decamped from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were “bought” with N25 million each, it has been informed.
The House members who defected to APC were Hon. Cater Dike Umeh, Hon. Smart Nonso Okafor, Hon. Lawrence Ezeudu, Hon. Tim Ifediora, Hon, Arthur Chiekwu, and Hon. Edward Ibuzo.
A source, who witnessed the meeting between APC chieftains and the APGA lawmakers, disclosed this on condition of anonymity to this medium on Tuesday.
According to the source, each member was promised N25 million each to dump APGA, the ruling party in the state.
ElombahNews earlier reported that six APGA lawmakers decamped to APC on Tuesday.
The report, however, stated that in all, twelve House of Assembly Members will make the move to APC as six others are set to join.
The defection followed a secret meeting held in Abuja with APC leaders from the state where terms and conditions were negotiated.
When contacted, some of the lawmakers denied the claim, saying that it is mere fallacy.
Meanwhile, insinuations are rife that the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Okafor, who is currently holidaying in London, will also possibly decamp to avoid impeachment.
Another source said that the Speaker is making frantic calls to his colleagues on the way forward.
The Speaker risks impeachment if he fails to decamp as APGA will lose majority if and when all lawmakers ready to jump ship do so.
The latest development followed the recent defection of the senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah who defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC.
News of her defection was broken to newsmen by Senator Stella Oduah in the company of the APC caretaker national chairman, Mai Mala Buni, chairman APC Anambra Campaign Council and Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the APC candidate for Anambra State governorship election, Senator Andy Uba.
One source claimed that Senator Oduah’s defection few months to the Anambra 2021 governorship election coming up on November 6 was to present her as Andy Uba’s running mate in the election.
However, the real reason behind her defection to APC has been unraveled by APC members.
Recall that recently a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the former Aviation Minister if she failed to appear in court by the next adjourned date in an alleged N5 billion fraud trial.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the warning on July 12 after Dr. Hassan Liman, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the trial against Senator Oduah and eight others told the court that the former minister was not in court to take her plea.
According to an insider, Oduah was blackmailed into defection or face the humiliation of a criminal trial and possible jail term.
Sandwiched between the devil and the deep blue sea, she did not hesitate to jump ship to save her neck from the hangman’s noose.
The blackmail tactic has been successfully deployed by APC against several PDP office holders including governors and senators past and present.
In another development, President Muhammadu Buhari has presented the party’s flag to Andy Ubah, the APC Anambra gubernatorial candidate in State House on August 31.
Present at the event with President Buhari were the Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, APC Chairman Caretaker Committee and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, APC Candidate for the Anambra Gubernatorial Elections Senator Andy Uba, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, SGF Boss Mustapha and Minister of Special Duties Senator George Akume as he presented Flag to APC Candidate for the Anambra Gubernatorial Elections Senator Andy Uba in State House on 31st Aug 2021.
