Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Prof Chukwuma Soludo on Friday shunned the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying he would contest in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra against all odds.
INEC published the list of candidates for the election and excluded Soludo who emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in a primary election conducted by the mainstream members of the party on July 23.
The electoral body instead recognised Chukwuma Udoji as the authentic candidate of APGA in the poll based on court order.
Mr Udoji had emerged as the candidate of the party in a primary election conducted by a factional national chairman of the party, Jude Okeke.
Addressing the development, Soludo in a statement by his media aide Joe Anatune said he was still in the running for the governorship seat.
“The Chukwuma Soludo Campaign has been briefed on a publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission where Honourable Chukwuma Umeorji has been published as the candidate of the APGA in the November 6, 2021, gubernatorial election in Anambra State,” the statement read.
“The INEC publication is based on a judgment by a High Court in Jigawa State, and the electoral body sensibly wrote that its inclusion of Umeorji as a candidate in the election is “By Judgment”.
“Our millions of supporters in Anambra State and elsewhere in the world are advised not to be dispirited by the publication seriously.
“Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo will participate in the governorship election as the APGA candidate. His nomination was strictly in line with the Electoral Law and INEC guidelines. INEC observed the APGA Congress on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, where he was nominated after winning 93.4 per cent of the valid votes cast in a free, fair and transparent manner which was broadcasted live on national television networks as part of deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.
Our team of dedicated and competent legal experts has studied the judgment and is confident of overturning it effortlessly. The party is at liberty to nominate the right candidate so long as due process is followed. Soludo’s nomination followed due process religiously.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has published the list and personal particulars of candidates and their running mates for the November 6 Governorship Election in Anambra State.
In the list published on Friday, the electoral umpire, in obedience to orders of court, dropped the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
The commission, instead, named Chukwuma Michael Umeoji as substantial be candidate of APGA.
While it named Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah as candidate of the YPP, it also named Dr Emmanuel Andy Nnamdi Uba as that of the All Progressives Congress APC.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye in statement said INEC had met the previous day and among other things considered the list/personal particulars of candidates nominated by the various political parties for the Anambra State Governorship election scheduled to hold on 6th November 2021.
He said; “The Commission also considered and took cognizance of the Judgments/Court Orders served on it in relation to the primaries of the political parties and other processes leading to the election.
“In line with section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) the personal particulars of the candidates will be published in the Commissions Notice Board in Awka, Anambra State while the names of the candidates, their gender, party, age, qualification and the Commissions decision/remarks are herein attached.
“The Commission will continue to act in consonance with the Constitution and the law and will continue to obey the judgments and orders of courts served on it”.
The Chukwuma Soludo Campaign has been briefed on a publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where The Honourable Chukwuma Umeorji has been published as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 2021 gubernatorial election in Anambra State. The INEC publication is based on a judgment by a High Court in Jigawa State, and the electoral body sensibly wrote that its inclusion of Umeorji as a candidate in the election is “By Judgment”..
Our millions of supporters in Anambra State and elsewhere in the world are advised not to be dispirited by the publication seriously. Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will participate in the governorship election as the APGA candidate. His nomination was strictly in line with the Electoral Law and INEC guidelines. INEC observed the APGA Congress on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, where he was nominated after winning 93.4 per cent of the valid votes cast in a free, fair and transparent manner which was broadcast live on national television networks as part of deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.
Our team of dedicated and competent legal experts has studied the judgment and is confident of overturning it effortlessly. The party is at liberty to nominate the rightful candidate so long as due process is followed. Soludo’s nomination followed due process religiously.
Therefore, there is no need for Anambra people and all lovers of progress in Nigeria to be worried about the judgment. The judgment will be set aside the way orders by Mr Justice Stanley Nnaji of the Enugu State High Court and Mr Justice Egbo Egbo of the Federal High Court in Abuja were thrown out when they embarrassed the legal profession with their decisions on the struggle for the governorship of Anambra State a few years after the inception of democratic governance in 1999. Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state were then toying with the destiny of a great state.
Millions of Ndi Anambra are understandably shocked that there are still desperate politicians in the state who want to reenact the years which the locusts consumed. They are determined to go to any and every length to acquire power for its own sake. We thought that the state had passed the stage where some of its politicians were moving from one end of the country to the other in the dead of the night in search of judicial orders to impose themselves on the people as their rulers, not leaders.
Our supporters and indeed all Anambra people, who have been waiting patiently for Soludo’s leadership of the state, are advised not to be deterred by the Jigawa State Court order. They should rather remain supremely confident of not only Soludo’s participation in the November 6 gubernatorial vote but also his triumph in the polls with a big margin which will lead to a new era in our state for the benefit of all. The campaign for Soludo’s emergence as the successor to Governor Willie Obiano has become a movement of the people through and through. The movement will come to fruition.
The political intriques ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra has shifted to Abuja where an Upper Area Court has issued a direct criminal summons the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA) and former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo to appear before it over alleged serial abuse of office and breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers while he held office as the Governor CBN between 29th May, 2004 – 29th May, 2009.
The direct Criminal Complaint brought by one Oliver Bitrus pursuant to Sections 88 and 89 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The criminal summons marked DC/CR/556/2021 which was issued in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code (CAP 30:255) is signed by Gambo Garba of the Upper Area Court, Zuba, Abuja.
It was predicated upon the complaint filed on July 14, 2021 by counsel to the complainant, Ezea Ferdinand.
It commanded Soludo to appear before the court on August 23, 2021 in respect of the allegations made against him.
According to court documents, the complainant, Oliver Bitrus, alleged that between the period Prof. Soludo held office as a Public Officer he flagrantly breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officer by buying or acquiring interest in a property known and described as No. 50 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7AT, United Kingdom. The property is covered by File Plan of Tile No. MX362301.
Mr. Oliver claimed that this property, was bought or acquired using a proxy and/or nominee company known as Universal Energy Company Limited, and which investigation revealed was incorporated in the Isle of Man; and now used to round-trip public funds for the purchase. As a matter fact, purchase price of £2,150, 000 was paid on 20th October, 2006 in a single tranche, which sum was not fairly attributable to his income as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria at the material time.
Further investigation also disclosed that presently, the property is being occupied by defendant, his spouse and children and used as their personal and official addresses for all their companies and other business undertaking.
The Complainant listed companies owned and operated by the Soludo’s and domiciled at the said property to include “ZINORA LIMITED: A private company owned by Mrs. Nonye Soludo (spouse of Chukwuma Charles Soludo). This is company limited by shares which was registered on 29th January, 2013 with Company N: 8379214 and also has its registered office at No. 50 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7AT, United Kingdom.
The SOLUDO FOUNDATION: Registered on 24th July, 2014 as a private company limited by guarantee with its registered office at No. 50 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7AT, United Kingdom. It also has the Company No: 9145134. The company has the following persons as members or directors – Nonye Frances Soludo, Chukwuma Soludo, Ozonna Tochukwu Soludo, Ifeatu Adaora Nnenna Soludo etal with having the above mentioned property as their address.
“ALLSTERS INVESTMENT LIMITED: Registered on 2nd September, 2015 as a private company limited by shares with Company No: 9757553. It has its registered address at the same No. 50 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7AT, United Kingdom and also has the following persons as Directors – Mrs. Nonye F. Soludo, Miss Ifeatu Adaora Nnenna Soludo, Mr. Ozonna Tochukwu Soludo and Mr. Chinua Belolisa Naeto Soludo with all the directors having the property in issue as the address.
The Claimant further claims that a sequential trail of evidence has revealed that while holding public office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the defendant abused his office and breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by using a proxy, nominee or trustee company – Universal Energy Company Limited, incorporated in the Isle of Man for syndication of fund, to acquire the property and deliberately failed to declare the said property or his obvious interest therein in his Assets Declaration Form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau. As a result, he flagrantly violated Article 11 of the Part 1, 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and thereby liable to the penal sanction of disqualification from holding any other public office for a period of 10 years and forfeiture of the illicit property to the Federal Government of Nigeria pursuant to Article 18(2) of the Law.
Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano has reacted to the statement by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in which they alleged that the Pro-Biafra group alleged that the Governor funded the arrest of her leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu at Kenya.
The Governor denied the claim by IPOB and said that its a plot by mischief makers as he doesn’t have any hand in the arrest of Mr. Kanu.
In a statement by James Eze, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Obiano said had no hand in any plot against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and enjoined the public to disregard the report.
Our attention has been drawn to a story in Saharareporters.com alleging that the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano was involved in the plot to kidnap and repatriate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) from Kenya to Nigeria.”
”The general public is enjoined to disregard that story because it is totally false without the tinniest grain of truth. The governor of Anambra State had no hand in any plot against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
It should be crystal clear to anyone that the Federal Government of Nigeria headed by Muhammadu Buhari as the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, does not need the assistance of a governor who has no control over any security and intelligence architecture to do whatever it wants to do.”
“The report is therefore a deliberate act of mischief that should be ignored by the general public.”
Billionaire businessman Philip Udala may have been assassinated due to business transactions gone awry, if audio tapes making the rounds on the social media are anything to go by.
Udala, a sports enthusiast and owner of Anambra-based Udala Football Club, was killed on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at Eke Agu market junction with four other persons in his convoy.
Those killed with him were the Team Manager of his football club/Secretary of Anambra Independent Football League (AIFL), Godsent Eriobu, and three police escorts.
Chief Udala, an indigene of Uke in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State and a grassroots football development enthusiast, came to limelight following the formation of his football club, Udala FC, in 2016. The team subsequently gained promotion to the National League.
Udala was part of those that fought to bring sanity to Anambra State Football Association (ASFA) and ensure the kick-off of Anambra Independent Football league which was earlier scheduled to end on July 16, 2021.
Though unknown gunmen have been fingered for the killing of Udala, two audio tapes quoted by News Express linked the murder to failed business deals in China.
Udala, who was formerly China-based, was said in the first tape to have allegedly stepped on many toes while on the course of business deals.
The narrator in the second tape corroborated the claims in the first tape. He said: “I know Udala very closely while we were in China. I have received a lot of calls from China regarding the occurrence. The Udala in question doesn’t have a good name at all in China.
I know him well enough; I don’t tell tales, I say it like it is. If he is alive now and sees me, he will call me by my name ‘Afam Imo’ and I will also call him by name. We stayed together well in China and the stories trailing his name over there is not good at all.”
According to the narrator, “Information has it that majority of the shooters were women. That they shot him severally but he didn’t die, so they decided to burn him with his car. The people also burnt their own car to avoid any trace and snatched another car which they made away with. Udala stepped on a lot of toes. The China-based guys are still threatening that more will still happen. That all the people that ran down to Nigeria with people’s money will pay for it.”
The Anambra State Police Command has yet to comment on the incident.
The Nigerian upper legislative chamber, has finally passed the electoral act amendment bill.
The bill was passed for third reading after Kabiru Gaya, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), presented a report at a plenary session on Thursday.
The major bone of contention in the legislation is the transmission of election results electronically and spending limits for candidates of political parties.
The legislation is seeking to repeal and re-enact the 2010 electoral act which has been under consideration for years.
Earlier reports said that the national assembly blocked the transmission of election results through electronic means in clause 50(2) of the bill.
In clause 88 of the legislation, the lawmakers tripled expenses for presidential, gubernatorial, senate and house of representatives elections by about 200 percent.
The alleged action by the national assembly has drawn criticism from many Nigerians and after the outrage the federal lawmakers restored the electronic transmission clause.
During the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, Sabi Abdullahi, deputy senate whip, proposed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) must certify that national coverage is adequate and secure while the national assembly must approve before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can transmit election results.
But Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east, kicked against the idea and said the initial proposal made by the committee should be retained.
“The commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable,” section 50(3) of the report read.
After a rowdy session and using a “division” voting method, the senate eventually retained Abdullahi’s amendment after a 52-28 vote.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of appointing Northern Muslims to key positions.
Bishop Kukah also expressed fear that Buhari is not handling issues concerning religious crisis the right way.
The cleric said this at a virtual presentation with the US Congress in Washington on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic extremist groups in the Northern Region of Nigeria.
Kukah told Congress that although the attack on Christians in Nigeria have been happening for many years now, it has risen in the last 10 years.
He also claimed that extremists, bandits, Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram were targeting many schools in the North especially, Christian ones and are “indoctrinating the children.
They end up converting these children to wives, cooks, spies, sexual slaves and so on,” the Bishop said.
The Bishop also complained to Congress that President Buhari is deliberately appointing people of his ethnic group and religion into key political positions.
“In 2020, they killed some of our Priests in the North.
They kidnapped our children and forced them to denounce Christianity for Islam.
We have issued statements and called the attention of the government to our plight but you see, we have weak institutions.
“The whole of the North is being invaded by armed bandits that are launching attacks at will.
The President has shown nepotism in his appointments as he is appointing only people that share the same religion with him into key political offices like the security Chiefs.
“For the first time in Nigeria, the first three persons: the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representative are all Muslims.
This has never happened before. So, we require practical and measuring assistance that can help us and our children,” the cleric cried out.
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state has terminated the appointments of some of his aides said to be redundant and dormant for some years without justifications for their huge salaries.
An official letter dated 6th July, 2021 and signed by the Chief of Staff to the Anambra State Government Mr. Primus Ugochukwu Odili and addressed to the state Accountant-General noted that all salaries, incentives and benefits of those affected by the dismissal should be terminated forthwith.
Part of the letter reads, “I write to communicate the approval of His Excellency, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano, the Executive Governor of Anambra state for the termination of appointments of the underlisted appointees with immediate effect.”
Some of the affected political appointees as published by the Chief of Staff include Azubuike Okafor Senior Special Assistant on Grassroot Mobilizations, Prince Onyechi Okafor Senior Special Assistant on Lands, Barr. John C Onyeakpa, Chika Gabriel Ibeneme, Senior Special Assistant on Media, Joseph Okonkwo Senior Special Assistant on Project Management (FADAMA) Esedo Ruth Uzochukwu, Special Assistant on Environment, Chidi Adi Ekwenugo Senior Special Assistant ANSSIPA, Ezekwelu Kingsley, Senior Special Assistant on Media, to mention a few of the dismissed government appointees.
Managing Director of the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Mr. Jude Emecheta, noted that it was most unfortunate that those the governor paid salaries turned around to fight against him.
Emecheta said, “It is unfortunate that a man pays your salary, you work for him and you think he wasn’t doing things right, the only option you have is to resign honourably instead of collecting his pay, use it to buy data to write against him.
“That is the most silly thing to do. If you disagree with him resign but not to openly castigate him. I think His Excelllency exercised utmost restraint, some of us don’t have this patience. They will join opposition and fight. We wish them Goodluck but I
EXCERPTS from Helen Oyibo’s interview with Joe Igbokwe, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage & Water Resources.
HO: You posted one very dramatic picture on hearing about the arrest of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu; raised your hands in the air, thanking God for your life. What was going through your mind?
Joe Igbokwe: “He (Kanu) said, on Radio Biafra, that if they see me, his boys, they should behead me and kill all my children, destroy my home and I played it down but I put my life in the hands of God and that of my family because I was asking myself, I was like has it gotten to this, that you cannot hear voices that are not saying no, we can’t go this way.
”I’m older than him, I saw the civil war, he didn’t see the civil war. I know what we went through, I couldn’t go to school during the civil war, I was in Primary 5 when the war started in 1967 and after the war, I started again from Primary 5 and I understand what played out, the casualties, the pain, the tears, the losses, my father lost his business and we said, do we have to go through this way again?
Bandits Are For Business, IPOB Is Calling For War – Joe Igbokwe
“Having seen it all because I know what he doesn’t know and I have seen what he has not seen, I have the experience, I have seen it all and I have the history behind me. Has it gotten to this that if you have dissent voices then the person has to be killed?
“It could have been worse, many people died. I am not celebrating death; I’m just thanking God that at least I may be a little bit free… Again, I’m looking at the big picture too; do we have to go this way again?”
“Again, I am looking at the big picture too. Do we have to go this way again? Because my people will say if elders are not at home, children will wear snakes, and call them necklaces.”
HO: You talk about the pains of the Civil War and some people will say the memories as well as the inability of the Country to truly compensate for the loss (marginalisation) might be a reason why the likes of Nnamdi Kanu are calling for a separation. What are your thoughts on it?
Joe Igbokwe: “It’s not the option, you negotiate, you go to the conference table to negotiate because you may say we have been marginalized, yes because, after all, we have the least number of states if you compare us to other zones, it is denying us a lot of things but if you place the three major ethnic groups on the table, Igbo is not the last in terms of anything, education, wealth, cash, we are not the last. I won’t tell you we are the first but I won’t tell you we are the last.
Enterprising spirit is our culture, our tradition but they are not doing the business in the southeast, across everywhere, Lagos, Kaduna, Sokoto. Igbos are widely travelled people, we need the space, we can go anywhere, why are you asking for a small space? There’s no ethnic group in Nigeria widely travelled as our people. An Igbo man will go to a place and start a small business and start booming.
“What I want is that the Federal Government should give Igbos additional states, I’ve been advocating for that for years now, just one state because we work hard in this country, we built Abuja, a sizeable part of Abuja, if all the governors gather here in Abuja, we will be the least — five others have six.
Bandits Are For Business, IPOB Is Calling For War – Joe Igbokwe
“Kanu’s arrest was serious international diplomacy, a delicate and seamless operation that must have taken years to plan. So, take the leader away and the followers will scatter.”
HO: Again, how can you respond to criticisms that the FG is deploying resources with a big sledgehammer on a fly in the case of Nnamdi Kanu and haven’t employed their energy, resources and attention to the rising spate of Boko Haram and the newest (banditry and kidnappings) to quell insecurity?
Joe Igbokwe: “That is the argument of the weak human beings, you want to compare Sambisa Forest to the South-East that is smaller than Kogi State. Bandits come to kidnap for money, you pay them and they release you, that is their business, those people may not even be Nigerians. It is not war, it is not secession. In fact, in the Supreme Court of Nigeria when the issue of secession came up, the Supreme Court will not entertain it; we don’t discuss it.
“You don’t talk about it, tribes must die for you to build a nation? It is unheard of, we have made mistakes in the past, we don’t want to make them again. It is a delicate, complicated matter. Almost 400 young men lost their lives in two months.”
