Politics
2023: Ebonyi indigenes reject Umahi, say Nigeria will collapse in one week under him

***Demand Umahi’s stewardship in the state
The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) said it received with mixed feelings the news that Ebonyi state Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, declared his intention to contest for presidency, saying the governor should give stewardship of his seven years in the state.
While totally rejecting Umahi’s presidential ambition, the Ebonyi indigenes said Nigeria won’t survive a week under the “dictatorship style of governor Umahi” as president.
Governor Umahi had on Tuesday met with President Muhammadu Buhari and thereafter announced his intention to succeed the president.
But reacting to the development through a statement signed Thursday and made available to newsmen in Abuja, AESID’s president Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, who acknowledged Umahi’s constitutional right to contest, said the governor has failed “to secure our tiny Ebonyi State with the consistent and reported attacks and communal clashes recorded under his administration, some of which are allegedly fuelled even by his political appointees.
“As we speak, thousands who were displaced by communal war in Effium, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state are yet to return to their ancestral homes, needless to speak of receiving any succour whatsoever from the Umahi administration.
“The thousands of victims who were also displaced in three communities in Ezza north LGA where he is lavishing public funds in building an International Cargo Airport remain displaced as they are yet to be duly compensated by the Umahi administration. Hunger and poverty has been weaponized by his government such that all might come to beg for crumbs on his table.
“Any wonder Ebonyi is now officially rated the poverty capital of the entire Southern Nigeria by the National Bureau of Statistics.”
While rejecting Umahi’s presidential ambition, the group said: “With the way and manner he has handled the State’s House of Assembly which is ordinarily a separate arm of government, are we not certain that a National Assembly under an Umahi Presidency would be worse than the current rubber-stamp legislative arm that we have in Nigeria?
“Will Nigeria truly survive just a one-week reign of a Dictator like Umahi?
“AESID would wish to ask; which impact and mark has Governor Umahi made in Ebonyi’s critical sectors such as, Education- given we are classified as Educationally-Less-Developed, Health- given our poor maternal mortality rate and Agriculture-given our rich potentials in this sector? What about the State’s Civil service he has left in its shadows, including Lecturers in our State-owned tertiary institutions whose salaries he has withheld and pays any pittance he feels like? Is it the retirees some of who have died in their pains and agonies over non-payment of their due entitlements or their sorrowing relatives that would drum support for Umahi’s touted 2023 Presidential ambition?
“Mysterious deaths such as the sudden ‘disappearance’ of some five NELAN contractors sometime in November last year among other cases of suspicious demises all points to alleged diabolic and wicked extent the government has gone in its dealings with the now beleaguered Ebonyi masses.
“Rather than provide jobs for our teeming populace, what the Umahi government specializes on is to appoint, through proxies, our vibrant youths who daily sing it’s praises on the Social media for some pittance.
“For this noble accountability platform in particular therefore, we believe it is time for him to be held to account for the little opportunity he has had in just one, out of a total of the 36 States of the federation that he now aspires to pilot their affairs.
Although the Ebonyi group expressed reservations that the Igbos have not been fairly treated on the issue of Nigeria’s presidency, but added that “all who feel they have the right qualification shouldn’t whip up this sentiment. They should rather convince the electorates like it is done in saner democracies and build bridges across the Niger to enable them realize their ambition of clinching Nigeria’s Presidency.
“AESID is amazed that rather than learn lessons from Egwu’s sordid experience which he is fully aware of, Umahi who backed out of supporting the Atiku/Obi Presidential ticket of his then PDP in 2019 with a flimsy claim that he was not ‘consulted’ before the choice of the later was made as Atiku’s running mate is towing exactly the same ignoble path.
“Whereas, it is within his constitutional right to run for the highest office in the land no doubt, we are also compelled by morality, truth and good conscience to bring the issues of his rather mishandling of our dear State’s affairs in the about seven years that he has held sway as Governor to bare so that some gullible Nigerian publics will not be deceived by the antics of a man who drops the name of ‘God’ in every sentence but has his heart full of evil and wickedness!
“Drawing reference from the age-long cliché that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, we are not in any doubt that a more absolute power for an Umahi could mean arming a man who has ran amok with a knife to enter the market place.”
Politics
Obi did received N850m from Abure, Tanko clarifies

***describes claim as malicious
The Obi – Datti Chief Spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko has clarriffied insinuation by one Mr Calistus Okafofor that the National Chairman of Labour Party Barrester Julius Abure, gave the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi eight hundred and fifty million Naira, (N850million) to prosecute the 2023 election.
Dr Tanko while debunking the clai said Obi did not collect any funds from the party describing the claim as false, adding that the reverse is the case.
He noted that it was Obi who actually gave money to the party severally.
He challenged Okafor to produce evidence, if actually the chairman told him that he gave Obi money for the purpose of campaign during the election.
“His Exellency has been exemplary in his financial conduct in both his private and public life.
“infact he always matain and always demand for Accountability and Transparency from anybody around
him.
He maintaned that anybody around him should not collect any money from anyone that he or she can not account for.
Dr Tanko declared that he was in the forefront of the campaign and privy to most of the expenses during the campaign and to the best of his knowledge, the party never provided any money directly to Obi to support his campaign rallies across the country.
The Campaign spokesman further stressed that Obi and his supporters were quite aware of all the campaign of calumny being orchestrated of recent from various quarters against the LP leader just to paint him in bad faith by those scared of his rising acceptance by the Nigerian people.
“We are aware that people are already scheming for 2027 and it is unfortunate that certain individuals have chosen to divert attention from the high rate of insecurity and poverty that are currently threatening the very existence of our nation by constantly attacking the personality of Peter Obi.
“Those are the enemy of Nigeria and Nigerians but l know that God will disappoint them and rescue our country from their grips whether they believe it or not’.
Politics
Ondo 2024: Over 250 political structures join forces with Omoluabi Coalition Group

Some political groups and structures of governorship aspirants in Ondo State numbering over 250 have joined forces with the Omoluabi Coalition Group ahead of November Governorship elections in Ondo State.
This took place on Monday 27th of May 2024 at an expanded Exco’ meeting held in Ore, where the President of the Yoruba Council- YCW; the apex umbrella body for all Yoruba socio cultural groups Aare Barr. Oladotun Hassan received the groups executives from all the 18 local governments across the sunshine state.
Aare Hassan in his welcome address admonished them to remain steadfast, and always imbibe Omoluabi ethos in their conducts.
He stressed the need for the remaining political structures in the state to join forces with Omoluabi Coalition to decide who will govern the State for the next four years, as this governorship election “is not about political party but the candidates”.
The DG Omoluabi Coalition Group Tunji Balogun emphasized the importance of voters card, as he urged those yet to collect theirs to go to INEC offices in their respective local governments for collections.
He said the groups’ target across the state is 200,000 votes. whereas the compilation of registered voters cards at the moment is still 124,678 which is far below target.
He therefore mandated the new members to register their voters cards on the group’s portal for proper documentation.
The woman leader, Yeye Atunluse Oodua Alhaja Tawakalitu while welcoming the new affiliated groups explained that Omoluabi Coalition Group is an independent apolitical and sociocultural group in Yoruba land committed to good governance, aimed at strengthening the democratic process.
She also gave her admonition and assurances that come November governorship election in Ondo state, the choice of Omoluabi Coalition would emerged as governor.
Other speakers included the youth leaders, and state commanders who also corroborated the statements earlier made by the group leaders.
In his closing remarks, the DG Omoluabi coalition advised all members to remain focused and loyal, stressing that the leaders are in consultation with leaders of thought and stakeholders in the State with assurances that “we shall come up with the right choice in the interest of our dear state”.
Omoluabi souvenirs were freely distributed to new members, while the inauguration of streets captains in all 203 wards would come up at a later date.
Politics
I withdrew suit against APC, Aiyedatiwa after Tinubu’s intervention, says Jimoh Ibrahim

The Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South said he has withdrawn his suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa after President Bola Tinubu intervened.
Senator Ibrahim had dragged the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the State Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the party before the Federal High Court Abuja where he challenged the gubernatorial primary election of the APC held recently in Ondo state.
Ibrahim had alleged that there was no voting in his Senatorial district and a larger part of the State.
Following the suit, the executives of the APC in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, suspended Ibrahim from the party over alleged anti-party activities and insubordination.
However, Ibrahim at a briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, said he withdrew the suit in deference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who waded in the issue.
Ibrahim in his statement in Abuja titled: “Presidential intervention and notice of withdrawal suit No.
FHC /ABJ/ CS/588/2024,”said: “The suit is now withdrawn due to the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“The President called me, had a meeting with me, and assured me that he will as the leader of the party improve on internal democracy within our party, and i will need to withdraw the case to enable him to chart a way forward.
“The Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, earlier visited my Asokoro residence for several hours after another unsuccessful visit to my hotel room in Akure.
“I cannot disobey the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the issue am fighting for is not personal.
“It is simply to improve internal democracy to which the President has promised improvement. My respect for the President is absolute!
“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the words of wisdom and encouragement during my meeting with him which lasted over one hour and his various interactions with me on the telephone during which he emphasized his commitment to internal democracy over and over again. Thank you, Mr. President.
“The withdrawal of this legendary suit coincides with the first anniversary of Mr. President’s incredible performance in office, and this is my gift of the ‘cake’ of the first anniversary”
-
Crime1 year ago
Police nabs Killer of Varsity Lecturer in Niger
-
News1 year ago
FCT-IRS tells socialite Aisha Achimugu not to forget to file her annual returns
-
Appointment1 year ago
Tinubu names El-Rufai, Tope Fasua, others in New appointments
-
News From Kogi1 year ago
INEC cancells election in 67 polling units in Ogori-Magongo in Kogi
-
News From Kogi2 years ago
Echocho Challenges Tribunal Judgment ordering rerun in 94 polling units
-
News1 year ago
IPOB: Simon Ekpa gives reason for seperatists clamour for Biafra
-
Metro12 months ago
‘Listing Simon Ekpa among wanted persons by Nigeria military is rascality, intimidation’
-
News1 year ago
Kingmakers of Igu/ Koton-Karfe dare Bello, urge him to reverse deposition of Ohimege-Igu