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Alex Otti wins, as Supreme Court affirms his election as Gov of Abia State

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Alex Otti

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party as the duly elected governor of Abia state.

The apex court in its ruling dismissed the issue of invalid nomination, saying that the sponsorship of a candidate is purely a party affair.

Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney-General of the Federation who is the counsel for the APC and its candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, had asked the Supreme Court to declare that Otti was not duly sponsored by the LP.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Otti winner of the Abia State governorship election with 175,467 votes.

Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and Enyinnaya Nwafor of the YPP trailed Otti with 88,529 and 28,972 votes respectively.

However, the PDP and APC challenged his election victory both at the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court but lost out.

The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State dismissed the appeals finding that the APC and the PDP did not produce enough evidence to prove that Otti was not a member by LP or that the votes he scored were forged.

The appeal court also held that membership and sponsorship by a political party remain a pre-election matter and the internal affairs of a political party.

Malami asked the five-man panel of the apex court chaired by Justice Inyang Okoro to allow his appeal and set aside the judgment of the lower courts, contending that Otti and other respondents were not constitutionally sponsored by their party because at the time of the election, they were members of another political party.

Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel for Otti told the apex court that there is nothing novel about the appeal by the APC because the Supreme Court had made several pronouncements saying sponsorship and membership by a political party remained an the internal affairs of a political party.

The PDP’s legal team alleged before the court that the results in Obingwa LGA of Abia state were short-changed against his client and in favour of Otti.

Ikpeazu urged the apex court to align with the decisions of lower courts in the allegations of non-compliance.

Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji of the Supreme Court held that record showed that Otti duly joined the LP before the March 18 governorship election.

“This appeal shouldn’t have been taken up to this level,” Justice Aji said, adding that the lower courts were right to state that Otti’s LP membership remains the internal affairs of his party.

The judge said the purported Electoral results forms from Obingwa LGA tendered by the PDP remained inadmissible because it was not frontloaded alongside the petition.

The apex court further held that the witnesses fielded by the petitioners were incompetent.

“The appeal is hereby dismissed and the judgment of the Appeal Court is hereby affirmed,” the judge held.

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No break for Abure as Edo LP ratifies suspension

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**As thugs loyal to Abure unleash mayhem on LP protesters from Edo

There seem to be no end in sight for the crises in the Labour Party as the Edo State chapter has officially ratified the suspension of the National chairman of the party, Julius Abure.
This was contained in a correspondent to the National Headquarters of the party titled: Ratification. Of the suspension from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North qEast LGA, Edo State.
The letter which was signed by the chairman and secretary of the state chapter of the party, Com. Ogbaloi K.S.E State Chairman and Com. Akhere Frederick respectively and was copied INEC.
The Letter reads,

“Here forwarded to you and for your notification, the ratification of the suspension of Comr Barr. Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North East LGA. Edo State.

“The State Executive Council, Labour Party, Edo State, comprising of the State Working Committee, the 18 Local Government Chairmen and the 18 Local Government Secretaries met on the 24” of May, 2024, at about 11:00pm, to consider the matters presented on the suspension of Comr. Barr. Julius Abure by his Ward in Arue, Uromi, Esan North East LGA, and the upholding of the suspension by the LGA Excos.

“After clinical analysis of the accusation, the Council found them weighty and further ratified and upheld the suspension.
Meanwhile, Thugs suspected to be loyal to the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), on Monday unleashed mayhem on Protesters believed to be LP supporters from the Edo State chapter who were at the party National secretariat to demand Abure’s ouster.

The anti- Abure protesters stormed the party headquarters in a number of vehicles holding placards and chanting solidarity songs.

No sooner than some of the protesters stepped out of one of the vehicles than the suspected thugs swooped on the vehicles with sticks and other objects forcing the drivers to zoom off.

A detachment of armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) intervened when the thugs started throwing stones into the nearby Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, in pursuit of reporters who were convering the fracas.

The intervention of the security officials prevented the situation from further degenerating. A police vehicle is currently stationed in between the warring factions.

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Kuteb accuses TY. Danjuma Of distorting history of Takum chieftaincy

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By our correspondent

The Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria (KYN) the umbrella body of Kuteb world wide has accused Gen. Theophilus Danjuma ((rtd) of deliberately distorting and inventing new history of Takum Chieftaincy to benefit his tribal people (Chamba)
Chief Emmanuel Ukwen, President General Kuteb Yantso of Nigeria stated this while addressing newsmen in Jalingo on Friday.
The accusation is coming after the recent appointment of HRH Bar. Sopiya Gboshi as chief of Takum who was presented with staff of office by Gov Agbu Kefas to succeed late Ukwe Ali Ibrahim kufang ll who died 28 years ago.
The Kuteb also accused Gen. Danjuma and his associates of making plans to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the ancestral palace of Ukwe Takum which had been located behind the Mosque.
Chief Ukwen recalled the recent speech presented by Dajuma during the coronation of the newly appointed chief of Takum against the Kuteb and late Ukwe Takum Ali Ibrahim was unjust and unacceptable.
“It is a pity that TY Danjuma referred to late Ukwe Ali Ibrahim as a very bad and terrible chief on flimsy reasons because he was a Kuteb man and a Muslim.
Record have it that late Ukwe Ali ibrahim was an honest and peace loving leader who ruled over the people of Takum from 1963 to 1996 and was adjuged by all as a leader with fear of God.
“We have uncovered a sinister move by Danjuma and his cohorts to force the State Governor to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the Ukwe Takum Palace which is located behind the Mosque under the guise of Urban development.
“We want the whole world to know that the graves of our late Ukwes who reigned and died are in the palace.
“Any attempt by Danjuma and his cohorts to desecrate the tombs of our fathers will amount to cultural genocide,” he said.
The Kuteb leader also accused Danjuma of preaching peace in the public while he has secretly instigated and funded many crisis in his hometown, Takum.
The very recent was the sponsoring of Fulanis to wipe out over 200 Kuteb villages preparatory to the forceful installation of a Chamba Chief inorder to weaken and silence the Kuteb people in Takum.
“The Kuteb through Ukwe Takum ruled Takum from 1510 to 1996 uninterrupted by any other tribe, how comes Danjuma is forging history that the Kutebs are people from the hills? Ukwen questioned.
Meanwhile, Gen. Danjuma during the convocation of the Chief of Takum described the Kuteb people as troublesome and urged the State Governor, Kefas Agbu to be careful with the Kuteb people.
Forefront recalls that Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria shortly after the appointment of the new chief of Takum, vowed not to recognise the newly crowned chief Sopiya Gboshi from Chamba tribe.
The Kutebs vehemently vowed not to recognise the new Chief and would exhaust every legal means to recover their ancestral stool.

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FRSC confirms death of 5 persons, 3 survivors in Kogi auto crash

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By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Kogi State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of five persons in a fatal auto crash on Kabba-Obajana road in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of the state.

The State Sector Commander, Samuel Oyedeji, who confirmed the accident and death of the five to newsmen on Thursday in Lokoja said three others survived the accident with serious injuries.

Oyedeji attributed the accident which involved a Ford Galaxy space wagon and a Mazda car, to speeding and wrongful overtaking.

“The head-on collision between the two cars moving in the opposite directions happened due to speeding and wrongful overtaking by one of the drivers.

“We have been preaching against drivers flouting road safety rules and regulations, yet these motorists hardly heed our warnings.

“Five persons lost their lives in the fatal accident that left three others seriously injured,” he said.

The Sector Commander said that officers from the command immediately carried out a rescue operation at the scene of the accident and rushed the three injured persons to General Hospital, Kabba for medical attention.

Oyedeji said the remains of the five dead persons were also deposited at the mortuary of the Kabba General Hospital.

The Kogi Sector Commander admonished motorists to always endeavour to always obey road safety rules and regulations to avoid fatal auto crashes on the highways. (Ends)

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