Law

Gov’ship ticket: Group warns NWC against contempt of court, manipulation in Ebonyi PDP

Published

3 years ago

June 11, 2022

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A non-profit, socio-cultural organization
on the aegis of Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID), has warned the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against contempt of Court and manipulation by some ‘desperate politicians.’

The group which is interested in supporting and ensuring good and credible governance in Ebonyi state urged the leadership of the PDP to be firm, fair, just and consistent in maintaining its stand on the law.
According to the group, “Any attempt to allow itself to be muscled will lead to the crumbling of the entire cookies of the party in Ebonyi and is even capable of causing serious crises in our once peaceful state.
They indicated that the PDP would become a laughing stock if it fails to put it’s best foot forward in the mould of a rallying forces with immense capacity like Ifeanyi Odii and giving opportunity to capable men like him to return the party to power in 2023.”

In a statement released Saturday in Abuja by the President of the AEISCID Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, said the organisation considered it a grave injustice and unfair treatment to Chief Ifeanyi Odii, “the moves by Ogba and his co-travellers to mislead the NWC into ignoring a valid Court order originating from an Abakaliki Federal High Court on the matter of which primary election was properly conducted in line with the Electoral Act (as amended).”

The statement reads: “That we have carefully studied the unfolding political scenario in the PDP, Ebonyi State and the desperate antics of some amoral politicians since the October 16, 2021 State Congress during which some of the leaders selfishly imposed a certain Toochukwu Okorie who was hitherto unknown to both politics and the Party as it’s State Chairman. It is instructive to note that this was the genesis of the festering crises that has been rocking the Party in Ebonyi State. We wish to point out that the crises in the PDP is first and foremost a clear case of inability of former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim to show worthy and selfless leadership.

“That despite the hues, the cries and the outrages which the seeming leadership imposition made possible by the leaders of the Party such as; Anyim Pius Anyim, the South East Vice Chairman of the Party, Ali Odefa and their preferred choice Governorship aspirant, Sen. Obinna Ogba including some other National Assembly members which we gathered did not go down very well with some of the stakeholders and leaders of the Party, those behind the questionable conduct of unilaterally imposing a Chairman via a controversial State congress carried on as though they have become destructive agents who do not care about the unity, peace and success of the Party in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. This, AEISCID was made to understand was done in extant breach of some of the Party’s laid down guidelines and procedures.

“That expectedly and following this ugly development therefore, some aggrieved Party members approached the Court to seek redress and judgment was given in favour of Barr. Silas Onu returning him as the authentic Chairman of the Party in the State on the 13th of April 2022. The said verdict of an Abuja Federal High Court, we are also informed is being appealed in the Court of Appeal, Abuja division by the Okorie faction of the PDP.

“Ordinarily, we should expect that the decision of the National leadership of the Party to comply with the Court’s decision ought to have brought absolute peace, order and tranquility in the Party. But it is now obvious that some politicians who feel that they are above the law and the Party’s laid down rules and procedures began desperate moves not just to scuttle the Party’s unity in very desperate pursuits of their own selfish political ambitions. They have therefore carried on since then as destructive agents- making concerted efforts to ensure the law is thwarted and that the Party’s chances of returning back to power is ruined.
“That all of these uncanny conducts of a few selfish leaders and to an extent their followers have undoubtedly culminated and worsened the crises in the Party with the conduct of Party’s primaries ahead the 2023 general elections. It is therefore the reason behind the tussle for the Party’s ticket between Senator Obinna Ogba and business mogul, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and others. The supporters of the two factions of the once crises-free Party have all therefore tilted their loyalties towards the two camps.

“That since the crises escalated, we have dispassionately observed the unhealthy dispositions of the National Working Committee, NWC members who appear divided between the two warring camps jostling to fly the Party’s flag. The National leadership of the PDP, AESID cautions, should therefore be admonished to tow the part of the law and comply with only the Court’s clear pronouncements on this matter rather than pander to those who are pursuing their egoistic selfish gains, interests and agenda against those seeking the collective interest, unity and success of the Party in the forthcoming general election.

“That we have also noted with dismay the apparent hypocritical stand of some of the NWC who insists and have continued to prevail on Chief Odii who hails from Ebonyi South to drop his gubernatorial ambition citing zoning while working for the emergence of Sen. Ogba- an aspirant from Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone as against those who feel it is ordinarily the turn of the Northern part of the State to govern Ebonyi again. Yet, the same NWC placed competence and capacity far above zoning in the Presidential primaries it held a few weeks ago.”

While noting that the utmost concern of any political party in opposition should be the mobilization of men and resources towards ensuring that it returns back to power in 2023, Oluchukwu urged the party to place competence, capacity and popularity above ethnic or clannish interests to enable it bounce back.

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Law

MAMBILLA: Court halts proceedings, adjurns over EFCC’s invalid prosecution witness against Agunloye

Published

10 months ago

May 30, 2024

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The hearing of the criminal charges against the former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, which formally began at the FCT Court Thursday, 30 May 2024 before the same Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie was stalled over presentation of invalid prosecution witness by EFCC against Agunloye

EFCC is prosecuting Dr. Agunloye for “awarding in 2003 a $6 billion Build, Operate and Transfer $¾(BOT) contract without cash backing, disobeying oral directives of the President, forging his own letter as a sitting Minister and receiving a retroactive bribe of N3.6 million 16 years after.” To prove its case, EFCC has listed seven witnesses excluding former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who had earlier volunteered to testify at the court.

At the court, EFCC presented its first Prosecution Witness (PW1), Mr Adewale as “representative of the Guaranty Trust Bank”. He was brought to discuss the GTBank statement of accounts presented by EFCC. But the moment Mr Adewale disclosed that he was not in the employment of GTBank, the defence lawyers quickly pointed out the aberration to the court which immediately halted the presentation of Mr Adewale. The court promptly stopped the proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Monday, 10 June 2024 to enable the EFCC regularise its Prosecution Witness Number One.

It will be recalled that the former Minister, Dr. Olu. Agunloye, has consistently asserted that he did not commit any crime, and that EFCC is prosecuting him to corroborate FGN’s pleas at the arbitration in France hoping to free FGN from liabilities in the Arbitration even though FGN knows that the issues that led to the international arbitration were caused under Buhari’s APC Government and not by Agunloye. However, Agunloye will have to combat the emergent bias, prejudice, and prejudgment on the part of the trial judge and has to struggle very hard for justice in Nigeria.

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Law

EFCC to arraign Bello on Thursday over alleged N80.2b money laundering

Published

11 months ago

April 17, 2024

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has indicated it will on Thursday, April 18, 2024 arraign a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The antigraft agency said Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88
The arraignment is being perfected following a warrant of arrest and enrolment order granted the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Count one of the charges reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu( Still at large), sometime, in February, 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended”.

Count 17 of the charges read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of N3081,804,654.00( Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act.

Count 18 of the charges reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330.00( Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand , Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act”.

“The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo who ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.
“As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

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Law

Court bars Ganduje from parading himself as member of APC

Published

11 months ago

April 17, 2024

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Yhe Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.

The court ordered that Ganduje must refrain from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee of the APC.

The application waa said to have been granted by Justice Usman Na’abba on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executives who suspended Ganduje on Monday.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, NWC, APC Kano State Working Committee, and Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15th,2024 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30th 2024

Justice Na’abba, also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

The ex parte order read,, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (first), APC National Working Committee (second), Kano State Working Committee APC (third), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.
“The order thereby restraining the first respondent (APC) from recognising the fourth respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the fourth respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the fourth respondent (Ganduje}is prohibited from parading himself as a . member of APC or doing any act that may _ portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the
substantive suit.”

Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of the APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano State Government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of the AP from the National chairman’s polling unit.

in the petition, Adamu complained over allegations of corruption charges against the
former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed en April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted upon the petition, a decision that led to Ganduje’s suspension.

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