Plot against Amaechi Thickens as PDP Joins Forces with Omehia

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday joined forces with the sacked Governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia to ask the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeals filed by the incumbent governor, Chibuike Amaechi and a chieftain of the party, Cyprian Chukwu, in relation to the renewed dispute over Amaechi's
tenure. Amaechi and Chukwu, are by their appeals before the apex court, seeking to void the leave granted Omehia by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to appeal an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja in respect of when Amaechi's first tenure ought to have ended. Chukwu had in 2010 applied to the Federal High Court, Abuja, for an interpretation of the 2007 judgment by the Supreme Court in determining when the governorship election was due in Rivers State in 2011.
Omehia was removed from office as the Rivers
State governor in October 2007 on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment, thus paving the way for Amaechi to assume office. In deciding Chukwu's case, Justice Abdulkadir Abdul- Kafarati of the Federal High Court, held that by virtue of the Supreme Court's judgment, Amaechi's first tenure ended on May 28, 2011 and not in October 2011. Justice Abdul-Kafarati held that since the Supreme Court had ruled that it was the PDP that won the election, and the election having not been set aside, the tenure began to run on May 29, 2007 even though Omehia wrongly occupied the office. Dissatisfied, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appealed the judgment by Justice Abdul-Kafarati. Shortly after, Omehia, who was not a party in the suit at the trial court, applied to the Court of Appeal
to be made a party to enable him also appeal the judgment. Despite opposition by Amaechi and Chukwu, the Court of Appeal granted Omehia’s prayer a decision they (Amaechi and Chukwu) found objectionable and consequently appealed to the Supreme Court, questioning the rationale upon which the Appeal Court allowed Omehia to be joined to the suit. Yesterday, the parties adopted their briefs of argument, following which the court adjourned to February 7 next year for judgment. The PDP had at the Court of Appeal, initially opposed Omehia's move to be made a party to the suit, but yesterday made a U-turn and chose to side with Omehia and urged the court to dismiss both appeals.
Lawyers to Amaechi and Chukwu, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Rickey Tarfa (SAN), respectively, drew the Supreme Court’s attention to a change in the position of the lawyer representing the PDP, Olusola Oke. Fagbemi and Tarfa wondered why Oke appeared to have changed his position, having earlier aligned with them at the lower courts. Oke had while adopting his brief urged the court to dismiss both appeals and uphold the decision of the appellate court, which granted Omehia leave to appeal the judgment by Justice Abdul-Kafarati.
He urged the Supreme Court to ignore the technicalities raised by the appellants in seeking to void the leave granted Omehia. Oke argued that the Court of Appeal was in order in granting Omehia leave.
Earlier, Tarfa had urged the court to allow the appeal and void the leave granted Omehia on the grounds that the appellate court acted in error. He argued that Omehia did not place sufficient materials before the court to warrant the leave granted him. Tarfa further argued that Omehia's application was wrongly filed because he applied for permission about 200 days after the trial court delivered its judgment. Fagbemi argued that as an interested party, who sought to appeal the decision of a case that he did not participate in at the trial stage, Omehia failed to comply with the necessary constitutional requirements.
He also queried Omehia’s locus to appeal the trial court’s judgment on the grounds that he failed to satisfy the court that he had a special interest to protect. He argued that Omehia’s claim of being interested in contesting the 2011 governorship
election was not sufficient grounds for the appellate court to have granted him leave because he was just one out of the several people who were interested in contesting the election. Fagbemi argued that Omehia hid from the court the fact that he actually participated in the 2011 election under the banner of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He contended that having enjoyed the benefit of the trial court's judgment by contesting the 2011 governorship under APGA, he could not turn around to attack the same judgment.
Fagbemi also argued that Omehia was left with no interest to protect, having contested the 2011 election under another party. Omehia's lawyer, Nnaemeka Udechukwu (SAN) argued in a similar manner as Oke and prayed the court to dismiss the appeals. Udechukwu said that Omehia was a party in the Supreme Court judgment which the high court interpreted and that his client was adversely affected by the Supreme Court’s judgment.

PDP Clears All 15 Chairmanship Seats, 181 Councillorship Seats in Kwara LG Polls

PDP

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates have won all the 15 chairmanship seats and 181 councillorship seats in Kwara in the Oct. 26 local government election held in the state.

The Chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Uthman Ajidagba, announced the result at the commission's headquarters on Sunday in Ilorin.

According to Ajidagba, the PDP chairmanship candidate in Asa Local Government Council, Malam Saka Obalana, polled 43,748 votes, while his counterpart in Baruten Local Government, Mohammed Bio, scored 76,478 votes.

Alhaji Abubakar Tshonga of Edu Local Government scored 61,291 votes, while his counterpart in Ekiti Local Government Council, Akintoba Fatigun, got 23,888 votes.

The PDP candidate for Ifelodun Local Government, Babatunde Salami, scored 74,299 votes, and his counterpart in Ilorin East Local Council, Abdullateef Okandeji, polled 89,416 votes.
Usman Ebedi, the PDP candidate for IIorin South scored 63,267 votes, while his counterpart in IIorin West , Tajudeen Zulu-Oloje, polled 129,885 votes.

The party's candidate in Irepodun Local Government, Lukman Owolewa, scored 41,187 votes, and the candidate for Isin Local Government, Moruf Thanni, got 21,144 votes.
The flagbearer for Kaima Local Goverment, Alhassan Bagudu, scored 43,747 votes, while Abdulganiyu Ajibola of Moro Local Goverrnment polled 46,493 votes.

The PDP candidate in Oke-Ero Local Government Council, Aminat Yusuf, got 23,957 votes, while her counterpart in Oyun Local Government, Jimoh Alao, scored 34,783 votes and  Uthman Mohammed of Patigi Local Government polled 36,294 votes.

Ajidagba did not however disclose the scores of the 181 councillorship candidates of the party in the election.

He thanked traditional rulers, the media and the people of the state for their support toward the successful conduct of the poll.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which also participated in the election did not score any vote in the election. (NAN)

Olusegun Agagu, Former Ondo Governor Is Dead

Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, the
immediate past governor of Ondo State
is dead. Agagu reportedly slumped and died in
his House in Ibadan, Oyo State,
yesterday afternoon after returning
from a trip to United States. Another
source said he died in his Ikoyi residence,
in Lagos. Agagu, a senior member of the People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, was to meet with
President Goodluck Jonathan next week
along with some elders of the party from
the South West on the lingering crisis in
the Party. Confirming his death, Ondo State
Chairman of the PDP, Ebenezer Alabi,
said “We spoke extensively by 10 a.m.
today, we even shared jokes.” Born February 16, 1948 at Iju Odo in
Okipipupa local government area of
Ondo state, Agagu commenced his
elementary education at St. Luke’s
Anglican School, now known as St. Paul’s
Anglican School Okitipupa, in 1954. In January 1958, he moved to live with his
cousin, Edward Fagbohun in Ibadan, Oyo
state where he continued his primary
education at Ebenezer African Church
School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. He continued his primary education in
Kano in 1959 at Ebenezer Methodist
School and Baptist Primary School
Sabon-Gari, Kano State but went back to
Ebenezer African Church School, Ibadan
where he completed his primary education in 1960. He was in Ibadan
Grammar School between January 1961
and 1967 where he passed his West
African School Certificate and the Higher
School Certificate examinations. He was admitted into the University of
Ibadan in 1968 to study Botany but later
changed to Geology in which he
graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in
Second Class Upper Division, in 1971. Agagu went to the University of Texas
between 1973 and 1974 for his Masters
degree in Geology, and obtained a Ph.D
degree in Petroleum Geology from the
University of Ibadan in 1978. Agagu was appointed by President
Olusegun Obasanjo as Minister of
Aviation in 1999. He was elected Governor of Ondo State
from 29 May, 2003 until February 2009. Agagu was aged 65.

APC beats PDP in Offa council re-run as confusion sets in over who declares winner

IN what appears to be a serious trouncing of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress today defeated the PDP in the Offa Local Government Rerun local government election as the APC won 11 out of the 12 concluded wards in the council.

However, reports reaching the Nigeria Politics Online indicate attempts to manipulate results of the poll as no official of the State Independent Electoral Commission is ready to declare the APC candidate the winner of the poll.

Kwara state is controlled by the PDP with Government AbdulFatai Ahmed as the Governor.

Apart from Igboodun Ward won by the PDP, the APC cleared the votes with very wide margins. A breakdown of the result of the election shows that the APC defeated the PDP in the following wards in the exercise:

OFFA LGA Re-Run Election:

OFFA LGA Re-Run Election:

Councillor result, Balogun ward APC 706 and PDP 279
Shawo S – W ward APC 1176 and PDP 336
S – C ward APC 1132 and PDP 435
Shawo S – E ward APC 1054 to PDP 370
Eesa A ward APC 639 to PDP 363
Eesa B ward APC 644 to PDP 381
Eesa C ward APC 982 and PDP 404
ojomu N – W ward APC 1091 to PDP 353
Ojomu C 1 ward APC 253 to PDP 133
Ojomu C 2 ward APC 675 to PDP 290
Ojomu S – E ward APC 1374 to PDP 427
Ogbodun ward APC 277 to PDP 383

Chairmanship Election result APC 11,526 to PDP 4664.

Obuah's PDP Lied about Workers’ Salaries, Says Rivers Govt

Governor Rotimi Amaechi

The Rivers State Government has dismissed allegations by the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state that it is unable to pay the July salaries of civil servants in the state, describing the faction as serial liars, who have consistently sacrificed the truth
on the altar of scoring cheap political points. The government was reacting to allegations by the PDP that it was playing politics with workers’ salaries and had not been able to pay the July salaries of civil servants in the state. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, David Iyofor, Tuesday advised the group, its backers and sponsors to desist from misinforming and misleading the public as the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led administration remained committed to the welfare of workers in the state
Iyofor said: “It is amazing how low these people
(Obuah group) can go in the name of playing politics. You cannot stand truth on its head because you want to fish for a reason to abuse and attack Amaechi. Obuah and his co- travellers should stop playing politics with the lives of Rivers people. “They claim Amaechi could not pay workers’ salaries but even before they started peddling their wicked lies, civil servants’ salaries in the state were being paid and the payment is on- going. This can be easily verified both from the banks and civil servants; and the state leadership of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the two umbrella unions of the workers. “As the banks furnish the State Ministry of Finance with the new 10-digit Nigerian Uniform Bank Account Numbers (NUBAN) from the old 13-digit account numbers, payments are been made. Anybody that does transaction with any bank is aware of the recent migration by banks from the old 13-digit account numbers to the 10-digit NUBAN account numbers.”
He restated that the Amaechi administration cannot play with the welfare of its workforce as shown by the minimum wage in the state service.
His words: “Indeed, Obuah and his fellow co- travellers deserves our pity and sympathy as they seem to suffer from a chronic case of selective amnesia, otherwise, they would have known that Amaechi do not joke or play politics
with the welfare of workers and that’s why Rivers State today pays N22, 000 minimum wage which is more than the national/federal minimum wage of N18,000.
“It is on record that presently, the Amaechi administration pays one of the highest civil service salary scales in the country, and with absolutely no backlog of unpaid salaries. And just in case Obuah and his group do not know, that is what is called commitment to workers’ welfare. This again, is something Obuah and his group can easily verify.” Iyorfor said Amaechi had been prudent and transparent in handling the finances of the state and that that had reflected in the internally generated revenue of the state and the projects executed by the administration. “The Rivers State government’s finances, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, continues to be robust and administered in a prudent, accountable and transparent manner as can be witnessed by the
growing internally generated revenue profile and timely funding of workers’ salaries and welfare related expenditure, numerous infrastructural projects and social programmes in the State. It is therefore grossly misleading, irresponsible and repugnant for the Felix Obuah and his co-travellers to say otherwise,” he said.

APC Embarks on Trouble Shooting Exercise

General Muhammadu Buhari • Fixes stakeholders' summit for next week.

In a bid to galvanise the views of top leaders of the newly-registered All Progressives Congress (APC), and to pre-empt any crisis of confidence that may erupt during the post merger roll-out of its structures, the party's interim management committee has scheduled a meeting for next week Tuesday in Abuja. THISDAY gathered from a reliable source that the meeting ostensibly tagged, 'stakeholders meeting' was however a fence- mending move to try to rally support for the interim leadership, especially as it embarks of the setting up of party structures in the states and local council areas. As part of efforts to strengthen APC, a special committee headed by Alhaji Bello Masari meant to work out modalities for setting up party structures is to meet tomorrow to draw- up a roadmap. According to the source, the stakeholders summit will have all the top leaders of the party in attendance, including former national and state officers of the three political parties, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for
Progress Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) that formed APC. Though the source said the meeting is being planned to take stock of the progress recorded so far by party towards unifying its operations and possibly come up with a roadmap, there are indications that more serious issues may have necessitated the convening of the summit. It was learnt that part of the worry of the interim leadership is that urgent measures must be taken to bring under control some behind-the-scene moves by interest groups trying campaign for their preferred presidential candidates. For instance, last week was agog with surreptitious campaigns by those trying to draft the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal to vie for APC flag bearer and the die-hard CPC group who were insisting on the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari. The matter, THISDAY gathered, was made even worst following Buhari's uncompromising posture about contesting for the presidency, which was said to be at variance with an earlier understanding that he and the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived at. The source also said the APC would try to seize the opportunity of a gathering of the party's leaders during their condolence visit to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Raji Fashola, to stoke the fire of agitations within its ranks. The alleged rancour created by the presidential ambition of Buhari came to a height when the Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, had to issue a press statement debunking the frosty relationship between Tinubu and the former Head of State. Muhammed in the statement, said the rancour existed only in the imagination of the peddlers of the rumour, adding that the relationship of the top party leaders cannot be more cordial as it is at present. Apart from Buhari and Tambuwal, there are other persons who are said to be nursing presidential ambition. These include, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The other issue that is generating concern among the stakeholders is that of how to deal with the likely desire of incumbent governors of the APC-controlled states to run for a second term. A chieftain of the opposition party, said already
the matter has started to generate turbulence in some states like Ogun, where former leaders of CPC are said to be expressing displeasure over an alleged over-bearing influence of the Governor Ibikunle Amosun. He said a decision has to be made by the party on how to treat governors who harbour second term interest and who might be seeking an automatic ticket to actualise their desire.

PDP Reconciliation Meeting to Continue Tonight.

President Goodluck Jonathan and  Chief  Olusegun Obasanjo

PDP Reconciliation Meeting to Continue Tonight. The meeting started last night between the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Olusegun Obasanjo on the resolution of the crisis that has rocked the party will continue tonight. Detail soon...

    Jonathan meets Amaechi, five northern governors as Obasanjo, others find road to peace

By Chuks Okocha and Muhammad Bello

Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) moved yesterday to resolve the internal wrangling that has rocked the party, starting with renewed efforts to improve the relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

This is just as the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, and the five northern governors, who have been holding consultations with eminent Nigerians on the crisis in the party, also met last night with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The peace initiatives coincided with the statement by the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, that the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not affect the ruling party’s electoral chances in 2015 as the party does not require a merger to win.

Preparatory to the resolution of the feud between the president and Obasanjo, Jonathan had held a closed-door meeting with some PDP governors on Sunday night till the wee hours of yesterday morning at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It was gathered that at the meeting, which ended at about 4.08 am yesterday, the governors advised the president not to create the impression or perception that he has a problem with the former president.

In furtherance of the peace initiative, the former president was billed yesterday night to meet with the governors in a bid to address all the issues that have contributed to the cold war between the incumbent and one of his predecessors.

Less than a year after the 2011 general election, which Jonathan won with the active support of Obasanjo, the relationship between the men soured, often resulting in public spats.

The point of disagreement is widely believed to be Obasanjo’s perceived opposition towards Jonathan’s undeclared second term ambition. Things came to a head in April last year when the former president resigned as chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT).

As a result of the simmering feud, the former president has tacitly stayed away from taking part in party activities and some state functions, including a mid-term report dinner which the president organised on June 26 to celebrate his second year in office.

As part of efforts to paper the cracks in the relationship, Jonathan during a visit to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on July 20 to condole with his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, over the death of his mother, had visited the former president at his Owu home.

However, it was gathered that yesterday’s peace talks with Obasanjo   explored how to strengthen the relationship between the   president and the former president.

One of the governors involved in brokering a truce between the two party leaders told some reporters in Abuja that contrary to insinuations, the aim of the meeting was not about 2015 elections but how to foster better ties between Jonathan and Obasanjo, adding that “the cat and mouse” relationship between them was affecting the affairs of the PDP.

THISDAY gathered that Obasanjo, in accepting the peace deal, wrote to all PDP governors slating a meeting for yesterday.

The former president informed the governors that the meeting would not end without a resolution of other issues affecting the PDP as a political party.

According to the source, the peace deal was as a result of several consultations initiated by Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and his Cross River State colleague, Senator Liyel Imoke, who had met Obasanjo both at his Ota residence and in Abuja to explore the possibility of reconciling Jonathan and the former president.

“It was a combination of these meetings that eventually led to the summoning of the Monday night meeting between Obasanjo and all the PDP governors to discuss the shape and fate of the PDP in the face of the emerging challenges,” the governor said.

Obasanjo, in his letter to the governors, said none of the PDP governors would leave the meeting until all the contentious issues that led to the crisis in PDP had been thrashed out “even if it takes us from 8 pm to 8 am the next day”.

Giving details on why the PDP governors stepped into the face-off between Obasanjo and Jonathan, the source said: “We are worried by the body language of the former president. The refusal of the former president to be part of the May 29 activities was very worrisome for us.

“Also, the perception that President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Obasanjo are fighting is not helping the party and the presidency.

“PDP as a party is shaking with the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and therefore we need to put our house in order.

“We want Baba (Obasanjo) to help douse tension within the party by openly identifying with the party and the presidency. We expect the former president to talk to the four governors from the north, because they are all his boys.

“The meeting is not about the presidential election coming up in 2015, but the party. There must be a party first and foremost before any other thing.”

According to him, the meeting with Obasanjo would discuss the situation in the PDP because “none of the party’s governors is on speaking terms with the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

“Since the national chairman assumed office in March last year, there has not been a single meeting between him and governors. We think that this is not a good signal and something has to be done about this. These are some of the main items on the agenda of the meeting.”

However, Tukur yesterday reaffirmed that the party is solid enough to win subsequent elections without merging with any other political party.

Tukur told journalists in Abuja yesterday that he was leading a formidable political organisation that would not be intimidated by the opposition.

“PDP as a united and formidable political organisation under a big and unshakable umbrella does not require a merger or coalition with any political organisation to face any other political party in the country to implement her genuine economic programmes aimed at alleviating the sufferings of Nigerian masses under the transformation agenda of our dear president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan,” he stated.

Speaking on the activities of the five northern governors of Kano (Musa Kwankwaso); Jigawa (Sule Lamido); Niger (Babangida Aliyu); Sokoto (Aliyu Wamakko); and Adamawa (Murtala Nyako), who have been engaged in nationwide consultations, the party chairman said: “They are still consulting and when they finish consulting, we will know.”

He reiterated his commitment to pursue the ongoing reconciliation in the party and enforce discipline.

He explained that the purpose of setting up both the national reconciliation committee and the national disciplinary committee was to adopt a carrot and stick approach.

On the face-off between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party over the chairmanship of the Anambra State chapter of the party, Tukur said there was no cause for worry as the issue in question was being resolved.

Meanwhile, Jonathan last night met with Amaechi and the five PDP northern governors who have spent weeks consulting with highly placed Nigerians.

A source intimated THISDAY that Amaechi, Aliyu, Kwankwaso, Lamido, Nyako and the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, were at the villa for the meeting.

Ahmed is a new face among the five northern governors. Prior to this, Wamakko was the fifth person in the group that had met with former Presidents Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Shehu Shagari.

The group had also met with former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme and former Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen Theophilus Danjuma.

Although all the previous meetings were held behind closed doors, it was gathered that the consultations were made to find ways of resolving the crisis threatening to tear the PDP apart.

In addition to this, the meetings sought ways to end the protracted conflict between Jonathan and Amaechi.

As at the time of filing this report the details of the governors’ meeting with the president were not known.