Dons EzeKOGI ASSEMBLY ASKED TO BEGIN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AGAINST GOV ODODO
KOGI ASSEMBLY ASKED TO BEGIN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AGAINST GOV ODODO Deji Ajare, a human rights attorney, has requested Umar Yusuf, Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, to start the impeachment process against Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi, over allegations of misconduct and abuse of office. Ajare made the call on Friday via the House clerk in a letter addressed to the speaker. He said that using the governor’s motorcade to transport the troubled former state governor, Yahaya Bello, to safety amounted to harboring a wanted person, obstructing the course of justice, and misusing public funds. Recall that Ododo whisked away his predecessor on Wednesday, after operatives of EFCC besieged the latter’s Abuja residence, to arrest him in connection with an N80.2bn money laundering case. Some hours after, the EFCC declared the former governor wanted, the Nigeria Immigration Service placed him on its watchlist. The IGP also ordered withdrawal of all policemen attached to him. In his letter, Ajare also called on the assembly to cooperate with the EFCC and ensure all individuals involved are available for questioning and investigations. “In the light of the above allegations and the inherent potential breaches of statutory duties imposed by the Constitution and other relevant laws of our country, these actions, if proven true, amount to gross misconduct and warrant immediate investigation and commencement of impeachment proceedings. “I hereby call on the Kogi State House of Assembly under your leadership to initiate a thorough inquiry into these allegations by Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, to ascertain the truth and to hold Governor Usman Ododo accountable if the allegations are found to be true. “I also urge the Kogi State House of Assembly to cooperate with national law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, to ensure all individuals involved are available for questioning and to facilitate a smooth investigation”, he said. He further implored the House of Assembly to take swift and decisive actions, noting the effect of the “misgovernance implied in these allegations” on the people of the state. “I thank you as I look forward to your urgent attention to this issue. I trust in your commitment to uphold the Constitution and the laws of our land for the betterment of our state and its people”, the letter also read. According to PUNCH, Mohammed Yabagi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, said neither the Clerk nor the Speaker had received such a letter. Yabagi added that the House had not seen any valid reasons to begin impeachment processe against the governor and that there was no evidence that the governor prevented security agencies from arresting Yahaya Bello. “Anybody in the public has their perception of the matter. But the House has not seen any reason, none of the members of the House were there, and none of them saw the governor trying to prevent the security agencies from doing their job. As far as the Assembly is concerned, the Assembly supports all constitutionally recognised security agencies. We have not seen any reason why the House should commence any impeachment processes.“For context, as far as the Executive is concerned, the immediate past governor was not even at his Abuja residence, and there’s no concrete evidence that the Executive Governor prevented them from doing their constitutionally recognised job. The House is yet to receive such a letter, and the Speaker is yet to have any knowledge of such a letter,” he said.
THE RISE AND FALL OF YAHAYA BELLO: TALE OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND RECKLESS LEADERSHIP BY OLAWALE OLALEYE
THE RISE AND FALL OF YAHAYA BELLO: A TALE OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND RECKLESS LEADERSHIP, BY OLAWALE OLALEYE One critical truth that a majority of nu the people may not like to admit is that contrary to insinuations, Nigeria is actually a land of immense opportunities. It’s also a land of the free. Indeed! You just need to juxtapose your facts, albeit objectively, against those places you fancy in other parts of the world and see for yourself what blessings you trample on each day. In spite of its sprawling shortcomings, this country offers huge opportunities, the type you may not get to experience in several places. It gives so much that its magnanimity also creates monsters, inadvertently. But because people dwell quite often on the imperfections, they lose sight of the things that Nigeria gets right and based on the mindset created by the former, they judge everything else. Take stock of the nation’s leadership recruitment at different era – civilian and military – you’d realise that more Nigerians in their prime have had the opportunity to serve than those considered the older generations. However, because a majority of those in politics hardly boast a second address, many of them tarry long on the scene, and age on the stage to become the much-talked about “older generation”. They actually got on that stage in their prime. The embattled former governor of Kogi State, a young man, who assumed office at 40 and left eight years after, is a total mess – an example of what leadership shouldn’t be, not even in a captured colony. Not only was he reckless in words and in deeds, he was also needlessly haughty. Not one of his colleagues ever spoke well of him. He had an opportunity to retell the Nigerian story from the youth perspective but bundled it, mercilessly. Mean, brutish and nasty, he ruled over the people of Kogi but didn’t serve them as he swore to the oath of office. He ruled each day as though he wasn’t ever going to quit. He didn’t plan his exit and therefore left nothing to circumspection. For one, there was nothing to like about him as he refused to live by personal examples. Many people’s disdain for him swelled when the PDP woman leader in the state, Salome Abuh, was murdered in the most heinous manner under his reign and during the struggle for his reelection. Abuh more or less died in vain. While not insinuating he killed the woman, he continued in office as if nothing happened. Apart from the arrest of six by the police, Bello made no effort to get to the root of it, but instead danced on her grave in celebration of his re-election victory. That woman was burnt alive in her house on November 18, 2019. Bello spent state resources as though they were his personal heritage. He had no respect for processes and procedures. He thought the office of the governor was a license to disrespect people and institutions, age regardless. His position on Covid-19 revealed he was a terrible leader. High-handed and badly mannered, he is currently stewing in his own juice. For all it is worth, Bello has shown without equivocation that the EFCC allegations against him might be true. Taking flight from the law is the most disingenuous thing anyone could ponder, much less a former governor. He has damaged the possibility of bail if detained because he is arguably now a flight-risk. Eighty billion naira fraud is criminally unforgivable, coming from a state supposedly in the backwaters. Someone like him should have been eager to face his music. He had a long notice served by the EFCC but he thought he could get round it…
PDP NEC MEETING: WIKE DEFEATS ATIKU AS DAMAGUM RETAINS SEAT
PDP NEC MEETING: WIKE DEFEATS ATIKU, DAMAGUM RETAINS SEAT Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday triumphed over Atiku Abubakar, as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum, who has the backing of Wike’s camp, survived plot to remove him as the acting chairman of the party. The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which deferred the removal of Damagum, resolved that the leadership tussle bedeviling the party will be addressed in August/September, when the party will hold its next NEC. This is even as the Acting National Chairman, Damagum, explained that the issue of surviving is not a matter of life and death, adding, “This is not a matter of life and death. I am still an elected member of this National Working Committee (NWC). Even if I revert to deputy national chairman, I’m still a member of NWC. The issue of surviving or not does not emerge.” Explaining why the party didn’t look at the leadership issue in the party during the NEC meeting, the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, said that the party is working along its guidelines and constitution. He said: “You can see there was no dissent, no rancour, no division as anticipated or expected. It was planned that we would have an implosion, but the PDP is more than that. We are a party that is united in accordance with our constitution. “We are working on the basis of timeline and our constitution. And there is no problem, no dissension or problem between PDP members. “In the next two months you will see us rolling out activities on this, leadership is a responsibility. We said in September we would have come out from our congresses. When we are done with our state congresses we will look at the issue of party leadership and we will do it with no rancour.” Also speaking, the spokesman of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, emphasised the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. He also said that PDP will address the leadership tussle in the party when it holds its NEC meeting in few months time. Ologunagba said: “Our party emphasises the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2014.” The NEC, in its communique read by Ologunagba, commended all the organs of the party for their collective resilience, steadfastness and commitment towards the unity, stability and sustenance of the party despite daunting challenges. NEC charged all organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the centre in the interest of the Nigerian people. NEC also approved the reconstitution of the party’s Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the party. Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC. NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the party including the new look PDP logo which is widely accepted by party members and Nigerians in general. NEC charged all party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of democracy in the country. NEC also commended members of the PDP, with particular reference…
COURT AFFIRMS GANDUJE’S SUSPENSION, APC SAYS IT’S A NULLITY
COURT AFFIRMS GANDUJE’S SUSPENSION, APC SAYS IT’S A NULLITY A Kano State High Court has affirmed the suspension of the former governor and current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The order is sequel to an exparte motion filed by Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani through their counsel Ibrahim Sa’ad. Justice Usman Mallam Na’Abba granted the exparte order on Wednesday, April 17. The court also restrained Ganduje from further parading himself as a member of the party. The plaintiffs, who identified as executive members of APC Ganduje ward, said they brought the motion on behalf of the executive members of the ward. Recall that Gwanjo, who identified as the party’s ward Legal Adviser, had announced the suspension of Ganduje on Monday. Subsequently, the court ordered, Ganduje should desist from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC. Meanwhile, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has described the court order that affirmed the suspension of the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, as unlawful. Addressing a press conference at the APC Abuja National Secretariat on Wednesday, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Professor Abdulkarim Kana insisted that the court order was a nullity. The press conference followed a courtesy visit to the national chairman by the Ganduje Ward and Local Government exco. “We’re also hearing this afternoon that they used the same document to go to court to obtain an order of the court. We haven’t seen the order, but we have heard about it. “Whatever order that will emanate from such a document, and all of us know – even a 100 level law student will tell you that an order obtained by fraud is an unlawful order – it will not be enforceable, and it will not be recognised and it will not be respected.”Kana insisted that those behind Ganduje’s suspension are not APC members.
GANDUJE, APC CHAIRMAN’S BILLBOARDS PULLED DOWN IN ABUJA
GANDUJE, APC CHAIRMAN’S BILLBOARDS PULLED DOWN IN ABUJA The billboards displaying images of embattled national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Ganduje has been pulled down in Abuja. A video seen by our correspondent showed the moment some individuals were removing the boards at the APC national secretariat. According to the commentator, Ganduje, seated in his vehicle, appeared helpless as the billboards were taken down, unable to intervene. On Monday, Ganduje was suspended by the Legal Adviser of his party ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano, Halliru Gwanzo. Gwanzo said the APC ward leadership took the decision given the bribery allegations hanging on Ganduje’s neck. In a swift reaction, the National Working Committee of the ruling party and the Kano State chapter of the party faulted and voided the suspension, saying Gwanzo and the indicted party leaders involved don’t have the locus standi to impeach the national chairman. The ruling party also fingered the NNPP-led government in Kano State as being behind the move. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a decisive step in response to the purported suspension of its National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, by submitting a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP). In the petition, the APC expressed grave concern over the suspension ”orchestrated by individuals affiliated with senior officials and representatives of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP),” labelling it as a devious act aimed at causing confusion within the party. A statement signed by Felix Morka, APC national publicity secretary, read: ”The purported suspension is downright criminal and of no effect whatsoever. ”The legitimate Executive Committee of the Ganduje Ward has since denounced the action and reaffirmed Dr. Ganduje as a bonafide member of the party in the Ward, and in good standing. ”The party has filed a petition with the Inspector General of Police requesting an expedited investigation of this matter and for the perpetrators and their sponsors to be brought to justice.”We urge our party faithful and the general public to disregard reports of the suspension of the National Chairman, who is, and remains, the National Chairman of our great party.”
29,000 YORUBAS KILLED DURING BUHARI REGINE – GROUP
29,000 YORUBAS KILLED DURING BUHARI REGIME — GROUP A youth movement of indigenous people of southwest Nigeria, known as the Yoruba Nation Youth has claimed that about 29,000 Yoruba people were killed during eight years of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The secessionist group made this known during a global conference attended by prominent Yoruba people living in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. The group lamented the inability of the Nigerian government to curtail violent herders, particularly in Yoruba land, saying it had hampered the growth of the agricultural sector of the country. The group said, “according to an official estimation, as many as 29,000 Yoruba people were killed in the Yoruba homelands under Buhari. Most Yoruba farmers abandoned farms altogether and the traditional Yoruba agricultural economy has been destroyed. “Sadly, even after President Buhari was succeeded as President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023 by one of our own fathers, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the Fulani killings, destruction and kidnappings have not decreased. It has escalated. In fact, under President Tinubu, the Fulani’s challenge of peace and security in Nigeria has now reached an intolerable peak.“As a mark of the current confidence in the Fulani challenge to security, the topmost Fulani organisations issued two Fulani declarations of war against the rest of Nigeria on January 24 and 26 (2024) and announced that President Tinubu is not their President and if any Fulani is arrested for any act of Fulani war, the Fulani would burn down everything in Nigeria.”
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE ABOUT OUR SON’S APPOINTMENT AS DEPUTY GOVERNOR, AKOKO-EDO UNION TELLS OBASEKI
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE ABOUT OUR SON’S APPOINTMENT AS DEPUTY GOVERNOR, AKOKO-EDO UNION TELLS OBASEKI A group, Akoko-Edo Development Union has said Monday’s appointment of Omobayo Godwins as the new deputy governor of Edo State is a mere placeholder strategy that would not give Akoko-Edo and Edo North any developmental value in the remaining five months of the Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration. Its president, Chief Segun Amode, made the assertion in Abuja, in a reaction to Obaseki’s choice of Godwins as his deputy after the impeachment of Philip Shaibu from Etsako West local government area. Godwins, his successor hails from Akoko Edo local government area, which is described as one of the largest councils in Nigeria. But Amode declared that the people of Akoko-Edo would not celebrate the appointment of Godwins as deputy governor because Obaseki was only using it to seek votes from Akoko-Edo in the September 2024 governorship election. Amode further stated that, “Obaseki may have been tired of using roads to deceive Akoko-Edo people each election season. He said, “In every election period, the governor will award our roads and bring bulldozers to the site.” “After the elections, we will not see the bulldozers again until after four years. Now he is using another style by appointing our son for a five-month tenure as Deputy Governor.” “He knows our people are waiting for him to ask about the roads that he awarded eight years and four years ago. Our schools do not have teachers as we speak. Many of us are the ones employing and paying teachers in our schools in Akoko-Edo just to sustain the education of our children. He further stated that Omobayo will only be deputy governor until November this year which will not bring anything to Akoko-Edo or Edo north. “Since Governor Obaseki was always complaining that the APC-led federal government was not cooperating with him to repair our roads, we have made our minds to align with the central government so that our roads and other infrastructure can reach us,” he stated. The Edo State House of Assembly on Monday impeached Shaibu as deputy governor of the state. Obaseki immediately sworn in Mr. Omobayo Godwins to replace Philip Shuaibu.Godwins was a candidate for the House of Representatives during the 2023 general elections under the Labour Party, which he lost.
17 DEPUTY GOVERNORS IMPEACHED SINCE 1999
17 DEPUTY GOVERNORS IMPEACHED SINCE 1999 No fewer than 17 Deputy Governors have been booted out of office in the last 24 years. Phillip Shaibu, sacked Deputy Governor of Edo State, became the 17th to be removed from office since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999. For Shaibu, it was a long trek to freedom and a long-drawn battle to remain afloat in Edo’s political space. Over the years, some Deputy Governors have been impeached for political reasons that somehow amount to gross misconduct. Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, provides for the removal of governor or Deputy Governor from office through the process of impeachment. The process consists of a written allegation of gross misconduct against the accused person who has a right to defend himself. If his defence succeeds, he is expected to be left off the hook; if not, he is removed from office. The said section 188 spells out in detail, the procedures and steps to be taken to consummate the process. Here are Deputy Governors that have been impeached since 1999: Femi Pedro (Lagos) Iyiola Omisore (Osun) Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos) Chris Ekpenyong (Akwa Ibom) Abiodun Aluko (Ekiti) Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti) Late Garba Gadi (Bauchi) Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa) Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba) Jude Agbaso (Imo) Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu) Ali Olanusi (Ondo) Eze Madumere (Imo) Simon Achuba (Kogi) Rauf Olaniyan (Oyo) Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) Philip Shaibu (Edo) Among these, only the late Garba Gadi (Bauchi); Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa); Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba); Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu); Ali Olanusi (Ondo), Jude Agbaso (Imo); Eze Madumere (Imo); Simon Achuba (Kogi) and Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) had successfully obtained court orders setting aside their impeachments.Unfortunately, none of the removed Deputy Governors could go back to his or her office for some reasons.
WE DON’T WANT PHILIP SHUAIBU IN OUR PARTY – EDO APC
WE DON’T WANT PHILIP SHAIBU IN OUR PARTY – EDO APC A day after his impeachment as deputy governor of Edo State, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Etsako West Local Government Area, have protested alleged plans to re-admit Philip Shaibu, into the party. The protesters, drawn from the 12 wards of the local government, took their protest to the party secretariat, where they submitted their petition against the alleged plan to re-admit the former deputy governor. Mr. Yakubu Musa, while presenting a communiqué on behalf of the APC stakeholders said Shaibu’s exit from APC in 2020 brought peace and tranquility in the party. He argued that his readmittance into the party would further bring rancour and disunity in the party. “We are protesting over an attempt by the impeached deputy governor Philip Shaibu to jump the boat and defect to APC. The attempt is viewed seriously by members of APC as a calculated plan by Philip Shaibu to bring rancour, disharmony and unprecedented crisis into APC,” Musa said. He appealed to the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the State Acting Chairman, Jaret Tenebe, not to admit the impeached deputy governor into APC, saying that he has no political vote to add to APC. “It is on record that Philip Shaibu has not won any election since he left APC to PDP. Philip Shaibu does not possess any electoral value that could warrant his readmittance into our great party.“We call on our national leaders to hear our voice and help us keep the peace we currently enjoy as APC in Edo State. Any attempt to enroll Philip Shaibu into APC is a direct invitation to crisis, fragmentation, disaffection, disenchanting and disintegration”, Musa declared.
WE REGRET VOTING TINUBU IN 2023 – NORTHERN ELDERS
WE REGRET VOTING TINUBU IN 2023 – NORTHERN ELDERS The Northern Elders Forum has registered the region’s regret for pitching a tent with President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 general elections. It said the mistake of voting for the then-candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taught the North a lesson. The forum recently came hard on the President when it lamented the growing insecurity across the country. The elders said the recent abduction of Kuriga school children in Kaduna indicated that the current administration “has failed to protect Nigerians just a few months in office.” In a chat, spokesperson for the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said going forward, the region will now prioritise unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land. Recall that in the 2023 general elections, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 total votes to be declared President. North West, North East and North Central gave the President a combined ballot of 5.4 million. Responding to a question on the recent visit and donation by former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi to northern communities, Suleiman stated “The North made a mistake in voting Bola Tinubu to the presidency in 2023, and it is unlikely that they will repeat the same error in the future. “They have learned from their past misstep and will strive to select a candidate, who can unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians. “Moving forward, the North will be more cautious in selecting a candidate for the presidency.“They will prioritise someone, who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial and more aligned with the interests of all regions of the country. The mistake of supporting Tinubu in 2023 has taught them the importance of unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land.”