p39 for planning

p39 for planning

PDP appeals Gov Ikpeazu’s removal

By Adelanwa Bamgboye, John Chuks Azu (Abuja) & Linus Effiong (Umuahia)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday lodged an appeal against the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which sacked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, for presenting false tax information.

The party, in the notice of appeal dated June 28, 2016, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment of the Federal High Court, which removed the governor and ordered Uche Ogah as the rightful candidate for the governorship election that held in Abia State in April, 2015.

The appeal, which was filed by defence counsels Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Val Offia, lists Obasi Uba Ukeagbara, Chukwuemeka Mbah, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Okezie Ikpeazu as first to fourth respondents.

“The honourable trial court misdirected itself when it construed the provisions of the PDP Constitution to the detriment of the appellant without giving the appellant a chance to be heard and thereby occasioned miscarriage of justice,” the PDP said.

In the particulars of the error, the appellant said Ukeagbara and Mba being “the 1st and 2nd respondents in the appeal did not pray the trial court to construe the provisions of the PDP constitution.”

“No evidence was led that the said Uche Sampson Ogah participated in the 2015 Abia State gubernatorial elections, yet, the trial court declared him as winner of the said elections contrary to the express provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act,” the PDP added.

Consequently, the appellant urged the Court of Appeal for “an order setting aside the judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/10862014 delivered on the 27th day of June, 2016.”

Meanwhile, Uchechukwu Ogah has called on Governor Ikpeazu to obey the order of the court and vacate office as governor of Abia State.

Speaking through his lawyer, Onyekachi Ubani, Ogah said the order of the court was explicit that the governor gave false information on the payment of his tax in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

“This is a pre-election matter and it was initiated immediately after the primary. Our client found that the candidate presented as a candidate for the general election by the PDP was not qualified for even the primary,” he said.

And in Umuahia, posters with the picture of Uche Ogah, beaming a broad smile in suit were pasted at strategic places.

Most residents woke up and saw the posters on their walls and shops while youths and women trooped to the streets in some areas. One of the posters simply reads ‘Abia Rejoice’.

Nigerians divided on anti-corruption war -Survey

By Abbas Jimoh

A new survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI) has shown that despite majority of Nigerians considering democracy above economic prosperity, they were sharply divided on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war efforts.

The survey, which was released yesterday in Abuja by the IRI Acting Regional Director, Africa, John Tomaszewski, showed that 57 percent of the respondents said the economy got worse in the last one year, while 20 percent said it has improved and 22 percent said there was no difference.

The report, however, recorded 54 percent of same respondents saying democracy is more important to economic prosperity as opposed to 31 percent of the respondents who wanted economic prosperity above democracy.

He report noted that Nigerians remained polarized between the North and South, especially, with more negative views on the anti-corruption war in the South than in the North.

“Divisions in perceptions of the country’s trajectory are stark. Almost half of respondents in the North-East (40 percent) said the country is headed strongly in the right direction, compared to just 10 percent in the South-East, where 49 percent believe that the country is moving strongly in the wrong direction.

IRI country director, Sentell Barnes, said the research conducted by NOIPolls under the supervision of Chesapeake Beach Consulting and the IRI between April 18 – May 6, 2016 attempted a total of 13, 409 interviews while 7, 901 interviews were completed for respondents who were 18 years and above, translating to a response rate of 58.92 percent.

Ogboru, ex-speaker defect to APC in Delta

By Muideen Olaniyi

A former governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2015 general elections in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, and a former Speaker of the state house of assembly, Victor Ochei, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The two defectors, who were led to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, yesterday, by the party’s state leader and the governorship candidate in last year’s election, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, were received by the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee (NWC).

In his remarks, Ogboru, who was also a former governorship candidate of Democratic People’s Party (DPP), said he shared some features with President Muhammadu Buhari, having being allegedly cheated from becoming governor of Delta State.

“We have never lost an election. The issue is just that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been an irresponsible organization. But with the coming of President Buhari, he will provide us new morals and ways of doing things because of his integrity.”

The second decampee, Ochei, said their decision to join the APC would open the doors for more people to follow them, thereby enthroning the governing party in Delta State and bringing the much needed change.

Edo gov’ship: Court to hear suit against Sherriff’s new primary poll

From Usman A. Bello, Lokoja

A Federal High Court in Benin has fixed July 1 for hearing of a motion seeking to restrain the Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting another primary election in the state.

The suit, FHC/B/CS/109/2016 is also seeking to restrain Johnson Agbonayinma, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from participating in the primary election.

Daily Trust gathered that the suit was filed by the Sen Ahmed Makarfi faction of the party through its legal adviser, Prof. Edoba Omoregie.

The state chapter of the party, while reacting to the development in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, reiterated that Edo PDP had held its primary election in which Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was nominated as the gubernatorial candidate for the September 10 governorship election in the state