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IMO LG ELECTION: POSTPONEMENT LIKELY AS ISIEC REMAINS INCOMMUNICADO FEW DAYS TO THE SCHEDULED DATE

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Barely one week to the proposed September 21 Chairmanship and Councillorship elections, nothing has been heard from the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission(ISIEC) as regards their preparation/preparedness for the election.

Ideally,within this time in any(every)electioneering period,plans are usually in top gear if not already concluded and the citizens constantly briefed by the electoral body on preparations for the conduct of a credible election.

Such preparations include but not limited to: recruitment and training of adhoc election officers,publishing the list of participating political parties with their candidates,regular interface with leaders of political parties,security agencies,civil society organizations,journalists and other such stakeholders.
As a matter of fact,the publishing of participating political parties with their candidates ought to have been done almost immediately the window for the conduct of primary elections by political parties as scheduled by the electoral body was exhausted.
Particularly,that of the ruling All Progressives Congress is being shrouded in unnecessary controversy as the party says the list being circulated around social media(and other news media) is not official and as such did not emanate from them. Yet,just a week to the election,she has refused to come clean with the much touted official list of their candidates.
And as election adhoc staff have not been recruited let alone being trained,one wonders how ISIEC intends to still go on with the September 21 election as scheduled.

Expectedly,the silence of ISIEC has not only caused an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety within the state’s sociopolitical sphere, especially among participating opposition parties and their candidates,it has also occasioned a lot of conspiracy theories.

Some proponents say that the behavior of ISIEC is because there is no intention to conduct council elections in the first place. Another says that ISIEC is an appendage of the 3R Government of Sen. Hope Uzodimma and by extension,the APC.As such,they are walking in the pace of the government/party of the day. A third proponent believes that the election had already been conducted with all the candidates of the ruling party returned as duly elected- that a convenient date is being contemplated for the ritual of name-calling by ISIEC in the guise of an election.
Imo State’s major opposition party;the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has been the most vociferous among the opposition parties in accusing the ruling party of being in bed with the electoral body.

For whatever they are worth,these theories are enlivened by the way the APC conducted her primaries without prior information to supposed aspirants.This is exacerbated by the claims in certain quarters that people who did not buy expression of interest/nomination forms were announced candidates in certain local governments and wards.Also factor in the fact that 80% of the Sole Administrators(SOLADs)- currently superintending over our various LGAs, were declared candidates without them first resigning from their positions as stipulated in our constitution.

Understandably, candidates of the ruling APC(supposedly)are not as much perturbed as their opposition party counterparts.This may not be unconnected with the popular notion that they are ‘Kings-in-waiting’ who are just waiting for the formality of an election to be crowned;any day it may hold.In all fairness,it is necessary to state that candidates of the ruling party in council elections; especially chairmanship positions, are usually declared winners in every state. States like Kogi,Adamawa,Delta,Bayelsa who have conducted Council elections since the Supreme Court verdict, readily come to mind.

In conclusion,all these are a pointer to an election that may be flawed and roundly rejected.
Needless to say that the integrity of ISIEC and her helmsman is at stake.

He can keep mum all he likes.He can pretend all he wants.He may refuse to accept it or even announce it. But the situation on ground suggests he cannot hold this election on September 21.A postponement is his likely escape!

 

LINKING THE DOTS WITH;Iheyinwa Alexandar Emeka(07064795821)

Politics

Sheikh Hasina’s extradition discussed during PM Modi, Muhammad Yunus’s meeting: Foreign secy Vikram Misri

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Bangkok [Thailand], April 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with Bangladesh’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus for the first time since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. in their meeting that was held on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, the two leaders discussed Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, the Foreign Secretary of India, Vikram Misri said.

 

Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi’s visit to Thailand, Misri stated “There were talks on Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. Can’t say more on that.”

Further, Misri said that PM Modi has expressed India’s concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh during his meeting.

“PM Modi reiterated India’s support for democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined India’s desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh. The PM also urged that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided,” foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.

Misri further said that the situation of minorities, including that of Hindu minorities were raised by India.

“The PM also urged that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided. On the border, strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossing are necessary to maintain border security and security. The PM also underlines India’s concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh,” he added.

PM Modi is in Bangkok for the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.

In a post on X, he said, “With fellow BIMSTEC leaders at the Summit being held in Bangkok, Thailand. We reaffirm our commitment to boosting cooperation across diverse sectors. May our efforts bring a positive difference in people’s lives.”

The 6th BIMSTEC Summit marks a significant regional engagement between India and its neighbouring countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) group.

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Court stops pro-Wike rally in Bayelsa

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The Bayelsa State High Court, sitting in Yenagoa, has issued an order restraining associates of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), from holding a planned mega rally in the state.

Ekwutosblog reports that the proposed rally was scheduled for April 12, 2025, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Hon. Justice I.A. Uzakah, on Thursday, granted the Motion Ex-Parte in Suit No. BYHC/YHC/CV/133/2025, filed by the State’s Attorney General, Biriyai Dambo, SAN.

Lead convener of the NEW Associates, organizers of the rally, Mr. George Turnah, and the FCT Minister, Wike, were listed as the first and second defendants/respondents in the suit.

The other defendants were the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Police Command.

The matter was, thereafter, adjourned to April 11, 2025, for hearing.

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Supreme Court voids verdict recognising Abure as LP’s National Chairman

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– The Supreme Court, on Friday, nullified the judgement that recognised Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.

In a unanimous decision, a five-man panel of the apex court vacated the January 17 judgement of Court of Appeal in Abuja, which validated Abure’s continued stay in office as National Chairman of the party.

According to the Supreme Court, the appellate court lacked the jurisdiction to enter any pronouncement in favour of Abure since it had earlier found that the subject matter of the dispute bordered on the leadership of a political party.

It held that the substance of the case centered on the domestic affair of a political party which no court has the powers to meddle into.

Consequently, the Supreme Court allowed an appeal that was filed by a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, who are the Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of a Caretaker Committee that was earlier appointed to pilot the affairs of the party.

It will be recalled that following a leadership crisis that rocked the LP, the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party resolved to remove Abure as the National Chairman.

To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with the former Finance Minister, Senator Usman as Chairman and Hon. Nwokocha as Secretary.

The decision was the outcome of an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party that was hosted in Umuahia by governor Alex Otti of Abia State.

The meeting where Abure was sacked from office was chaired by his former ally and candidate of the party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Abure approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to validate his position as the National Chairman of the party.

In an affidavit he personally deposed to in support of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure told the court that following the death of the National Chairman of the LP, he was lawfully elected as the Acting National Chairman of the party at a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party that held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.

He told the court that on April 18, 2023, at the NEC meeting of the party held in Asaba, Delta State and duly monitored by INEC, it was resolved that tenures of State Chairmen whose tenures had expired, be renewed.

He said it was at the same meeting that some members that were engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements for vacant positions created as a result of the expulsion, done.

Abure averred that in line with a consensus that was reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, at Nnewi, Anambra State, where we was lawfully elected to the office of National Chairman of the LP.

He said the party under his leadership produced candidates for governorship elections in both Edo and Ondo states.

According to the plaintiff, on June 28, 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issued to him and 18 other National Chairmen of political parties, a Notice for Inspection of Sensitive Election Materials for the Ondo and Edo state governorship polls.

However, he decried that a later notice that INEC gave for political parties to nominate two persons from their IT Unit to undertake a training on how to upload data unto INEC’s portal for the purpose of the impending  Ondo state gubernatorial election, was not served on him.

Abure told the court that he became aware of the existence of the said notice of the training by INEC, on August 21, 2024, due to the fact that he is a member of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC.

Therefore, he prayed the court to intervene by compelling INEC to acord him recognition as the National Chairman of the LP.

Delivering judgement in the matter on October 8, 2024, trial Justice Emeka Nwite held that he found merit in the case of the plaintiff.

He ordered INEC grant the LP under Abure’s leadership, all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in the country.

The court further directed INEC to perform its lawful duty by conducting a refresher training for the upload of LP’s agents into the INEC portal and to issue the plaintiff (Abure) the Access Code required to access INEC’s portal for the Ondo Governorship Election that held on November 16, 2024.

“I am of the view that and so hold that on the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails.

“The plaintiff has proved his case.

“I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” Justice Nwite held.

Though the high court’s judgement was affirmed by the appellate court, it was however set-aside by the Supreme Court on Friday.

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