Politics

TRIBUNAL UPHOLDS GOV. UZODIMMA’S VICTORY IN IMO GUBER ELECTION …. _Imo APC Chairman MacDonald Ebere Hails Verdict as Victory for Imolites_

Published

11 months ago

May 24, 2024

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The Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has today, Friday, May 24, upheld the victory of Dist. Sen. Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Imo State. The tribunal dismissed petitions filed by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party challenging the results of the November 11, 2023, governorship election.

Earlier today, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party’s faction led by Athan Achonu. The petition challenged the election on the grounds of the governor’s eligibility and alleged non-compliance with electoral provisions. The tribunal ruled that the issue of eligibility was a pre-election matter within the exclusive purview of the APC, the second respondent. The petitioner, being a non-member of the APC, had no standing to contest it. Additionally, the tribunal found that the Labour Party failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was non-compliance with electoral provisions during the election.

Similarly, the petition filed by Hon. Chief Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, popularly known as Samdaddy, of the PDP was dismissed. His petition questioned the governor’s qualification to run due to alleged forged certificates and claimed over-voting during the election. The tribunal ruled that Samdaddy did not prove his case beyond reasonable doubt, affirming that Governor Uzodimma’s results were valid and that he was qualified to run. Furthermore, the allegations of over-voting were dismissed as hearsay, lacking substantial evidence.

The tribunal’s decisions were met with jubilation among supporters of the APC. The State Party Chairman of APC, Imo State, Hon. MacDonald Ebere, PhD, expressed happiness with the judgments. Speaking to newsmen, Ebere described the victory as one for all Imolites who voted massively for Governor Uzodimma across the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo state. He emphasized that the Governor would continue delivering dividends of democracy, highlighting the recent payment of gratuities to retired civil servants as an example of his commitment to the people.

Ebere also highlighted the governor’s achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. He pointed out that under Uzodimma’s administration, numerous roads have been constructed and rehabilitated, improving connectivity and boosting the local economy. The chairman noted that the Governor’s efforts in upgrading healthcare facilities have made quality medical services more accessible to the residents of Imo State.

Furthermore, Ebere commended Governor Uzodimma for his focus on education, citing the renovation of schools and provision of learning materials as pivotal steps toward enhancing the quality of education in the state. He also mentioned the Governor’s initiatives to attract investment and create job opportunities, which have started yielding positive results, reducing unemployment rates in the state.

Ebere congratulated Governor Uzodimma, urging him to persist in fulfilling his campaign promises to the citizens of Imo State. He expressed confidence that the Governor’s leadership would bring more development and prosperity to the state. He also called on the opposition to join hands with the Governor to move the state forward, emphasizing the need for unity and collective effort in achieving sustainable development.

The tribunal’s rulings have effectively settled the disputes surrounding the November 11, 2023, governorship election, reaffirming Sen. Hope Uzodimma’s mandate as the Governor of Imo State. As the state moves forward, the focus shifts to governance and the continued delivery of promises made during the election campaign.

#JULIAN_CHIJIOKE

Politics

SENATOR NATASHA TENDERS HILARIOUS APOLOGY TO AKPABIO

Published

34 minutes ago

April 29, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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By Lizzy Chirkpi

A wave of controversy has swept through the land following the release of a satirical “apology letter” penned by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The letter, addressed to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, drips with sarcasm and levels thinly veiled accusations of impropriety, further escalating tensions within the upper legislative chamber.

The Senate had earlier handed down a six-month suspension to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for breaching Senate rules and Standing Orders.

The letter, which has circulated widely on social media, pulls no punches in its critique of the Senate President and, implicitly, the prevailing power dynamics within the Red Chamber.

The full text of the letter reads:

“Dear Distinguished Senate President Godswill Akpabio, It is with the deepest sarcasm and utmost theatrical regret that I tender this apology for the grievous crime of possessing dignity and self-respect in your most exalted presence.

“I have reflected extensively on my unforgivable failure to recognize that legislative success in certain quarters is apparently not earned through merit, but through the ancient art of compliance — of the very personal kind.

“How remiss of me not to understand that my refusal to indulge your… “requests” was not merely a personal choice, but a constitutional violation of the unwritten laws of certain men’s entitlement.

“Truly, I must apologize for prioritizing competence over capitulation, vision over vanity, and the people’s mandate over private dinners behind closed doors.

” I now realize the catastrophic consequences of my actions: legislation delayed, tempers flared, and the tragic bruising of egos so large they require their own postcodes. For this disruption to the natural order of “quid pro quo,” I bow my head in fictional shame.

“Please find it in your magnanimous heart — somewhere buried deep beneath layers of entitlement — to forgive this stubborn woman who mistakenly believed that her seat in the Senate was earned through elections, not erections.

I remain,

Yours in eternal resistance,

Senator Natasha H Akpoti Uduaghan

Unafraid, Unbought, and Unbroken”

Senator Akpoti was suspended in March, 2025 following her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio who she accused of sexual harassment, a claim the latter has denied.

“That the Senate do suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for her total violation of the Senate Standing Rules (2023 as amended for bringing the presiding officer and the entire Nigerian Senate to public opprobrium,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said while reading out the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct probing her claims.

Despite efforts by some senators to reduce the suspension period to three months, the Senate, in a majority vote, sustained the initial decision.

However, the lawmakers ruled that the suspension could be lifted or reduced if she tenders a written apology.

Politics

Biafra agitators ready to dialogue with Nigerian Govt – Ohanaeze’s Isiguzoro

Published

6 hours ago

April 29, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Apex lgbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigb has disclosed that Biafra agitators are ready to dialogue with the federal government on the way forward.

In a statement on Tuesday by Ohanaeze’s factional Deputy President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the apex body noted that the dialogue has the potential to usher in monumental changes, including the release of all prisoners of conscience, notably Nnamdi Kanu, the reopening of the Eastern Economic Corridor, and an unequivocal end to violence disguised as agitation.

“It is our earnest hope that those misled into cycles of violence and armed struggle will choose to abandon their hostile actions, paving the way for a peaceful and prosperous Southeast.

“In a significant and historic turning point for the geopolitics of Nigeria, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex sociocultural organisation representing the Igbo people, formally acknowledges the courageous decision of the Nonviolent Pro-Biafra Agitators to extend a hand of peace towards the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Following twelve years of relentless diplomatic pressure from the international community and numerous United Nations-affiliated peace groups, urging these advocates for self-determination to embrace peaceful negotiations, this moment is both profound and transformative.”

Ohanaeze proclaimed that the acceptance by the non-violent Pro-Biafra agitators to offer a dove of peace and a hand of friendship to the federal government was a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s historical timeline.

Isiguzoro said, “this forthcoming dialogue is anticipated to mirror the earlier discussions held at Aburi, Ghana, now reborn as the ‘Abuja Accord’.

“This initiative aims explicitly to address and resolve the long-standing grievances that have birthed the Biafra agitation since the cessation of hostilities in the Nigerian Civil War in 1970.

“The non-violent Pro-Biafra agitators have extended an olive branch to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, inviting the federal government to engage in a constructive dialogue over the nagging ‘Igbo Question’.”

He said the dialogue sought to confront the unresolved issues stemming from the unimplemented policies of reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation envisioned by General Yakubu Gowon following the war.

Politics

APC will capture 3 remaining S’South states – Gov Otu

Published

8 hours ago

April 29, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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Leader of the national ruling party in South South geopolitical zone in Nigeria, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has assured that APC will surely capture the remaining three states governed by the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Governor Otu emphasized that Cross River, which for years stood as the lone APC-governed state in the South-South, now proudly shares the progressive banner with Delta and Edo States.

Recall that yesterday the Vice President Shettima Kashim, national chairman of APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, and Gov Otu formally received Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, into the APC family.

The three states ruled by PDP presently include Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers State, although now under emergency rule of a sole administrator for six months following suspension of Governor Sim Fubara.

Otu, who spoke on his return to Calabar, the Cross River capital, said: “An increasing number of South-South states under APC governance is a dream realized.”

Governor Otu noted that when the other three states are finally captured, it will set the stage for deeper regional collaboration, accelerated economic development, and greater political stability.

Otu, who is also the Vice Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, urged Governor Oborevwori, other political stalwarts, and their supporters who have now joined the APC to bring their wealth of experience and grassroots mobilization strength to bear in advancing the collective quest for a flourishing South-South and a renewed Nigeria.

Governor Otu assured that together in APC, “the six states shall chart a new course of greatness for the region and our nation.”