Atiku Files Case Against Buhari, Opposition Alleges Intimidation Of Judges

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March 19, 2019

By Uche Mbah

Despite all entreaties from different quarters to shelve his plan of challenging the 2019 presidential election results in court, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, finally went to court to challenge that result, putting to an end endless speculations on whether he will succumb to pressures from powerful quarters.

Though Atiku himself was not initially in court, he was represented by a team of Lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chukwuma Ume. He has unexpectedly filed the case to beat the deadline, which, according to relevant laws, every one that feels aggrieved on election matters must file his case within twenty one days of the said election. The court must, however, deliver judgment within six months of filing the case.

In a last minute consultation, Atiku had met with former President Obasanjo last Thursday, in a closed door meeting that one of Obasanjo’s Aids described simply as “Personal”. There has been pressures on him to jettison his quest for what he perceived as Justice. Prominent clerics, statesmen and others were not lacking at his Abuja home trying to persuade him to drop the idea. “Some cite e fact that he is a Muslim, and Muslims are not meant to take other Muslims to court. One prominent traditional ruler told him to accept the situation as the will of Allah”, a source told this Magazine.

It was gathered that Atiku delayed the court case to monitor the progress of the governorship elections to determine the extent of his real support base. “He was not interested in the results declared by INEC but the results from the polling boots which PDP agents are in possession of. He was pleasantly surprised with the level of support particularly in Kano”, the Magazine was told.

Kano has always been regarded as a major stronghold of Buhari.

According to Mike Ozhekome, one of the twenty odd senior lawyers that will face the legal battle, the petitioners had encountered serious frustrations with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who has refused to allow them inspect election materials. But this magazine had reported that INEC itself is in a quandary, as one of the commissioners claimed that they are still collating the results of the election almost three weeks after the winner has been announced. According to him, that was why the result was not on their website.

The INEC website was conveniently down during the collation period of the 2019 presidential election.

Recall that on March 6, the tribunal has ordered INEC to grant Atiku, the Presidential candidate, and PDP access to electoral materials for the sake of the prosecution of their case. Incidentally, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC also approached the tribunal to grant them access to the same materials.

At the current case file, PDP and Atiku are praying the court to either declare Atiku winner of the election or to cancel the election out-rightly to order for a rerun.

The 2019 presidential elections has been acknowledged by the INEC chairman as consisting of inconsistencies, as he noted that the figures did not tally. For example, in 34 states of the federation, the number of void votes were higher than the number of valid votes, but INEC did not cancel the elections in those states. The current reruns in state governorship elections were based on the number of invalid votes exceeding the number the winning margin, a situation that was totally ignored in the presidential elections. According to the INEC chairman, those discrepancies are inconsequential.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United political Parties has alleged that the Tribunal Judges are all working for President Buhari. This was contained in a statement last week by the group spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere. He said that the five man panel is approved by President Buhari. He gave the names of the members as Zainab Adamu-Bulkachuwa, president of the court of appeal; Abdul Aboki; Peter Ige; J. S. Ikyegh and S. C. Oseji.

The presidency is yet to react to the allegation.

In a release, Ugochinyere insisted the list is compromised.

“The approved list which was intercepted by our credible insider informant during conveyance from the Villa back to the Court of Appeal was drawn from a list of eight justices submitted to the Villa for approval,” he said.

“Nigerians will recall that we had earlier raised the alarm over the donation of a Senatorial ticket to the husband of the President of the Court of Appeal by the APC. We had questioned the rationale behind such donation when he did not participate in the primaries if not to secure the assurance of his wife, the President of the Court, to constitute with the approval of the Presidency the Panel that will hear any petition challenging the outcome of the elections.

“It was also a failure to secure similar assurances from the Chief Justice of the Federation that led to the onslaught on him by the Federal Government as the Honourable Chief Justice had insisted on doing only justice and nothing else.

“The list is drafted in such a way that without any matter properly being before the Justices, the Panel has been rigged and skewed with three of the Justices on the list having been approached and commitments secured from them that no matter the evidence put before them, they were going to rule in favour of the President.

“They are now agents and officers of the President and not officers in the temple of justice,”

Wema Bank: Multi-Billion Naira Shares Scam Threatens Lender

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The Source

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March 18, 2019

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By Bayo Bernard

The managing director of Wema Bank Plc. Ademola Adebise inherited a very solid bank in October 1, 2018 when he succeeded Segun Oloketuyi as the chief executive officer, CEO.

As proof that the bank is solid Afrinvest, an investment firm has recommended to stockholders to ‘Hold’on to the stocks of the regional bank as much as they can.

What that means, analysts say, is that Wema Bank stocks remained promising despite market volatility.

According to its 2018 end of year record, the bank recorded a one-year target price of ₦0.57, which indicates a 1.8% upside from the stock’s price of ₦0.56. This record is better than those of its peers in tier-two category.

Profit after tax forthe half year ended 30th June, 2018 was ₦1.57 billion, as against ₦1.22 billion recorded in H1 2017.

Shareholders Panic Over Scam

In spite of these solid fundamentals passed on to him, his predecessors also left him a big liability that has now threatened to dwarf whatever reputation the bank has managed to acquire over the years.

Investigations by the magazine indicate that the management of the bank is deeply involved in tampering with shareholder’s portfolios without their knowledge.

SEC, CBN Launch Probe

This revelation has shocked its investors, it has also shaken the bank to its very foundation while regulatory body, Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, the magazine learned, has launched serious forensic investigations into the allege breach of trust.

The magazine was also informed by competent sources that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has received series of complaints concerning the bank on this matter.

Investors Battle Bank

Sources in SEC told the magazine that shareholders have reported that their shares have been tampered with. The value of the shares is said to worth several billions of naira.

Most instructive is the case of one OseOgunkorode, which has somehow put the bank on the spot.

The investor uncovered a plot by the Adebise-led bank to rob him of over 20,000,000 shares he purchased with his sweat and blood few years ago.

The shares are valued at over N300 million.

How did it all start? In 2008, Ogunkorode purchased 50,000,000 units of Wema Bank’s shares which he fully paid for.

But by 2009, a year later, he decided to sell 20,000,000 units of the shares, just like any other investor so as to profit from his investment.

That was when he discovered that his account has been emptied on the directive of the management of the bank.

Adebise was then the deputy managing director when the scam was committed.

After the discovery the investor promptly petitioned SEC which after investigating the issue directed Wema Bank to restore the ‘sold shares’ to the owner without delay.

The bank has refused to do this rather it has been doing everything to frustrate the investor from recovering his shares.

Bank Contradicts Self

Initially, the bank claimed that Ogunkorode did not fully pay for the shares and that’s why they were sold to cover up for the balance.

The bank later backtracked after the investor later provided evidence that the shares had been fully paid for.

Also, a letter dated August 2, 2016, received by SEC from Greenwich Securities, confirmed that the shares were fully paid for and that Wema Bank received the “full value and payment for the shares since 2007.”

When this first attempt failed, the bank turned around to deny earlier assertion that the shares were sold, claiming that the shares were only warehoused until all grey areas have been ironed out with the investor.

Wema Cannot Be Trusted- SEC

For contradicting itself, SEC said Wema Bank has proven that it cannot be trusted as a bank.

Among others, the regulator berated the bank for not keeping records of shareholders’ portfolios.

SEC also said the bank is not acting like a serious business entity.

In the Ogunkorode case for instance, SEC stated that the bank is “weakly attempting to rebut its earlier position that the shares were not sold but warehoused on the ground of non-confirmation of payment for the purchase of the shares.”

SEC said everything about the case proves that the management of the bank has an ulterior motive from the very start when it put the shares up for sale without any express approval from the investor.

“Rather than addressing and resolving “the matter” Wema “engaged in further act of delay and was making several unfoundedand contradicting allegations,” SEC said.

The regulator further states that the bank was only trying to frustrate the case despite its wrongdoing. “Despite the clarity of the issues Wema Bank has continued in its habit to engage in inordinate and deliberate delay, whereupon it failed, refused and neglected to resolve the complaint,” SEC said.

The testimonies by SEC to the Security and Exchange Tribunal, SET will shock any investor, according to Jonas Irabor, a Lagos Lawyer, who said all evidence in the case point to the fact that the bank was only trying to cheat the investor.

Irabor explained that SEC has proven that the management of the bank has something up its sleeve.

According to SEC Wema Bank “knows or ought to have known that the victim” had paidfor the shares.

It said the victim has “suffered deprivation and loss of opportunity to sell his shares at a profit as a result of the wrong committed by” the bank.

SEC said Wema Bank “was aware of the payments for the share all along but was smartly looking for a way” to cheat the victim.

That the bank “Shows serious acts of negligence in handling” the victims” portfolios as it could be obviously observed that it lacks proper and adequate records maintenance culture.”

Analysts Condemn Act

‘It’s very sad that a bank like Wema is entangled in this type of scam, If you cannot secure the shares of subscribers how much more billions of customer money in your custody?

What’s at stake here is trust, whenever a bank loses this it has lost everything. Honestly, I think the anti-graft agency should be invited to deal with this matter, he said.

He explained that the bank already knew it’s impossible to wriggle of the problem, but that it’s only engaged in delay tactics to buy time.

“The bank already understands its guilt on the matter but will not easily admit. Besides, the money involved is huge and they know the victim will eventually be paid, what banks normally do in this case is to trade with the money while allowing the case to drag as much as possible.

By the time the compensation is eventually paid, the bank would have earned interest that it will unlikely feel the impact of whatever is paid to the victim,” Irabor said.

The owner of the shares has remained tenacious to get back what belongs to him despite the bank’s disposition.

Two years ago, the bank decided to resolve the issue amicably after it realized that he was not ready to let go.

Former MD Indicts Predecessor

At a meeting held on August 21, 2017 and attended by some senior staff of Wema Bank including its managing director, it was resolved that the victim should be adequately compensated.

At that meeting, the bank’s managing director upbraided his predecessors for allowing the issue to drag for too long. He was unhappy that the issue was allowed to become a scam.

Surprisingly, Adebise who succeeded him has also engaged in delay tactics to further frustrate the investor.

The magazine learned that this is just one of the many cases as the bank is notorious for underhand shares’ dealings.

Sources at the SEC told the magazine that some shareholders have already reported cases of infraction with their accounts, which SEC is now investigating.

Speaking on the Ogunkorode case, the source said the matter would not have become public knowledge if the owner had not decided to put up his shares for sale.

According to him “This is just one of the many cases against Wema Bank tampering with shares without the consent of the owners. There are series of complaints from shareholders against the bank.”

Uche Obiora, a stock broker, told the magazine that “Wema Bank is very scandalous when it comes to managing shareholders portfolios.”

He explained that many shareholders who are passive about information relating to “their accounts will be shocked by the time they demand for it.

Considering what has happened, I think shareholders of the bank should begin to demand from their stockbrokers to constantly furnish them with day-to-day information about their shares.

Don’t be surprised that Wema Bank could be rocked by serious scam by the time shareholders start demanding records concerning their portfolios. The bank has shown clearly that it does not keep good record about shareholders.

By this whole thing is over, Wema bank may never remain the same again,” he said.

All efforts to get the bank respond to the allegation were unsuccessful. Its spokesman, Adedeji Layade promised to get back to the reporter, he never did.

Electoral Fraud Will Affect Nigeria’s Growth- Peter Obi

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Uche Mbah

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March 18, 2019

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By Uche Mbah

The former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, has said that no nation can grow on rigged elections.

Obi is currently the Vice Presidential Candidate of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. According to INEC announcement, the party lost to the ruling party, the All Progressive Party, APC. But PDP has since gone to court to challenge the results, alleging that the election was fraught with rigging of monumental proportions.

According to Obi, the process through which people come into office is far more important than what they do thereafter. He noted that the process of elections forms the basis of integrity of every politician.

“(Election rigging) is the root of corruption, as it goes to impact negatively on the political and economic growth of a country”, noting that the “fraud” that characterized this year’s election has greatly undermined the country’s democracy and it’s future. A it it according to him, it “has also significantly damaged the ongoing fight against corruption and tainted the integrity of those behind the rigging.”

Obi said this through his media office in Abuja

“The only thing rigging does to a country is that it continues to keep incompetent people in office, and as a result, rather than put energy in creating jobs to engage it’s teeming youths, it instead channels it trying to contain all sorts of vices and brigandage’, he said. According to him, election rigging encourages incompetent persons to hang on in office and cause more harm to the society.

His main concern and worry, according to him, is to create jobs and engage millions of Nigerian youths roaming the streets doing nothing at their prime productive ages

The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has been under tremendous pressure to jettison the court cases, but he appears adamant to reclaim his mandate, this Magazine has learnt.

Breaking News: Ita, former DG, DSS, loses wife

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The Source

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March 15, 2019

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For Ekpenyong Ita, former Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, also known as the State Security Services, SSS, life has handed him and his family a poisoned chalice.

His lovely and loyal wife of many years, Temitope, inexplicably passed on in the morning of Tuesday, March 12, after a very brief illness.

Ita was appointed DG by the Goodluck Jonathan regime, and held the position until President Muhammadu Buhari replaced him. He has since been living a quiet life in Abuja.

Details of the cause of death are still sketchy, but The Source gathered that Mrs Ita took ill in the night of Monday, March 11, and passed on in the morning of March 12.

Since then, gloom has enveloped the once contented and happy Ita family.

How the South East Will Grab Senate Presidency

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The Source

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March 15, 2019

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By Chidiebere Onyemaizu

Three months away from the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, returning and new South East federal lawmakers are engaged in pragmatic bi-partisan efforts to grab either the Speakership of the House of Representatives or, the presidency of the Senate.

This Magazine is privy to series of informal meetings and conversations for this purpose.

“With 65 APC Senators and PDP’s 37, so far declared, it would be practically impossible for the opposition party where majority of us come from to produce a Senate President. Had it not been so, Senator Ike Ekweremadu would have had it on a platter of gold. He is the most qualified, of all the ranking Senators”, one of the returning South east Senator told this magazine.

To actualise the South East’s dream, party and political leaders cutting across the three visible parties in the zone- PDP, APGA and APC – are mulling two options, this magazine can authoritatively report. The first option is to rally round former governor of Abia, Dr.Orji Uzor Kalu who has just been elected to represent Abia North in the upper federal chamber.

So far, Kalu is the only South East APC Senator as the fate of Senator Ben Uwajimogu hangs in the balance. Uwajimogu represents Okigwe(Imo state) senatorial zone, and INEC is yet to make a pronouncement as to between him and PDP, APGA and Accord candidates who won the election, three weeks after.

The third would-be- APC Senator from the South East is the out-going Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha but like Senator Uwajimogu, his fate is also uncertain as INEC has refused to issue him with Certificate of Return. This aside, considering his sour relationship with his party, and his controversial eight – year tenure as Imo governor, it will be an uphill task to allow him to occupy such a high profile position.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu: May be asked to bid for the Senate Presidency under APC

Dr.Kalu’s draw back in ascending the Senate Presidency is his green-horn status in the Senate. Senate rules stipulate that to be elected into the Senate leadership, one must be a ranking Senator.

South East leaders are, however, dismissing this, citing a precedent. They recall that former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was a first timer in the Senate when in June 2015, he assumed the position of the PDP Senate Minority Leader.

Besides that, it is also being argued that the former Abia governor cannot be said to be a green-horn in the National Assembly as he was in the House of Reps in the aborted third republic. “Kalu is qualified for the job. He is not a green-horn; he was a legislator in the aborted third republic so he is a ranking National Assembly member”, an APC chieftain from Ebonyi state told the magazine.

The second option the South East is weighing is to ask the out-going Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ekweremadu, to announce his defection to the APC immediately the ninth National Assembly is inaugurated and then bid for the Senate Presidency as a Senator from the majority party. Which may not be altogether surprising. Even before the elections, the rumour was strong that he had almost perfected plans to defect to the APC. It became stronger than ever when the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubarkar, picked former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, instead of Ekweremadu who had long coveted the joint ticket with Atiku. The rumour of a possible defection by Ekweremadu has not faded.

The Source has learnt that a section of the Northern political establishment, including returning Senators from that part of the country, are solidly supporting the rotation of the Senate Presidency to the South East, and have, in fact, started reaching out to political leaders in the South-west and South-south for that purpose.

The magazine was informed that it was on the basis of the understanding that the Senate plum position might be ceeded to the South-east that some Northern Senators, including Senator Kabiru Gaya(Kano) have been scheming for the position of Deputy Senate President.

It was also learnt that it was on the strength of the promise of the Senate Presidency to the South East that, during the presidential election, South East governors, sensing that President Buhari was headed for victory, allegedly agreed to tamper with the presidential election results in their states to enable the President score 25% votes to achieve an outright victory and avoid second ballot with Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Buhari: Any understanding with the South East?

Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi, while reacting to the allegation that PDP governors in the zone negotiated with the APC and top echelon of the presidency in the heat of the election for 25% votes for Buhari, asked a national daily: “Why do we need to negotiate for the sex of a child when the child has been given birth to?”

Political analysts say Governor Umahi was actually talking about President Buhari’s victory as faith accompli.

Meanwhile, a segment of South East political establishment is insistent that with a significant number of returning ranking APC Rep members from the zone, Speakership of the House of Reps. will be easier to accomplish than the Senate presidency. They, therefore, want the zone to channel its efforts to producing the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

As Chibuike Moves On…

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Uche Mbah

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March 15, 2019

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By uche Mbah

It is a truism that many people only think of death when it is at their doorsteps, when a close relative, colleague and acquaintance passes on. Sometimes we react out of shock, with the realization that there is an element of vanity in life, vanity that makes morbid materialism an empty striving after the wind. The death of Chibuike Osuji, a friend and colleague, has sent those of us at The Source Magazine into reflections on the vanity of Life.

When 52 year old Chibuike joined The Source several years ago, he immediately distinguished himself as a go getter. If there is any legwork, any investigations to do, the Avuvu, Ikeduru local government area of Imo state born Chibuike is on hand to do it. He was the best investigative Journalist we had. Crime was his beat, and he covered the beat with gusto. So many breaking news were credited to him, and he had a very cordial working relationship with his colleagues at Crime reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN.

A typical example of the Chibuike spirit was an investigative report he did on children being used by unscrupulous elements for begging; handicapped and orphaned children, and how a particular Non governmental organization has been doing all that is possible to help rehabilitate the children. The Source carried the story as part of a Cover. The story exposed the owner of the NGO who, prior to that period, was being hounded for kidnap of children. A governor of one of the eastern states took notice of her activities through The Source and offered her a job as a Special Adviser.

Such is the kind of impact Chibuike had on his environment. He has helped many people around him, people who depend on him when the going was good. And these are total strangers.

Before joining The Source, Chibuike had a stint at Television reporting, where he worked under the late spokesperson of the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation, NNPC, Livy Ajuonuma. He later moved to Abuja as the Personal Assistant to, again, late senator Cosmos Nyiagwam, who was once the sole Administrator for the liquidation of National Shipping Line. Chibuike met Nyiagwam when he interviewed him for NTA, and the Captain was taken in by his amiable and loyal nature. When he won his senatorial seat, he remembered to immediately call on Chibuike to resume as a Personal Assistant. He was on the verge of becoming the governor of Plateau state when he died. After some period of hiatus, Chibuike joined the Source.

Chibuike passed on after a protracted illness, which he went through in controversial circumstances. Finally, when the call came, he had no choice but to answer.

As the service of songs is being held today, his colleagues at the source, who has been thrown into mourning, have no option than to accept the fact that he is truly gone-a sad reminder that we all must pass through the same route. The argument on whether there is life after death, where we go after –for those who believe there is-and what happens now becomes reality to him. Adiu, Chibuike Newman Osuji

Imo: The Emperor’s Long Goodbye

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The Source

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March 15, 2019

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By Comfort Obi

The rising sun has finally pushed the darkness back. Initially, nobody believed it for, the darkness was extremely thick. But as the reality sank, the drums rolled out. And the people rolled in an unadulterated excitement. Phones rang. Text messages stretched from Imo to all parts of the world where Imolites reside. The messages were the same. Victory, at last, they proclaimed.

Don’t blame them.

It seemed the victory would never come; That Imolites have been condemned to a very long haul of gnashing of teeth. The eight years, of the out-going governor, Rochas Okorocha, seemed like forever. Many were ticking out the days one by one, month by month. But some had given up. The unusual governance in Imo would never end, they thought. So, they resigned themselves to fate. Others took to prayers. In Churches, it was a prayer point. Then, when people thought that whatever, it would come to an end, the governor broke their hearts by doing the unimaginable. He endorsed his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his successor.

Nwosu, young and urbane, took the state by storm. Until 2011 when Okorocha appointed him his aide, not many people had heard of him. I cannot confirm, but the much known of him is that he was one of the youths who applied for the 10,000 jobs Okorocha’s predecessor in office, Ikedi Ohakim, had on offer. While some say he was successful, others say he failed. But whatever, Nwosu’s sun shone brighter than that of his contemporaries.

Lucky guy, once Okorocha was sworn in, one of his priorities was the disengagement of a number of the 10,000 youths already employed by Ohakim.

Not quite long after his first appointment as an aide, Nwosu was elevated to the position of a Commissioner. His lot? One of the lucrative ministries – Lands.

It was in that ministry that he hit the jackpot. He got married to Okorocha’s lovely daughter. And his bread couldn’t have been better buttered than that. His rise was astonishing. Nwosu became the Chief of Staff, and became unstoppable. He had power. And he knew how to use it. Within eight years, if the stories are anything to go by, the young man who, allegedly, applied for Ohakim’s 20,000 Naira a -month- job, became a billionaire.

When Okorocha endorsed him as his successor, Imolites were aghast. They saw it as the governor’s third term, and a possible fourth term.

To install Nwosu, Okorocha was clinical in his plans. He began, early enough, to remove from office, anybody he felt could pose a threat to his well – laid plans.

His first Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, he humiliated out of office over a patently false bribery allegation. His first Chief of Staff, and later, SSG, Sir Jude Ejiogu, he humiliated out of office. He did the same to a former Commissioner, Nick Oparandudu. The limit, and nemesis was his wickedness to his second Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, an extremely close ally. He engineered his impeachment, as he did Agbaso’s, just to pave way for Nwosu.

Of all his weird actions, it was the way he desperately went about his desire to install Nwosu governor that irked most. Nobody else was qualified to be Imo governor, except Nwosu; without Nwosu, the state would collapse, he preached.

Witty, and foul mouthed, the governor took on every institution in the state. The traditional institution. Our cultural heritage. The education sector. The health sector. The civil and public service. The Church. Statesmen and women. Founding fathers of the state. And, he did that with a brazenness and impunity that defy logic. It was to the point of insult. Traditional rulers would wait hours for him to come in for a meeting he summoned. Teachers suffered same fate.

I cannot confirm, but the allegation is very strong that Okorocha’s acquisition tendencies border on the primitive. Any parcel of land he fancied in the state, he allegedly acquired. Any position he felt like, he created and appointed his siblings and relations to. Nobody dared ask questions. It was like he had conquered the state.

But in man’s affairs, God usually intervenes in mysterious ways. While Okorocha was planning a third term by proxy, God used his, Okorocha’s, close allies to nail him.

It started gradually, just a movement, which face was Okorocha’s former Commissioner for Information, popular as, TOE Ekechi. Gradually, it began to spread like wildfire, across party lines. The ante was raised when Okorocha fell out with DG Madumere for daring to have an interest in the governorship seat reserved for Nwosu.

Angered by the governor’s condescending treatment of him, Madumere showed a side of him nobody knew – a fighting spirit. He called his Principal’s bluff, and declared interest in the office. Okorocha declared war on him. Livid, a number of Imo sons rallied round Madumere. To help cripple Okorocha, politically, and rescue Imo, Senator Hope Uzodinma defected to the APC from the PDP, and joined the good company of Senators Ben Uwajimogu, Ifeanyi Ararume, and Osita Izunaso. Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and now, Governor-elect, The Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, entered the fray, ignoring the fact that he is of a different political party, the PDP. For these distinguished Imo sons and many more, the chorus was: “For 2019, anybody but Okorocha and his son-in-law”

The battle was long and fierce. Out-smarted in his bid, beginning with the party congresses, to install Nwosu governor using the APC platform, he fell back on plan B – a new political party, the Action Alliance, AA, a party he, Okorocha, had been funding from day one. Nwosu became the candidate, while, Okorocha held the APC senatorial ticket.

Then the election date. And, Imolites took their pound of flesh. Even then, a rugged fighter, Okorocha, by hook or crook, almost pulled a surprise on the people. Every arsenal in his rough and brash political life was on display. Cash. Thugs. Fake police vehicles and personnel. Fake soldiers. Intimidation. Using those, he garnered as many as ten LGAs for Nwosu.

The battle raged, even as the final collation was going on. At the INEC headquarters, Imo, fights broke out intermittently. Tension stretched to high heavens. The suspense electrifying. Anxiety upped blood pressures. Everybody was restless. But, the Imo spirit was at work. At the end, the will of the people prevailed.

When Ihedioha was pronounced the winner, the scene, within and outside the venue was indescribable. And so was the celebration. Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of the old and young. Cars honked their horns. Motor cyclists embarked on heart-stopping acrobatic rides. Fireworks re-designed Imo’s skyline. And screams of ‘Free, free, Imo is free’, rent the air. Imo sons and daughters across Nigeria and the diaspora spoke with one voice as they celebrated. The beginning of a new Imo, they chorused.

For Okorocha, it is also the beginning of a journey on an unfamiliar ground. It is the price he paid for his selfishness, and it is huge. He is on suspension from his party. He has lost, even if temporarily, the Chairmanship of the APC Governorship Forum, a position he cherishes no end. His senatorial ticket is endangered. If he finally gets expelled from his party, he may lose that seat, especially, as INEC has withheld his certificate of return. INEC says he, allegedly, was announced winner under duress. To get that certificate, he may need to approach the court, an institution which orders he continuously disobeyed with impunity.

Okorocha is on a lonely journey. Yet, the question remains: How did a man who was ushered in as a governor with drums, cymbals and dances descend this low before a once adoring people?

The answer is simple. Undiluted power drunkenness which, at times, bordered on dictatorship. Pride. Arrogance. Greediness. Selfishness.

For the records, Okorocha began well when he first came into office. Urged on by an adoring public, hungry for a down-to-earth leader, he made some populist decisions. He opened up the state capital, constructed roads, even if badly executed. And, he made the people laugh. They loved that. But midway, he changed dramatically, and became an emperor.

Now, rejected by his party and Imolites, he is on a long, lonely, journey. And the people are ecstatic. They can’t wait for May 29 to bid him a long good bye. They can’t wait to present the in-coming governor with a long shopping list – reversal of so many injustices, including those done to former Deputy Governor Jude Agbaso and DG Madumere who he has, for months, stripped of everything. Thre are, also, the corrupted traditional institution; the confused education system and the destabilized civil service. Most important, the in-coming governor needs to restore the confidence of the people in themselves and in their state. Their self esteem is unbelievably low. It’s a long list. But, he must start somewhere.

Finally, a word for those Imo sons, our heroes, who collectively brought back laughter to the people, especially, Madumere, Uzodinma, Uwajimogu, Izunaso, Ararume, Ihedioha, TOE and Uche Onyeagocha. You are the faces of our joy today. I salute you. You must stick together and finish the job you started which is: to rescue Imo from Okorocha & co. It doesn’t matter which political party you belong to. You have a single mission: give Imolites back their self worth. Excuses will not be acceptable. Bury your individual ambitions, and move Imo forward. If you don’t, Okorocha’s fate awaits you.

And, for Emperor Okorocha who has just lost his empire, it’s a long goodbye. Most Imolites are happy to see him off, his bag of Iberiberism strapped to his back, with a continuous wave of their hands. Their wish: Enjoy the next battle ground with your party and INEC. Imo has moved on. And, the people are clapping.

*Obi is the Editor-in-Chief/CEO of The Source (Magazine), https://thesourceng.com. Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Sight and Sound of 2019 Governorship/House of Assembly Elections

By

The Source

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March 14, 2019

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After weeks of tension and apprehension, Governorship and State House of Assembly election finally held on Saturday 9^th march, 2019 in 29 states across the country. Amid high voters’ apathy, violence, snatching of ballot boxes and in some instances operational glitches.

Following some faces captured during the election by Uche Nwosisi

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu casting his vote at Alausa, Ikeja

RT. Hon Emeka Ihedioha casting his vote in Mbutu

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu recieving cheers from party suporter after casting his vote

Babajide Sanwo-Olu casting his vote at Femi Okunnu polling unit,Ward 09

Cross- Section of INEC accredited Journalist on duty

Okorocha Not Yet A Senator

By

Oji Odu

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March 14, 2019

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By Oji Odu

Thursday, March 14, 2019, the D-Day for the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue the Certificate of Return to winners of the March 9, 2019 Senatorial elections at the International Conference Center, Abuja at the end of the exercise, the out-going governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, whose name was earlier announced as winner of Imo West Senatorial Zone did not receive his Certificate of Return.

Will the Owelle still make it as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, bearing in mind the heavy noose poised to truncate his ambition? If he does not make it, what will be his fate as he fights myriads of battles both within and outside his party?

Ahead of the presentation of the Certificates of Return, INEC published the list of newly-elected federal lawmakers on its website, but Okorocha’s name was not on the list of elected senators.

In the slot for the three Imo Senatorial districts, only Senator-elect Onyewuchi Ezenwa Francis (Imo East), who won on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was listed. Imo North’s slot was empty except for a “Supplementary” remark while for Imo West Senatorial district, whose seat Governor Okorocha contested under the APC was blank with an INEC remark, “Declaration made under duress.” ,

Okorocha was declared winner by the returning officer for the Senatorial district, Innocent Ibeawuchi, who later said that he was made to announce Okorocha as winner “under duress”.

“I have been held hostage here for days. So, I’m trying to ease off and take my life home back to my children and for the sake of that I am calling these results under duress,” he said.

Speaking on this issue at an inter-agency consultative committee on election security last week, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission will not issue certificates of return to any candidate declared winner of an election under duress.

“The commission will not tolerate the act of holding our officials’ hostage and forcing them to declare winners under duress.

“Where such occurs, the commission will not reward bad behaviour by issuing them certificates of return,” he said.

In a chat with the Magazine, Peters Umoh, a political watcher commended INEC on its stance on the issue, but would loved it to have been extended to the other elections allegedly flawed due to threat of INEC officials by politicians.

“ While I commend INEC on the stand it took concerning the Governor Rochas Okorocha case, I hope that Okorocha will not be the only scapegoat. There are others that were involved in this anomaly. I hope INEC will expand its investigation to punish all those involved and save its face in the 2019 election that many are not happy with their performance,” he said.

Umoh also opined that the electoral officer will be bold enough to expose and deal with its officials who were involved in whatever electoral fraud.

Plane Crash: After US Ban, FG Makes U-turn

By

Uche Mbah

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March 14, 2019

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By Uche Mbah

After the US government placed a blanket ban on Boeing 737 Max 8 throughout the entire United States, the Federal Government, in a volte-face, decided to ban the aircraft from the Nigerian Airspace.

President Trump, after days of pressure, on Wednesday placed a blanket ban on Boing 737 max 8 from the American airspace, thereby reversing the earlier position that the aircraft will continue to fly pending result of crash investigations. Some 42 countries have banned the aircraft that has been involved in two major mishaps in a space of five months. Both crashes witnessed no survivors. The aircraft was certified by American Civil Aviation Authorities.

The ban was a joint decision of both the American and Canadian governments, which tried to connect the dots between the two crashes involving the aircraft. And Indonesian air crash five months ago was also a max 8, and the cause of the crash was traceable to similar computer malfunction.

Few hours after the American ban and minutes after the Federal executive Council meeting, the Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced a total ban of the aircraft within Nigerian airspace.

Less than twenty four hours previously, the Nigerian Civil Aviation authority, NCAA, image maker, Sam Adurogboye, has told this magazine that banning the aircraft amounts to panic measure, insisting that countries should wait until investigations are done and advisory pronounced.

In a complete negation to that position, Sirika said the safety records of the aircraft do not obliterate the fact that it has caused concern in the world of Aviation.

“Regarding Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 that has been in the news recently, there is no cause for alarm as there is no operator in Nigeria that is using that type of airplane”, he said, confirming the NCAA position.

“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, whose mandate it is to issue advisory, has already issued advisory that nobody should fly into Nigeria or out of Nigeria using Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, pending the determination of the actual cause of the crash in Ethiopia and also pending the outcome of the response of the manufacturer, which is Messers Boeing.

“Regardless of the enormous safety records of this plane 737, it has caused concern in the world of aviation and you know aviation is universal; whatever affects one affects the other because aircraft will be flying in and out. So, we have issued directive that no operator with Boeing 737 Max 8 or Max 9 should operate into and outside our airports and this is being carried out.”

This Magazine has reported that two Nigerian airlines-Airpeace and Arik-have ordered for the aircraft, and may not be in a hurry to cancel their respective orders. But the Minister says it will take two years to deliver, contrary to the position of the NCAA, which give a four-year time lag.

Sirika said two years is enough for boeing to sort out the mess.

“Regarding Air Peace and Arik orders, whether those orders were confirmed or intent, it is to our knowledge in the ministry that they won’t be in the country until the next two years or so. And this is enough periods to sort out whatever problem it is with that plane. The world of aviation will not be sleeping just as we in Nigeria will not be sleeping. And it is normal standard practice that once a particular aircraft type is involved in accident back to back, it is withdrawn from the market to see if there is something they are doing wrong.

“And if it is confirmed that a particular problem, say for instance, landing gear, they will issue an instruction to ground such plane worldwide until the problem is fixed.”