Wike Set to Assent Motion Striping Omehia of ‘Former Governor’ Title – Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

Wike Set to Assent Motion Striping Omehia of ‘Former Governor’ Title

Published

2 years ago

on

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike

*Lawmakers order Omehia to refund N696m benefit 

*Rivers withdraws criminal suit against Amaechi, Cole, others

For not sharing Governor Nyesom Wike’s political views and not supporting his crusade to remove the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Celestine Omehia has been stripped of his title as a former governor of the state.

This was just as the Rivers State Government yesterday withdrew the criminal suit filed against immediate former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 elections in the state, Tonye Cole and five others.

The Rivers State House of Assembly apparently working on Wike’s directive, decided to de-recognise Omehia whose victory was handed over to Amaechi by Supreme Court in 2007, barely six months into the tenure.
The court had ruled that the victory belonged to the party and not individual, hence Amaechi who won the primary and denied the ticket assumed governorship position following the ceremonious judgement.

Currently Omehia is one of the allies of PDP presidential candidate, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who defeated Wike in the party’s presidential primaries.

READ ALSO:

However, the state Assembly in the approved motion has also ordered Omehia to refund all monies, especially the sum of N600 million as benefits in addition to receipt of N96,520,359.40, as monthly pensions received till September, 2022.

The House Leader, Martin Amaewhule, representing Obio/Akpor Constituency I, presented the motion  to, “Rescind  the Rivers State House of Assembly Resolution on the Recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as former governor of Rivers State and the restoration of all benefits and entitlements due to him.”
Presenting the motion addressed to the Speaker and members of the House yesterday, Amaewhule recalled that on June 30, 2015, a motion was moved, seconded and argued upon and a resolution was passed in favour of recognition of Omehia as former governor of the state and the restoration of his privileges and entitlements.

Amaewhule who is a close ally of Wike said based on the resolution of the House, the Rivers State government through an instrument published in the Official Gazette of the state, No. 5, Volume 52, of March, 2016, under Wike, had recognised Omehia as former governor and restored all the privileges and entitlements accruing to the former Rivers governor.

The House Leader stated: “Pursuant to the official recognition, Sir Celestine Omehia received a lot in financial benefits and entitlements from the Rivers State Government including the sum of N600,000,000.00 only as benefits, in addition to receipt of a total sum N96,520,359.40 only, as monthly pensions as September, 2022.”

Amaewhule recalled that the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Amaechi versus INEC and two others in 2008, had declared that the appellant (Chibuike Amaechi) was the actual or valid governorship candidate of the PDP in Rivers State for the 2007 general election and not Omehia, who contested the election.
He further said the Supreme Court also held that, “in the eyes of the law, Omehia was never a candidate in the election much less a winner.”

Amaewhule stated that being mindful of the position of the apex court on the subject matter and in line with Section 287 (I) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that, “the decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by, courts and subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.”

He said the continued recognition of Omehia as former governor of the state and the continued granting of privileges and entitlements accruing to all former governors of the state to him (Omehia) was not in tandem with the highlighted pronouncement of the apex court and the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
Amaewhule called on Wike to stop recognising Omehia as former governor of Rivers State and also terminate all privileges, benefits and entitlements accruing to all former governors which were also extended to him (Omehia).

He also urged the House to direct Omehia to stop using the title, “His Excellency” and suffix “Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS),” which pertains to only governors and former governors of the state.

The leader also urged the House to direct Omehia to refund all the monies paid to him by the state government as benefits and entitlements, to the treasury of the state government within seven days from the date of the resolution of the House.
In an instant debate, all the lawmakers who made contributions, including the representative of Celestine Omehia’s constituency in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Anselm Oguguo agreed to the prayers.

READ ALSO:

Some of the lawmakers, however, requested that a specific decision be made on what action to be taken if Omehia fails to refund the monitory benefits.
After the debate, all 21 members present at the plenary voted in support of the four prayers by the leader of the House.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said the house was right in taking the decision, because no law was absolute.
Meanwhile, Wike has agreed to sign the approved motion by the Assembly cancelling the recognition of Omehia as a former governor.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike announced that he would assent to the letter on Friday (today) at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

According to Ebiri: “His Excellency Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, is to sign the instrument on cancellation of the recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of Rivers State.

“The cancellation of the recognition is sequence to the resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly adopted on Thursday, 6th October, 2022 to derecognise Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of the state.
“The signing will take place in Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, 7th October, 2022 by 12 noon’, he added.

Rivers Withdraws Criminal Suit against Amaechi, Cole, others

In the meantime, Rivers State Government has withdrawn the criminal suit filed against Amaechi, Cole and five others.
The state government had filed the suit accusing the defendants of selling government assets running into several billions of naira during Amaechi’s tenures as the state governor.

READ ALSO:

The matter which resumed for ruling could not continue as counsel for the State Government and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccheus Adangor informed the court that he was withdrawing the suit.

Reacting, lawyer for APC, Amaechi and Cole argued that withdrawing the suit was an abuse of court process and prayed the court to dismiss the criminal charges if the suit must be withdrawn.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam after hearing the arguments of the parties in the matter, struck out the suit and the charges against the APC and others.

One of the defence lawyers, Achinike Wobodo who spoke with journalists on the development, said they were ready to face the state government whenever there was a fresh charge against their clients.
Wobodo said, “As it stands today, there is no charge against anybody in any court. We do not intend to prevent whether they want to file any other charge or not.
“Taking one thing as a time, if they bring any other charge, we will also challenge them.
“We have said to Rivers people, these are just antics to paint these gentlemen in a bad light,” he said.

Thisday

Related Topics:
Advertisement

Politics

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Published

2 days ago

on

December 21, 2024

By

Umar Iliya Damagum, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Two former Presidents of the Senate, Chief David Mark and Dr Bukola Saraki are leading a fresh charge aimed at removing Amb. Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The push by Mark and Saraki has received the backing of prominent stakeholders, including the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang and other political office holders elected on the platform of the PDP.

Similarly, former governors from the Northcentral zone who served on the party’s platform have also aligned forces with the group.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday night, the party chieftains resolved to produce a candidate from the zone early 2025 to replace Damagum.

According to them, the move to replace Damagum with a substantive chairman from the Northcentral, has received the endorsement of key party stakeholders from the Northwest and the Northeast zones.

Among those being projected as potential candidates to take Damagum’s seat include Mark; a former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam; and a former House of Representatives member from Nasarawa State, David
David Ombugadu.

A communique issued after the meeting, said the stakeholders
reviewed the festering crisis in the party following the exit of the erstwhile National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Ayu lost his seat to the crisis triggered by disagreements over the emergency of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election.

READ ALSO:

The crisis has continued to deepen with the apparent overbearing influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on the Damagum-led national leadership.

The Northcentral stakeholders argued that Damagum’s continued occupation of the office breached provisions of the PDP constitution.

The communique states in part, “The PDP’s constitution clearly states that succession of offices in the party at all levels is largely to the extent that any vacant position can be replaced by appointment from the zone, as per Section 47 (6) of the party.

“The party is guided by its constitution at all times. Therefore, the leadership of the party needs to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.

“It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the Northcentral Zone appeal to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the chairmanship of the party back to the Northcentral Zone to serve out its tenure.

“That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of Northcentral zone.

“The Northcentral is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”

The meeting, which was attended by Governor Muftwang, also had former Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Idris Wada (Kogi) in attendance.

Others at the meeting included the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro; incumbent PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); and a former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana.

Also at the meeting were former senators Tunde Ogbeha, Philip Aduda, Suleiman Adokwe, Dino Melaye, Mohammed Onawo and Peter Jiya.

READ ALSO:

Similarly, former Ministers, Labaran Maku and Sarah Ochekpe also attended the meeting. Other stakeholders like Simon Mwadkwon, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, Mr. Raymond Dabo, Maika Jiba, and Isa Dobi were also present.

Damagum, who is from Yobe State in the Northeast zone, emerged Acting National Chairman in March 2023 following the exit of Ayu who is from Benue State in the Northcentral zone.

Damagum was the PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) before his appointment as Acting National Chairman.

By virtue of Section 47 (6) of the party’s constitution, he ought to have relinquished the seat for a substantive National Chairman from the Northcentral zone where Ayu hailed from.

The Section reads: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”

Ayu was elected chairman in 2022 for a four-year tenure that should expire in 2026 before his tenure got truncated in 2023.

Several moves by critical organs of the party, including the PDP Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Caucus to replace Damagum have been thwarted by the Acting National Chairman, allegedly with the backing of Wike.

Miffed by the development, the PDP Governors Forum, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, had, a few weeks ago, directed the Damagum-led leadership to convene the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting latest by February 2025.

The NEC meeting has suffered four postponements between August and November 2024, as Damagum, who is supposed to convene the meeting has been evasive.

The power to ratify any candidate chosen by the Northcentral zone to replace Damagum is vested only in the NEC.

 

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Continue Reading

Politics

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Published

4 days ago

on

December 19, 2024

By

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has officially expelled Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairperson of the party in the South-East, following allegations of anti-party activities.

Odefa had been suspended on September 11, 2024, by the ward executives, a move that was later upheld by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki. In its ruling on November 29, 2024, under suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024, the court affirmed the legitimacy of his suspension.

On Wednesday, Onyeka Ovuta, the Acting Chairperson of the PDP in Oguduokwor, announced Odefa’s expulsion in a statement. Ovuta explained that the decision followed recommendations from the party’s disciplinary committee, which confirmed the allegations against Odefa.

READ ALSO:

The party announced that Mr Odefa by the virtue of his expulsion, “ceases to be a member of the party.”

Reacting, Mr Odefa laughed off the expulsion, stating that those who announced it were “frustrated charlatans”.

He said the expulsion cannot stand because “it did not take place in the ward but in Abuja”. He said those who made the announcement against him were not ward executives of the party.

“Let them come home come and announce it. Or is our ward now located in Abuja?”

 

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Continue Reading

Politics

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Published

5 days ago

on

December 18, 2024

By

APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Sylvester Ezeokenwa has been reinstated as the national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Ezeokenwa was reinstated by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, December 17.

According to Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, the commission had been served with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The apex court judgement with the Appeal No. SC/CV/824/2024 APGA & ANOR vs OYE & ORS was delivered on November 27, 2024.

The court ruled that Ezeokenwa should be recognised as the national chairman of the party.

READ ALSO:

“In compliance with the judgement of the apex court, the Commission has restored Barr. Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of APGA and restored his name on our website accordingly,” the INEC commissioner said.

He also stated that the reisnstatmemt of the new chairman would automatically lead to the withdrawal of the recognition of Njoku as the national chairman of the party.

The court also upheld an earlier judgement of the appeal which did not confer any enforceable rights on Njoku.

If also awarded N20 million each against the appellaants.

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Continue Reading

Trending