Politics

Defection suit: Umahi, deputy know fate March 8

Published

3 years ago

January 20, 2022

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi

Abuja division of the Federal High Court has fixed March 8 and 14 to deliver judgments in the multiple suits filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the removal of Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, from office on account of their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the dates after counsel in the suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 920/21 and FHC/ABJ/CS/ 1041/21 had adopted their briefs of arguments.

In an originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/920/2021, PDP urged the court to make a declaration that by defecting from the party on which they were sponsored and elected to a political party that did not win the election, they have resigned or deemed to have resigned from office.

The crux of the plaintiff’s case is that the defendants purportedly defected and relinquished their PDP membership on which platform they contested and won the governorship election, and, by so doing, are deemed to have lost the majority votes scored at the election and consequently should be ordered by the court to vacate their respective offices as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State.

Other defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC.

However, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former attorney general of Imo State, who is counsel to Governor Umahi and his deputy, urged the court to decline jurisdiction and transfer the case to Ebonyi State. He particularly drew the attention of the court to the fact that Nigeria is a federation with 36 states, including Ebonyi State.

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Ume argued that since Governor Umahi was sworn in by the chief judge of Ebonyi State and not by the chief judge of the Federal High Court, his removal from office can only be pursued through the state House of Assembly and the state High Court.

Meanwhile, Umahi and Igwe have approached the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal for the interpretation of some constitutional issues arising from the suit filed by PDP challenging their defection. The applicants in their motion requested the appellate court to restore the powers of state high courts as the only courts vested with the exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine the question as to whether the term of office of a member of the House of Assembly of a state, a governor or deputy governor has ceased or become vacant.

Counsel to the applicants consequently filed a motion seeking the declaration by the court that Section 272 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, which vested such powers on the Federal High Court as a scrivener’s error.

The motion, which was brought pursuant to Sections 295 (2); 272(3); 6(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 20 and 29 of the Interpretation Act, has requested the order of the Federal High Court for an order referring some constitutional questions to the Court of Appeal for its opinion.

The affected constitutional provisions are sections 2; 4(6); 5 (2); 6 (1) & (2); 6(5) (a) -(e); 186; Chapter VII; Chapter VII Part II; sections 270 (1) and 272 (1); (2) and(3).

The applicants request the opinion of the Court of Appeal as to “Whether by the community reading of the above provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) more particularly by the express provisions in sections 232(1) 239(1) (a) – (c) and 251(4) each vesting original jurisdiction on the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court on matters on the exclusive legislative list and federal political office holders, the phrase Federal High Court as found in Section 272 (3) (aka Section 28, Act No 1 of 2010) is not a mere or should not be read scrivener’s error or devil’s printer?

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“Whether the Court should not order the phrase Federal High Court as found in Section 272 (3) (aka section 28, Act No 1 of 2010) to be read and understood as state High Court which rightly conforms with the spirit of the federal system of government as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vesting exclusive original jurisdiction on the High Court of the states of the federation to “hear and determine the question as to whether the term of office of a member of the House of Assembly of a state, a governor or deputy governor has ceased or become vacant?

Before the trial court, the applicants had filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the suit by the PDP, wherein, they argued hat Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution has provided immunity to them from the plaintiff’s suit and that votes cast during the said elections are by the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) an recent Supreme Court pronouncements belong to them and recent Supreme Court pronouncement belongs to them and not the plaintiff/respondent.

Furthermore, they contested that being Ebonyi State governor and deputy governor sworn into offices by the chief judge of Ebonyi State they cannot be liable to be removed from their offices by a Federal High Court.

Sun

Politics

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.

In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”

Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.

During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.

Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.

“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.

“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.

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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”

He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.

“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.

Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.

“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.

“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.

“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”

Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.

In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Politics

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.

The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.

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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.

“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.

He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Politics

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.

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Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.