COURT STALLS SWEARING IN OF CALISTUS EKENZE
Wednesday, 01 August 2018 07:31The swearing in of Calistus Ekenze as the new Deputy Governor of Imo State has been stalled by an order of court.
Ekenze was confirmed by the State House of Assembly as a replacement for EZE Madumere who was impeached by the yesterday.
However; the ceremony could not proceed as planned due to the order of an Owerri High Court, which was confirmed by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Miletus Nlemadim.
You will recall the impeachment of Madumere was done in defiance of an earlier court order issued on 30th July by Justice Ben Iheka.
The order had restrained the State Assembly and the State Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi, from going ahead with impeachment process, pending the determination of the substantive matter filed by the plaintiff.
SARAKI DEFECTS FROM APC TO PDP
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 18:51Senate President Bukola Saraki has dumped the All Progressives Congress for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The Senate President made his defection known in a tread on twitter handle.
This is coming two weeks after fifteen senators announced their defection from the APC to other political parties with the People’s Democratic Party taking the lead.
Senator Saraki defected to the PDP with his ally, the Governor of Kwara state, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Also in the fray of defection is the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Bolaji Abdulahi who resigned his position from the ruling APC to join his political mentor, Senator Saraki in the PDP.
CALLISTUS EKENZE AWAITS CONFIRMATION AS THE NEW DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF IMO STATE
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:48
Callistus Ekenze is awaiting confirmation by the Imo State House of Assembly as the new Deputy Governor.
Ekenze was until yesterday the State Head of Service before he was nominated by Governor Rochas Okorocha.
The nomination letter from the Governor was read by the Speaker Acho Ihim after he presided over the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere.
Reports say of the twenty-seven members of the State Assembly, nineteen voted in favour of the impeachment motion during plenary.
The impeachment of the Deputy Governor was based on recommendations in a report of a seven-man panel that was constituted by the State Chief Judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Madumere.
The impeached Deputy Governor was accused of absence without reasons for a period of three months, failure to perform constitutional duties and alleged concealment of acts of felony in the United States.
PDP CHIEFTAIN SECONDUS TAKES APC MINISTER LAI MOHAMMED TO COURT (AUDIO)
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:32The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt will on 8th October deliver ruling on the question of its jurisdiction to hear the defamation lawsuit filed by National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus against the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Iyayi Lamikanra, who is handling the one point five billion naira lawsuit, fixed for ruling on several applications filed on behalf of Lai Mohammed by his lawyer.
The respondent argued that the matter should have been in Lagos and not Port Harcourt because the purported libellous publication was made in Lagos.
Our correspondent Victor Ezeama reports that Justice Lamikanra adjourned the case for ruling on the applications, with the hope that there would be no new applications.
Outside the courtroom; counsel to the plaintiff and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Emeka Etiaba, argued that the issue of jurisdiction does not matter in case of defamation.
You will recall that the origin of Prince Uche Secondus’ defamation lawsuit against the Minister of Information and Culture is the publication of his name sometime in April on a list of suspected beneficiaries of looted public funds under the immediate-past PDP Administration.
IMPEACHMENT: David Mark Opposes Notice, as Governor Ortom Remains Calm(AUDIO)
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:11Former Senate President, David Mark, has advised the State House of Assembly to be guided by the Constitution and legislative rules and procedures.
Senator Mark, who represents Benue South Senatorial Zone, cautioned the state lawmakers against engaging in any act that could undermine the established tenet of democracy.
In a statement released by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh; Senator Mark said the impeachment notice served on Governor Samuel Ortom by eight APC members of the State Assembly was unconstitutional, null and void.
Senator Mark said the move by the APC Assembly members, who are in minority, is unknown to legislative practices and procedures, and in violation of Section 188, subsection 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The Senator said for a valid impeachment notice to be served on a State Governor, it requires the support of at least one-third of the members of the State House of Assembly.
He advised Governor Ortom not to be distracted by the development but remain focus and steadfast in the discharge of his duties.
Also speaking on the development; another chieftain of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, condemned the police for providing cover for eight APC members of the Benue State House of Assembly to sit while barring twenty-two others who belong to the PDP.
Senator Makarfi said he was appalled that despite numerous judicial pronouncements, the police would provide cover for seven member of the House of Assembly in an attempt to impeach a democratically elected governor.
The former National Assembly member said what happened in Benue was an unlawful, disgraceful and undemocratic act, which he said portends danger of monumental proportions to Nigeria and its institutions.
Meanwhile; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has played down resolutions adopted by eight APC members of the State House of Assembly seeking to have him removed from office.
Governor Ortom wandered how the APC lawmakers without forming a quorum could say they have suspended twenty-two PDP members and also resolved to serve impeachment notice on him.
To drive home his misgiving with the action of the eight APC lawmakers, the embattled Governor resorted to profanity similar to the phrase used recently by United States President, Donald Trump to described African countries.
Reports say eight APC members took over the Benue State House of Assembly complex in the capital, Makurdi yesterday, with the help of some policemen, in a bid to adopt the resolution against Governor Ortom.
The APC lawmakers also adopted another resolution for the suspension of twenty-two PDP members who took part in the impeachment of the Speaker Terkimbi Ikyange last week.
A spokesman for the group later reeled out a long list of alleged infractions by Governor Ortom to support their impeachment motion.
The political crisis in Benue State erupted after Governor Samuel Ortom announced his defection from the APC, together with scores of APC lawmakers in the state assembly, and declared allegiance to the PDP.
PRESIDENCY AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONDEMN PLOT TO IMPEACH SAMUEL ORTOM
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:00President Muhammadu Buhari has washed his hands off the faceoff between APC members of the Benue State House of Assembly and Governor Samuel Ortom.
President Buhari said he would never be part of any unconstitutional act, adding that any attempt to link him with the inglorious past, when minority number of lawmakers impeached governors, will not stick.
The President’s denunciation of the Benue State political saga was contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
The Presidential spokesman said individuals and groups that are making insinuations to suggest that President Buhari may have a hand in the development in Benue State are suffering from paranoia.
Femi Adesina said President Buhari would always stand by all that is noble and fair, and will reject attempts to drag him into infamy.
Adesina said people who stoke fire by deliberate acts of omission or commission, and then summon the President to put it out will find that he will be guided by the Constitution at all times, no matter the attempt to entangle him in what he called unwarranted controversies.
Meanwhile; the National Assembly has also expressed concern over the development in Benue State, following an attempt by eight members of the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, described the action of the eight APC members with the support of the police as a desecration of the legislative chamber.
In a statement jointly issued by their spokesmen, Senator Saraki and Speaker Dogara called on President Muhammdu Buhari to caution the Police against being used to achieve political ends.
Today's Quest With Anni
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 10:04
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GOVERNORDARIUS ISHAKU ADVOCATES FOR THE CREATION OF STATE POLICE
Monday, 30 July 2018 12:25Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku has backed the calls for the creation of state police to check the rage of violence and killings by criminal gangs in different parts of Nigeria.
Governor Ishaku particular believes that with state police in place, he would have been able to better address the deadly confrontation between herdsmen and local militias protecting farming communities in the state.
The Governor gave this indication during a meeting in the capital, Jalingo with former Vice President and frontline presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He stressed the need to keep Nigerians united and peaceful, which he said would require amendment of some structural defect.
Governor Ishaku said despite the efforts of the police, the security situation in Taraba persists and has crippled the development of the state.
TAMBUWAL REJECTS DEFECTION TALK AND PLEDGES ALLEGIANCE TO APC
Monday, 30 July 2018 12:09Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, says he remains a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, contrary to insinuations that he was planning to defect from the party.
Governor Tambuwal's clarification through his Director-General of Media, Abubakar Shekara, was in reaction to comments credited to the Minister of Transportation and Director General of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The Minister had listed the Governors of Sokoto, as well as his Kwara state counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed as planning to leave the All Progressives Congress.
Amaechi also claimed that Tambuwal had presidential ambition, but boasted that President Buhari would win in Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi states in the 2019 general elections even if he was taken to the states on a sick bed.
The Minister told newsmen that although he did not wish to speak about political matters, he was sure that despite the defection by the APC members at the National Assembly, the party would win the 2019 presidential election.
He added that the delay by the opposition party to name its candidate for the presidential election about six months to the election would work in favour of the ruling party.
ADP WITHDRAWS FROM CUPP BECAUSE OF NIGERIANS REJECTION (AUDIO)
Monday, 30 July 2018 11:56The Action Democratic Party, ADP, has withdrawn from the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, led by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The withdrawal of the ADP from the CUPP alignment comes despite leaders of the party being in attendance at meetings by the alliance partners to discuss the way forward.
However; the National Chairman of ADP, Alhaji Sani Yusuf, said the party decided to not to be part of an alliance led by politicians he said had been rejected by Nigerians.
Sani, who made the disclosure on national television, said his party is standing on its own to mobilize Nigerians for the 2019 general elections.
Sani said the movement that would take Nigerians to elect leaders of their choice in 2019 would be unveiled before the elections.
That was the voice of the National Chairman of Action Democratic Party, ADP, Alhaji Sani Yusuf.