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  • Rivers AAC governorship candidate, Awara alleges threat to life

    Rivers AAC governorship candidate, Awara alleges threat to life

    The governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State, Biokpomabo Awara, has raised the alarm on plots to assassinate him.

    Awara, an indigene of coastal Kula-Kalabari in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers state, told our correspondent on phone he was robbed of his well-deserved victory during the March 9 election by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He accused the officials of collaborating with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The governorship candidate of AAC, who is being backed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “Information reaching me is that some boys have been dispatched to trail and assassinate me, even in Abuja, since I have refused to give up on my March 9, 2019 mandate.”

    Awara maintained that as at the time the collation of results of the polls was suspended by INEC headquarters in Abuja on March 10, he had 281,000 votes as against Wike’s 79,000 votes.

    He also expressed displeasure his agent, Dr. Lawrence Chuku, was prevented on April 2 and 3, from accessing the collation centre inside INEC office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

    He alleged the commission’s compromised officials and security personnel allowed Nenye Kocha, who was accused of impersonating AAC, as the party’s collation agent, despite AAC’s protest.

  • Wike offered me N3 billion, says AAC gov candidate

    The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Engr. Biokpomabo Awara, has addressed claims by his erstwhile deputy candidate that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC), forced them to sign post dated resignation letters.

    Aware while expressing disappointment over Yeeh’s resignation and defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) refuted the allegations.

    According to him, Amaechi and the APC offered him and his party unconditional support, because of their shared ideology and love for the Rivers people.

    The AAC candidate, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said Yeeh decamped to PDP because he was under tremendous financial pressure.

    He said, “When the story of his resignation first came out as a rumour, that Rivers State Governor have offered him N200m to abandon me, I had no reason to believe it because that Elder Yeeh was aware I had earlier turned down an offer of N3bn, Gov. Wike offered to me some days ago through his associates. I discussed this with my running mate and outlined why we must not succumb to the lure from the governor or any interest group. I was convinced that we were in agreement because he neither expressed nor alluded to a difference in opinion on the matter.

    “When the rumour became rife by Sunday, I made several attempts to reach my deputy without success. I started developing some strange feelings pointing to a possible sell-out by him.

    “I am aware that a key component of their plot is to attempt to smear the towering image and figure of the Honourable Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. I want to state categorically that all the accusations made by my running mate against the Honourable Minister are blatant lies poorly crafted by his paymaster, Governor Wike and associates, and you could see how tough it was for him to read the script handed to him.

    “Let me be clear. I was never asked to and did not sign any letter of resignation. I am aware that my deputy also was not asked to or signed any letter of resignation. My deputy, Elder Akpo Bomba Yeeh, is believed to be under tremendous financial pressure based on his statements.

    “The support the AAC got from the Honourable Minister and the APC was unconditional. Those conditions my deputy alleged in the statement drafted for him by Governor Wike are false, crude lies. The alliance between AAC and APC for the governorship election is as a result of our shared love for the state and our shared vision to liberate Rivers State from the shackles of cultism, rapidly growing poverty and the unsafe nature of our state in the hands of an administration that has wrecked almost everything in our state.

    “It is indeed sad, regrettable, disheartening and pathetic that my running mate will act in the way he did. I feel pity and sorry for him. However, I must be quick to add that it is one move that has no consequences on the AAC governorship ticket. It is inconsequential in all ramifications. No sane man standing an election as crucial as that of Rivers State will say the things he said.

    “One of the reasons I picked him as my running mate was because of the long running relationship between the Ogoni and Kalabari people, dating back to pre-independence. I also chose him because I saw a fatherly figure and capacity in him that could benefit Rivers Youths. I personally saw our joint ticket as Obama/Joe Biden ticket.”

  • Rivers: Wike ‘bribed’ AAC deputy governorship candidate N200m to withdraw from race – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has alleged that the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the state, Akpo Yeeh, was bribed with N200 million by Governor Nyesom Wike to defect from the AAC.

    Recall that Yeeh stunned the public on Monday when he resigned his membership of the AAC, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and pledged political support to Wike who has been battling to survive a tough election battle with the AAC.

    Yeeh’s action came as a surprise to many because his party, backed by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the APC, has become the major opposition against PDP in the state.

    The court had barred the APC from being on the ballot because of the internal power struggle in the party.

    More so, the governorship and the House of Assembly elections are yet to be concluded in the state.

    “Honestly, I think we are not surprised at the news that the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, Mr Akpo Yeeh, has resigned the membership of his party to join Wike after collecting N200 million from the government,” the APC spokesperson in Rivers, Chris Finebone, said in a reaction to the development on Tuesday afternoon.

    “We are only reacting to his decision because we adopted in principles, the AAC governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, and the fact that Mr Akpo, for want of justification for his actions, is struggling to lie about the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    “Even the retarded of the earth know that Mr Akpo simply responded to what many people called ‘stomach infrastructure’.

    “Depending on Mr Akpo’s station in life, N200 million definitely is a once in a lifetime opportunity he had to grab. His ilk totally jettisons their conscience in time like that.

    “We wish him well. We only want to inform Mr Akpo that even as he struggles to reap from a script written by others, that in a few days he came close, he had no opportunity to know or to associate with the minister as to be in a position to say what he is claiming,” Mr Finebone said.

    The Rivers State government has denied that it bribed Yeeh to abandon the AAC.

    “They are talking rubbish,” the Commissioner for Information in the state, Emma Okah, said of the bribery allegation.

    “They are a people who have no shame, trying to distract people’s attention from the calamity which they have inflicted upon the people of Rivers State during the elections.

    “Why do we need to bribe a deputy governorship candidate? Does it change the fact that we won the elections? Are we under any threat by AAC?” Okah said.

    The commissioner said the PDP has won the governorship and the House of Assembly elections in the state.

    “What we can say is to thank the man (Mr Yeeh) for realising that there comes a time in a man’s life when you must tell yourself the truth,” he said.

     

  • Rivers guber: AAC deputy governorship candidate defects to PDP, gives reasons

    The drama in the Rivers State governorship election took a different twist on Monday when the deputy governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Gakpo Bomba Yeeh dumped his party for the ruling party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Announcing his withdrawal from the yet-to-be concluded governorship election, Yeeh said he decided to dump the AAC to join hands with Governor Nyesom Wike to move Rivers State forward.

    As it stands today, the incumbent governor and governorship candidate of the PDP, Wike is contesting for the state top job with the AAC candidate, Biokpomabo Awarato.

    Yeeh while addressing reporters in his Port Harcourt home on Monday said, said: “After due consultations with my immediate family, friends and supporters, I, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the governorship running mate of the AAC for the 2019 governorship election, hereby resign my membership of the AAC and announce my defection to the PDP to join hands with Governor Wike to move the state forward.

    “I was the governorship running mate of the AAC in Rivers State up till today (yesterday), 25th March, 2019, when I decided to withdraw my candidature and resign from the party with immediate effect.

    “The March 9 , governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its candidate, Biokpomabo Awara and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of the PDP, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.”

    He noted that despite interference by security agencies, the Rivers people stood their ground and voted for the incumbent.

    Yeeh said: “The collated results further showed that contrary to the claim of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance, the PDP overwhelmingly won all the elections in 18 out of the 19 LGAs, culminating in the declaration and return of the party’s 26 House of Assembly constituencies by the Constituency Returning Officers.

    “This fact was confirmed on the 13th of March, 2019, when INEC stated, as a matter of fact, that it had in its safe custody collated results for 17 local government areas as well as the declaration of the PDP candidates for 21 state constituencies.

    “The outcome of the elections on March 9, 2019, clearly showed the preference of the people. Even the blind can see and the deaf can hear the echo that Rivers people overwhelmingly voted to stick with Governor Wike for the next four years to encourage him to continue with the good works.”

    The former AAC governorship running mate told reporters that he had been forced to sign an undated letter of resignation to be effective after their expected inauguration.

    He alleged: “I was forced to sign an undated letter of resignation as the Deputy Governor of Rivers State to pave the way for Rotimi Amaechi to nominate another person as deputy governor.

    “These were slavish conditions for any rational politician worth his name to accept, but I pretended to play along because doing otherwise at that time would have been too dangerous for the safety of my life, given Amaechi’s desperation to remove Wike from office and install his stooge in the person of Engr Awara against all odds.”

    According to him, the Transportation minister, who adopted the AAC, promised to fund the party.

    He stated that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that conferred de facto governance on the minister.

    Yeeh, who outlined the conditions, said: “First, he (Amaechi) must be the one to appoint 90 per cent of all political office holders, including commissioners, special advisers, and chairmen and members of government agencies and parastatals.

    “Second, he must be the one to nominate and produce all the 23 local government area’s chairmen and other principal officers of the councils.

    “We, that is, Awara and my humble self, must consult and take instructions from him on all financial, policy and fiscal matters, as well as award and payment of all contracts and other financial transactions upon inauguration as governor and deputy governor of the state.

    “As a practicing Christian, I have come to the conclusion that the actions and desperate attempts by the AAC/APC alliance to rig the governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State are both morally and legally wrong, reprehensible and inimical to the collective interest of the people of Rivers State.

    “The Almighty God will not forgive me if I continue to lend my support to Rotimi Amaechi’s perfidy against the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State to freely elect their own leaders.”

    Yeeh stated that he has informed Awara in writing of his withdrawal and resignation from the race and the AAC.

     

  • Rivers Election: Court declines AAC petition against INEC to stop result compilation

    Rivers Election: Court declines AAC petition against INEC to stop result compilation

    The Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday declined to give an order stopping the collation of results of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Rivers on March 9.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his ruling in an application filed by the plaintiffs, Mr Biokpomabo Awara and Ben-Gurion Peter of the African Action Congress, (AAC), held that the application was such that the court could not grant without hearing from the other parties.

    The plaintiffs, represented by Tawo Tawo (SAN), in an ex parte application, prayed for an order , stopping INEC from resuming collation, concluding and announcing the results of the March 9 election in Rivers.

    The judge, rather ordered the plaintiffs to put the respondents, INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), on notice and fixed March 25 for both the plaintiffs and respondents to appear before him to argue their case.

    Earlier, Justice Ekwo drew the attention of the plaintiffs’ counsel to news making the rounds that he had already restrained INEC from going ahead to take further action on the Rivers election.

    The judge also drew Tawo’s attention to a name Inyang Ewa, who granted the purported order but the counsel denied the existence of such name for any Federal High Court judge.

    The judge cautioned those behind the false news, saying that it was wrong for anybody or group to resort to self-help as such was prohibited in the judiciary.

  • Sowore’s AAC faults Delta election results, congratulates Okowa

    The governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Delta State, Frank Ufuoma Esanubi has faulted outcome of the election in which Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was reelected as governor.

    Esanubi, in a statement, described the election as marred by monetisation of franchise, militarisation, allocation of ballots; and voters’ apathy in many parts of the State.

    “Although we did not win the election, we have a measure of victory by enlisting converts into the army of well-meaning Deltans, and indeed Nigerians that will continue to work, and walk towards a Delta State.

    “Although the election was marred by the monetisation of franchise, allocation of ballots; and voters’ apathy in many parts of the State, I congratulate the winner of the election, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi A. Okowa of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    “I pray that you will maximise God’s grace to lead Delta State to the path of sustainable developments.

    “While votes were obviously allocated in favour of our opponents, and suppression of ours, a seeming punishment for our advocacy against the ills in the State, we remain committed to being a robust opposition to your government in a manner that will encourage good governance in our dear State.

    “Our political quest has been to evolve a Delta State that works for all through public sector reforms, pro-people policies, modern infrastructural development, creation of opportunities, transparency, accountability, and godliness.

    “Although the majority elected to sustain the current political order, we do not mock them. The victims of dehumanising politics deserve further re-orientation, and enlightenment; to these, we remain committed.

    “One thing the established political class has succeeded to do is the mass impoverishment of Deltans. They deliberately ensure the spread of hunger, and poverty among the populace, such that most of them lose the will to reject the crumbs that the political class throws at them during electioneering periods.

    “Through hunger-induced politics, the established political class has been able to sustain their dangerous grip on the people, and their progress. They have not performed. They only returned to their hitherto abandoned constituents with peanuts in exchange for their votes.

    “We hope that going forward, the electorate will realise that their socio-political emancipation lies in their resolve to reject every bait that leaves them in conditioned socio-political servitude.

    “In the midst of this menace, we remain true to our political philosophy: that sacrifice on the parts of all is the foundation for egalitarianism; to equally, and collectively own our dear State, the populace should not monetise their franchise, for where there is a buyer, there is an owner; where there is no buyer, everyone is an equal owner,” the statement read.

     

  • Saturday’s poll: Abe tells supporters not to vote AAC in Rivers

    The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Ngei Abe has dissociated himself from the adoption of the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    Abe said the APC under the Peter Odike led leadership is neither in alliance with the AAC nor any other political party in the state and urged his supporters to vote for candidates of their choice in Saturday’s Governorship and State House of Assembly general elections in the State.

    He said the APC’s national leadership has not issued any directive to its members in Rivers State to form an alliance with or join any political party in the state ahead of the elections.

    The Senator in a statement, he personally signed expressed regrets that the APC as a political party would not be on the ballot in view of the extant Supreme Court judgment on the Rivers APC, describing the apex court as the final hope of every oppressed Nigerian.

    Abe stated that the Supreme Court had fixed its appeal for hearing on the 14th of March because Amaechi’s group had written a petition against the sitting panel of the Court and there was no time to constitute a fresh panel to hear the case before the elections.

    The statement reads, “Yesterday, I was briefed by our legal team, that the Supreme Court of Nigeria fixed our appeal for hearing on the 14th of March, 2019, because the Amaechi’s group had written a petition against the sitting panel of the Court and there was no time to constitute a fresh panel to hear the case before the elections.

    “Every effort made by our legal team to get a date for hearing before the elections tomorrow was unsuccessful. As a lawyer, I understand the position of the Supreme Court, and I urge all Rivers people who hoped and prayed for a different outcome to respect and honour the position of the Court.

    “The Supreme Court is the final hope of every oppressed Nigerian and the only true rock on which our democracy can rest. With that position of the Court, the APC as a political party will not be on the ballot for tomorrow’s elections for Governorship and the House of Assembly.

    “The only moral justification for the Amaechi faction’s petition to block the urgent hearing of our appeal and allow the APC to have candidates in this election is to further justify the narrative that we stopped the candidature of Tonye Cole and others.

    “This narrative is, of course, false to our knowledge and to most Nigerians who followed events in Rivers State objectively.

    “The candidature of Cole and others was deliberately built on a foundation of disobedience to Court orders and orchestrated violence against the courts.

    “These were actions taken by the APC leadership in Rivers State despite our warnings and appeals, that these actions were clear pathways to political disaster.

    “Having successfully blocked our quest for justice and redemption for the APC, the same leadership has gone ahead to form an alliance with another political party the AAC, as I write I have not received or seen any statement from the national headquarters of our party directing our members in Rivers State to join or participate in any alliance with another political party in Rivers State.

    “Indeed the national leadership of the AAC has come out publicly to dissociate itself from the alliance. On a personal note, I cannot participate in the alliance, for the reason that myself and other leaders of the APC in Rivers State considered as not loyal to the minister of transportation were not consulted.

    “I, therefore, support the position of the State Chairman of the party, Prince Peter Odike that there is no alliance with AAC in Rivers State.

    “The alliance is nothing other than another attempt to enforce Amaechi’s right to pick a Governor for Rivers people that is loyal and answerable to him alone.

    “We urge all Rivers people, particularly members of the APC to reject it and vote for candidates of their choice.

    “After all is said and done, the only reason the AAC party candidates is being supported by the Minister today is because he either left or refused to join the APC, if he was a member of our party, the Minister would rather destroy the party than support him.

    “The reason for the fight in the APC is the absolute determination of the Minister of Transportation not to consider any APC member for the Governorship race on the platform of our party.

    “We must all condemn the escalating violence in Rivers State; I appeal to all politicians in Rivers State to conduct themselves in a manner that acknowledges that no Rivers man has a greater claim to Rivers State than another.

    “In the present situation, the safety of voters cannot even be guaranteed; neither will the results of the elections be acceptable to the broad majority of our people if they are not allowed to freely exercise their franchise without the fear violence.

    “I thank the security agencies for their vigorous efforts at ensuring peaceful atmosphere for elections in Rivers State but I must urge them to act at all times in the best interests of our country and its citizens.

    “Finally to my supporters, please keep faith, we started this journey with nothing but our faith in God, if we lose our faith then we are left with absolutely nothing.

    “Our God has been faithful; we have never plotted evil, mobilized violence or betrayed our principles in the quest for power.

    “Every evil plot, every sponsored blackmail against us will not only fail but will fail woefully and the truth will prevail. The God of justice will definitely speak, and every other voice shall be silent,” Senator Abe stated.

     

  • AAC guber candidate mourns death of campaign DG, 2 others

    Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Delta state, Frank Ufuoma Esanubi has expressed grief over the sudden demise of his campaign Director General, Omamode Ernest Ojegba.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Omamode and four other members of the AAC in Delta were involved in a tragic ghastly motor accident while returning from a political event in Kwale on Tuesday.
    The vehicle conveying them skidded off the road during a downpour and plunged into the Agbarho river on the East West road in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
    While two persons in the vehicle survived the tragic accident, Omamode, Pastor Abushe Jones and Idris Sanni Aigbe died in the process.
    “It is still difficult to come to terms with what happened,” Esanubi said in a statement on Thursday.
    He said he had known Omamode for half of his lifetime, and that Pastor Jones was his Delta Baptist Conference Royal Ambassadors Commandant in the 90’s.
    “When he accepted to serve as my campaign Director General, he brought with him unparalleled zeal, commitment, and vigor despite working with limited budget.
    “He was incurably optimistic of this project, despite several hiccups, he never gave up on the vision to take back Delta State,” Esanubi said of his campaign DG.
    The AAC governorship candidate described Jones as a strict disciplinarian, saying, “As soon as we reconnected earlier this year, he keyed into the project, and have since been our Church organizations liaison officer within the State”.
    “Young, and soft spoken Idris Sanni Aigbe was the man not just behind the camera, but also behind the mask. He handled the camera during our live streams, and responded to comments on my behalf in a way that he depended less on me for guidance.
    “Now, how am I able to continue without these people? What about the families that these wonderful men have left behind? These still hurt so badly,” Esanubi lamented.
    He solicited for prayers for the party, and especially for families the deceased left behind.
    AAC presidential candidate has also reacted to the loss of the party members.
     

  • Omamode: Sowore mourns death of campaign DG

    The African Action Congress (AAC) has expressed sadness over the death of Omamode Ernest Ojegba, Campaign Organization Director General of Frank Ufuoma Esanubi, AAC governorship candidate in Delta state.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Omamode died when returning from a political meeting in Kwale after the vehicle conveying him plunged into Agbarho river along East-West road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
    In a statement, presidential candidate of the AAC and convener of TakeltBack Movement, Omoyele Sowore, expressed sadly, saying the party is grieved at the death of the three members.
    “The African Action Congress party is sad to announce that we have lost three members from the Delta State AAC family.
    “The men were returning from an outreach effort related to State AAC activities when their car fell into a river on a particularly bad stretch of road that has claimed many lives in the past.
    “At this dark time, we mourn the loss of these brave men, and ask all of our members to pray that their patriotic and revolutionary souls rest in peace.
    “We also use this opportunity to remember and pray for their families that they might find the strength to bear this tragic loss,” Sowore stated.
     

  • Breaking: Campaign DG to AAC governorship candidate in Delta dead

    Omamode Ernest Ojegba, Campaign Organization Director General of Frank Ufuoma Esanubi, African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Delta state, is dead.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Omamode was returning from a political meeting in Kwale when the vehicle conveying him plunged into Agbarho river along East-West road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
    Omamode, vibrant and leading the not-too-young-to-run campaign in Delta, was in his early 40s until his death. He had four other persons with him in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
    The accident was said to have occurred during a downpour on Tuesday, and two persons were said to have survived the tragic ghastly motor accident.
    When contacted, the state commandant of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Rindom Kumven, said the Corps had not been briefed on the incident.
    The two other persons who died in the accident are Pastor Jones Abushe and Mr. Edris Sani.