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Tag: Abaribe

  • Abia South: Ikpeazu calls for nullification of Abaribe’s victory

    Abia South: Ikpeazu calls for nullification of Abaribe’s victory

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has called for the nullification of the declaration of Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe as the winner of Abia South Senatorial elections of Feb. 25.

    Ikpeazu, who is the Abia South senatorial districts candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Feb. 25 election, also faulted Independent National Electoral Commission’s, (INEC) declaration of Sen. Abaribe as winner of the election.

    Abaribe contested the election under All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), and according to INEC, he scored the highest votes in the election in which 108 polling units could not vote.

    The Returning Officer of the election, Prof Georgina Ugwuanyi had early morning on Tuesday declared the election inconclusive but returned in the afternoon to announce winners.

    Ikpeazu, who spoke through the PDP senatorial election collation agent, Mr Charles Esonu, noted that there were over 200, 000 voters in the 108 polling units where election did not hold.

    Ikpeazu said that the affected areas had a cumulative voter population of over 200, 000 which was more than the votes scored by the parties.

    He described the declaration as a “charade and brazen display of partiality” because the number of voters who did not vote were more than the total votes scored by the parties.

    He expressed shock that the INEC Returning Officer still went ahead despite protests from party agents, to declare winners in an inconclusive election which INEC had earlier scheduled a date for.

    Ikpeazu said that over 50,000 PDP supporters could not vote due to nonprovision and late arrival of electoral materials in most of the polling units in the six local government areas of the constituency.

    He also alleged that complaints by the PDP agents over the manipulation of election results and bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were ignored by INEC officials.

    He described INEC’s action as “irrational, biased, undemocratic” and demanded an urgent nullification of the declaration of a winner in an inconclusive election.

    Ikpeazu also called for the immediate rescheduling of election in the 108 polling units in the constituency where voting could not hold.

  • INEC reverses self, declares Abaribe winner of Abia South NASS election

    INEC reverses self, declares Abaribe winner of Abia South NASS election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday declared Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, the winner of Saturday, Feb. 25 Senatorial elections in Abia South.

    The Returning Officer for Abia South National Assembly elections, Prof. Georgina Ugwuanyi, announced this before party agents at the collation centre in Aba.

    Ugwuanyi said that she had to return to declare the results for the election because she was asked by INEC office in Abuja to announce winners in the election.

    Earlier, Ugwuanyi had told party agents that a substantial number of polling units totalling about 108 had irregularities requiring a reschedule of the Abia South election.

    She said that Abaribe, who is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, got the highest number in the election having scored 49, 903 votes.

    She further announced that LP’s Chinedu Onyeizu scored 43,903, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu scored 28,422 votes and declared Abaribe winner of the senatorial election.

    The returning officer also announced the results of the Aba South and North Federal Constituency results, where the LP’s Emeka Nnamani polled 35,502 to clinch the seat.

    She said that Alex Ikwecheghi of APGA polled 22,465 votes, while the incumbent Representative, Chimaobi Ebisike of the PDP scored 13,388 votes.

    Ugwuanyi, therefore, declared Nnamani winner of the House of Representatives election.

     

  • Abaribe resigns as Senate Minority Leader, dumps PDP

    Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe has resigned as the Minority Leader in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

    This was sequel to his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under which he was elected to the Senate in 2019.

    Abaribe announced his resignation in two separate letters – one addressed to his Ward Chairman and the other to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, dated 24th and 26th May 2022 respectively.

    In a letter to his former ward chairman in the PDP, Abaribe said: “This development is consequent upon the shameful display of illegality, impunity and undemocratic decision of the party and after due consultations with my constituents.”

    Abaribe who represents Abia South in the Senate recently withdrew from contesting the governorship ticket of the PDP in the State.

  • 2023: Ex-Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, Abaribe back Anyim’s presidential ambition

    2023: Ex-Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, Abaribe back Anyim’s presidential ambition

    A former President of the Senate, Chief Adolphus Wabara has declared support for the 2023 presidential ambition of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim.

    The ex-senate president alongside lawmaker representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe threw their weight behind Anyim’s presidential ambition, describing him as capable of taking Nigeria to the Promised Land.

    They made their stance known during a special grand civic reception and conferment of chieftaincy title of Maduforo Nde Ngwa on Sen. Abaribe in his home town, Obingwa, Abia State.

    Wabara who was the chairman of the occasion, said Nigeria has a good leader in the person of Anyim Pius Anyim and equally called for maximum support for him.

    “We have a good market in the person and personality of Anyim Pius Anyim. We should show Nigerians that we have a personality in Anyim, that he deserves the support from all, considering his track records,” he said.

    Abaribe at the event, called on Nigerians and Ndigbo to support Sen. Ayim, describing him as a man that has what it takes to govern the country.

    While he described Anyim as competent, saying: “My brother is the only one that has declared his intention to run for the office of the president. I will give him all the support because he has all it takes to make Nigeria better again.

    “Therefore, I encourage all Nigerians to support this noble intention.”

  • 2023: Senate Minority Leader, Abaribe joins Abia guber race

    2023: Senate Minority Leader, Abaribe joins Abia guber race

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has reportedly joined the Abia State guber race for the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    A source privy to this development said the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District has disclosed his intentions to the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, during a meeting with the governor at the Abia Government House Lodge Friday night.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG, recalls that Abaribe once personally said he will not go for the governorship seat anymore.

    According to the Abia South Senator, he can’t afford to do that after having served in a federal capacity for several tenures.

    When contacted, Senator Abaribe responded in the affirmative after reportedly making his intention known to Ikpeazu.

    He said: “Yes. It’s true. Met the Governor last night to tell him.”

    In the meantime, he is yet to respond to the follow up question, “why the sudden change of mind?”

    Speculations of Abaribe succeeding Ikpeazu has been rife in the state and with the latest development, it seems he is set to test the waters.

    The Senate Minority leader had recently embarked on consultation visit to some Obingwa major political stakeholders.

     

  • Sit-at-home threat to Anambra 2021: Abaribe, Chidoka, other Igbo leaders wade in

    Sit-at-home threat to Anambra 2021: Abaribe, Chidoka, other Igbo leaders wade in

    From Chuks Collins, Awka

    Barely just 48hours to the November 6, Anambra governorship election, key Igbo leadership voices, including the former Aviation Minister, Chief Osita Chidoka; the Minority Leader of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and a Law Professor cum activist, Dr Sam Amadi have called for an immediate halt to violence and hostilities in Anambra state for a peaceful conduct of this Saturday’s election.

    The stand was part of the outcome of Wednesday night’s extensive virtual conversation initiated and anchored by Chief Chidoka on practical ways to push through the agitation of the southeast people, particularly within the context of the Anambra governorship election.

    The call became imperative as external forces, criminal elements and desperate politicians have seemingly hijacked the genuine agitation of the people and cashed in on the situation in the state to unleash violence and frame-up innocent persons to justify state-backed brutality in the state and the region.

    They urged all the various agitating groups for self determination in the region to shame and disarm their traducers by asking Anambra people to come out and choose the leader that approximate to the type of personality they would like to represent Ndi Igbo in their agitations and yearnings as a people.

    The participants held that such a position by the groups would strengthen the demand for political solutions and engagements towards the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

    In urging that the people be allowed to vote, the discussion held that “the act of Ndi Anambra voting on Saturday is a major part of the affirmation of our self-determination as a people. If the people cannot decide who will govern them through an election, they are not close to determining their future through a democratic process. Denying the people the right to vote is a major denial of their rights to self-determination”.

    The geopolitical zone, they observed was better realized when the movement participate in the political process and throw up political leaders who share the vision and aspiration of the people. Election boycott will destroy that possibility.

    According to them, “when the people elect a leadership that represents their hopes and aspirations, they are in a position to pursue the people’s agenda more effectively. Whatever is the plan, it has to go through a political process; if you have governors and legislators who share in the vision, it would be easier to realise such vision”.

    Senator Abaribe pointed out that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would have languished in Prison if he was not a Senator and ready to meet the bail condition that required a Senator to stand surety. “You have to be in the game to score a goal”, he noted.

    The discussants therefore insisted the November 6 date for the Anambra election should be sacrosanct, adding that any activity that will not give room for peaceful conduct of the election is equivalent to pressing a self-destructive button on the state and the southeast region.

    On the “sit-at-home, directive, the leaders lamented that such is already taking a significant toll on the economy and general wellbeing of the people of the southeast region.

    In a press statement from the event made available to journalists in Awka, the media aide to Chidoka, Mr Ikechukwu Okafor, noted that Senator Abaribe submitted that “the sit-at-home directive is hurting our economy and destroying private enterprise which is our major competitiveness. We must find a more strategic way to pursue the agenda without placing the burden on our people”.

    While Dr. Amadi called for a more pragmatic strategy such as the Catalonia approach of self-development and using the movement platform to achieve political control.

    Chidoka also restated the call for a peaceful election on Saturday. He noted that the election is a significant part of the self-determination process of the people to elect the leader that can best advance their agitation instead of allowing situations that give their traducers the upper hand to perpetrate violence and foist undesirable leadership on them.

     

  • This Anambra election will witness more voter turnout than previous ones – Abaribe

    This Anambra election will witness more voter turnout than previous ones – Abaribe

    Senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe on Tuesday said the forthcoming Anambra elections will be safe amid fears that the poll may be marred by a low turnout of voters.

    Senator Abaribe gave the assurance while speaking on monitored Channels Television programme.

    “I don’t think low voter turnout is peculiar to Anambra state,” he said. “For a long time in Nigeria, a lot of people have not bothered to vote because they have always felt that their votes do not count.

    “I was in Anambra last week and we went around, to the market, to the universities, and we met business leaders. I also spoke and I went to the radio stations, and everything I was doing was to tell people to come out and vote because it’s going to be very safe, and that people should not be afraid that there will be a lot of violence; there won’t be.

    “From everything that we’ve seen, from the interaction we’ve had, there may be an even far more turnout that you expect.

    “The skirmishes that happened earlier, what we thought was that it was designed to make people not come out to vote, for a particular end. And that end I don’t think is going to work. Because we have now been there; we’ve talked to people.”

    The election is scheduled for November 6 and will be contested by over a dozen political parties.

  • Not all attacks are perpetrated by IPOB; over 30 separatist groups exist in South East – Abaribe

    Not all attacks are perpetrated by IPOB; over 30 separatist groups exist in South East – Abaribe

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, says there are dozens of separatist groups in the south-east region of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the politician lamented that the media has always focus on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) whenever an attack happens in the region.

    “One of the biggest problems the media has is that they tag everything IPOB.”

    “In the South-East, you won’t believe that there are more than 30 different separatist organisations – IPOB, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), there are so many and each one of them comes back to the same thing.

    “Why you are having separatist agitations everywhere today in the West, in the South, in the South-South, is that some people are unable to manage our diversity, that is just the fact,” the lawmaker spoke on Tuesday on a monitored Channels Television programme.

    Abaribe made the remarks amid heightened calls for secession not just for the breakaway of parts of the South-East, but also for the Yoruba nation.

    He believes those calling for secession are merely protesting the marginalisation of their people and demanding that their grievances be addressed.

    The lawmaker asked the government to dialogue with them to restore calm and peace in various parts of the country.

    According to him, IPOB has clarified that its sit-at-home order is only effective when its leader goes to court and there has been some form of compliance with the directive.

    “It should worry the government if a non-state action is complied with in this manner, it takes us back to what I said at the beginning that there is need to sit and talk with these people,” the senator said.

    “There is nobody from the South-East that I know, who does not feel that the way the people from the South-East are treated today, that there is something fundamentally wrong which should be resolved.”

    He was later asked if he would accept the offer to be the next presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, and what Nigerians should expect if he is elected to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Abaribe, in his response, said, “I would if it falls on me. Within six months, all these things (Nigeria’s problems) will be a thing of the past.”

  • Abaribe speaks on joining APC, standing surety again for Nnamdi Kanu

    Abaribe speaks on joining APC, standing surety again for Nnamdi Kanu

    Senate Minority Leader, Enyinaya Abaribe, on Wednesday said he would stand surety for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu again given the same circumstances.

    The Senator explained he stood surety for Kanu when the IPOB leader was arraigned because it was a condition imposed by the court.

    According to him, the court ordered that one of the sureties must be a Senator, and as the Chairman of the Southeast Senators Caucus then, he had to offer himself as the surety.

    He said given the circumstances, he would not hesitate to stand as surety for Kanu again.

    Asked whether Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is now the Chairman of Southeast Caucus, would agree to stand as sure for Kanu should the need arise, Abaribe said he would not know.

    Abaribe spoke during a monitored interview on TVC’s Journalists Hangout.

    He faulted his Senator-colleagues who voted against electronic transmission of results.

    On Kanu, Abaribe said: “He’s our son. He’s from our state (Abia). He (Kanu) said it himself that he ran for his dear life.

    “There is a difference between jumping bail and escaping for your life. I went back to court and deposed that on the basis of the principle of ‘last seen’, that the last people seen with him were soldiers of the Nigerian army who were invading his father’s residence.

    “The judge ultimately ruled that she was revoking bail and issued a warrant of arrest, thereby removing us from the responsibility of providing him. A lot of people did not understand.”

    Abaribe said he did not feel betrayed that Kanu left the country, saying he ran for his life.

    Senators, mostly All Progressives Congress (APC) members, voted last Thursday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must obtain the clearance of Nigerian Communications Communication (NCC) and the National Assembly before transmitting results electronically.

    Abaribe believes the APC Senators position is “antithetical” to the constitutional provision on INEC’s independence.

    He said the APC Senators resisted the electronic transmission of results because they were afraid of defeat in the next general election.

    He expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win the 2023 presidential election.

    Abaribe said: “Certain interests were being protected by those who felt that electronic transmission of results and openness and transparency are not what they would like.”

    On PDP’s chances in 2023, he said: “All the promises made by the APC, having fallen flat, the party is very jittery…

    “We are going to win. The problem of the APC will start in September. When the problems start coming, it will be very clear. Let’s not be worried about what is happening now.”

    The Senator said he would never defect to the APC.

    He believes the APC is using federal might to intimidate PDP members to join the ruling party.

    Abaribe described the defection of Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawelle, from PDP to APC as pathetic.

    He said: “I will never leave the PDP even if I’m the last. This is because I don’t see what I can gain from the APC.

    “For some of us who have built our reputation based on truth and integrity, there are things we cannot do.”

    He urged the Federal Government to do an introspection on why component parts of the country feel alienated from the centre.

  • Reps Deputy Speaker, Wase calls for Senator Abaribe’s imprisonment, gives reasons

    Reps Deputy Speaker, Wase calls for Senator Abaribe’s imprisonment, gives reasons

    House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase on Thursday took on Senate Minority Leader Eyinnaya Abaribe for standing surety for Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leaders Nnamdi Kanu.

    He said Abaribe should be in prison for failing to produce Kanu in court.

    According to him, the Abia South senator should be imprisoned just as Senator Ali Ndume, who stood surety but failed to produce former Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, who jumped bail.

    Wase spoke while contributing to Point of Privilege Order raised by a member of the House, Sada Soli.

    In the point of privilege, Soli expressed displeasure at House Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu’s remarks at a closed-door executive session last week that some APC members plan to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    In his contribution, Wase expressed surprise that Elumelu, after their session, was in a meeting with PDP caucus of both chambers of the National Assembly.

    He said: “For him to even go out to report Mr. Speaker… it was a confidential matter… you know the meaning of executive session? He couldn’t have gone there to report that one. Mr. Speaker, I want to say there is a kind of false platform that I am seeing because after that meeting, PDP Caucus of both chambers went and had another discussion, a kind of build-up on the security situation. And I think we need to be serious.

    “I see someone as Abaribe, a leader in the Senate, championing that. Yes, there are many flaws. He bailed Kanu Nnamdi and during the EndSARS (protests), we knew what happened. Kanu then, was the one who was asking for the heads of Tinubu, destroy this, destroying that in the nation. But we have allowed him. He knew what happened to Ndume. Ndume, for bailing Maina, was taken to prison for not producing him, but we allowed this man to go as opposition person.

    “What is happening sir? I think there is need for us as a system to change our tactics. It is not about opposition. If you are going to do opposition, do opposition that is right and also be part of the solution to problems.

    “I think our privilege has been breached. There was complete wrong information and it is deliberate and that is why I am citing the issue of what I have seen the minority leader in the senate has done, with all of them sitting behind you. Ordinarily for failing to produce Kanu Nnamdi he should be in prison, just like Ndume was taken to prison.”

    Responding to the Wase, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, said there was already a judicial decision on the matter and wondered why it should be brought up at all.

    “The man (Abaribe) mentioned is my senator. There is a judicial decision on this. Are we trying to arrogate ourselves judicial powers as to when you cannot produce someone who you bailed.

    “It was canvassed up to appeal. Is it an offence to bail somebody? If you bail somebody, you produce him subject to there is no interference. The last contact the man in question had was with the military. The Senator who bailed the man was going to court regularly. The senator did not default. He was called to show cause and he showed cause successfully. Why is it a point of reference in the parliament?

    “Except we are trying to sit as an appellate court or interfere with the judiciary, the matter went the full whole course with the judiciary. He was asked to show cause and he showed cause. I was producing this man when there was no interference. We should ask the military where they keep him. We should do things that would get us peace. Our problem now is security. How do we get security?”

    House Deputy Minority Leader Toby Okechukwu said: ”There was no breach of privilege. He (Elumelu) didn’t say Sada came to him. He didn’t say it is the resolution of the House. He said some people came to him. And it is clear that Sada has been criss-crossing in this chamber. If other members are interested in moving to PDP, I do not see how it affects him. Like the Speaker rightly said, anyone has liberty.”

    House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who tried to calm frayed nerves, said: “The deputy speaker’s point was not on the legality or non-legality. He was talking about the morality of it. If you remember, he talked about Senator Ndume as well and used that as an example. I think the point we need to make and understand is that we are all working together to build this nation.

    “Nation building is a joint task among all of us, whatever party, whatever tribe, whatever religion. We only have one country. In doing that we should be mindful whilst we play our role as a ruling party, whilst we play our roles as opposition.

    “We should be focused on the non-disintegration or bringing down of the country. We should be mindful of our speeches or our utterances. There is freedom of speech. But, freedom to speak also has to be measured.