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Tag: Chairman

  • Falae resigns as SDP chairman, quits partisan politics

    Falae resigns as SDP chairman, quits partisan politics

    Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Olu Falae has resigned as chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Friday because of old age.

    The Director, Media & Publicity of SDP, Yemi Akinbode, said his resignation was not new to the leadership of the party.

    His resignation came hours after the party leaders adopted All Progressives Congress (APC)’s President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for the February 16 presidential election.

    Falae stated in his resignation letter that his ailing health is part of the reasons for his resignation.

    But Akinbode said Falae was part of the party leadership that adopted Buhari as SDP’s presidential candidate.

    He said: “He stepped down as chairman of the party. He ought to have stepped down on September 31, 2018.

    “That was when he clocked 80 years of age. But I do not know what caused the delay.

    “He had earlier made it known that when he clocks 80 he will quit politics. It is not a new thing.

    “I feel that he was trying to wait after the election tactically to quit. But he did that now. And he cannot deny the adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of the SDP because he was part of the entire process.“

  • Unknown gunmen kidnap APC chairman in Adamawa

    Unknown gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped the chairman of the ruling the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Mijinyawa Hamisu.

    The Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Sajoh, who confirmed the development, said it happened around 3am on Wednesday.

    He stated the kidnappers have been in contact and were demanding N20 million for Hamisu’s release.

    The Adamawa State Public Relations Officer of APC, Muhammed Abdullahi, said he had just been told of the incident.

    Abdullahi said: “I have been informed that some people took the chairman of our party in Demsa but we don’t know their motives as to whether it is political or other things but I am on my way to the place to confirm the true state of things.”

    The incident happened hours before a scheduled campaign visit to the Demsa LGA by Governor Mohammed Bindow.

    Our correspondent couldn’t confirm the incident from the State Police Command at press time.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Othman Abubakar, could not be reached on phone.

    He was said to be out when The Nation correspondent visited his office.

  • [UPDATED] Gunmen kidnap APC chairman in Abia

    The Abia State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Donatus Nwankpa has reportedly been kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday night.

    According to reports, Nwankpa’s kidnapped by armed men at Aro Ngwa junction along Aba-Enugu Expressway at about 11pm on his way from Umuahia, the State capital to Aba, the commercial nerve of the state to prepare ahead of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state.

    It was gathered that members of the party were thrown into panic following the breaking of the news of the abduction of Nwankpa.

    APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Benedict Godson while confirming Nwankpa’s abduction, told newsmen in Aba on Tuesday that the party got information that there were plots by the opposition to disrupt the party’s presidential rally Tuesday, but never expected that it will get to the level of planning to kidnap the state chairman.

    He said: “There was a plot on ground to disrupt today’s visit by the president, but we never expected this. He was kidnapped and up till now, we’ve not heard from him. He remains our authentic Chairman. Kidnapping Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, a foundation builder, a mover and the man who has brought this party from nowhere to somewhere cannot stop this party from winning Abia.

    “I’m telling you authoritatively that there are some persons in opposition party who might have done this in collaboration with some persons in our own party and we are telling them that this is not the right way to play politics.

    “This move cannot stop Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, a Godsend industrialist in winning Abia. People are afraid and according to our party Chairman, it’s obvious that some persons were planted into our party by the opposition to distract the party.

    “For now we are not accusing anybody, but we know that the evil people are trying their best, but they’ll fail. We are sure our Chairman will be back soon because he’s a good man and a man of God. We plead with his abductors to release him for he meant well for Abia State.”

    Also reacting to the kidnap of Nwankpa, a chieftain of the party, Hon. Acho Obioma wondered why the gunmen should go after a man that he described as easy going and friendly.

    Obioma who represented Umuahia/Ikwuano constituency at the federal house of representatives, while appealing to the gunmen to release Nwankpa also called on heads of various security agencies to ensure that the state chairman was rescued from the hands of his abductors.

     

     

  • JUST IN: AD sacks chairman over allegations of gross misconduct, indiscipline

    JUST IN: AD sacks chairman over allegations of gross misconduct, indiscipline

    Members of the Lagos State chapter of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) have sacked their Chairman, Mr. Kolawole Ajayi over allegations that he engaged in acts of indiscipline. He also faced allegations of gross misconduct in the management of the affairs of the party.

    According to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ms Olayinka Nola at the end of an emergency general congress of the party in Lagos on Tuesday night, the decision forms the outcome of the work of a disciplinary committee that was put in place to investigate the allegations against the embattled chairman.

    The communiqué stated that the embattled chairman who had earlier been accused of committing other anti-party activities have been found guilty and that the decision has been rectified by the stakeholders present.

    While stating that the decision to sack Ajayi enjoys the overwhelming consent of a majority of AD members in the state, the communiqué reads, “In view of the above, Kola Ajayi is hereby suspended from office. As a result of his suspension, Rev. Otti, our vice chairman (West) has been appointed to take over the leadership of our great party in Lagos State.”

    Some of the grouse against Ajayi by the stakeholders as contained in the communiqué made available to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday included lack of transparency in the management of the party’s affairs, overstaying in office as against provisions of the party’s constitution.

    “The Alliance for Democracy Lagos State chapter hereby alleged its state chairman, Mr. Kola Ajayi lacks administrative acumen.” Other allegations made against him included dictator tendencies, indiscipline and gross misconduct.

    The statement added that the executive committee of the party in the state had discovered different instances of gross mismanagement of the assets of the party.

    While arguing that Ajayi is currently running an illegal tenure, the communique reads, “Illegal tenure elongation: Kola Ajayi is running forth term as the state chairman. This is contrary to the party’s constitution as contained in Article 15, Sub Section 2 and 3 of the Alliance for Democracy.”

  • Court sacks APC chairman

    Court sacks APC chairman

    A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra on Thursday nullified the election of Mr Emeka Ibe as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Chief Uzochukwu Onyekwere, a member of the APC in Anambra and chairmanship aspirant had gone to court to contest the May 19 state elective congress that brought in Ibe, over unlawful exclusion.

    Defendants in the suit were Okey Ezea, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Chairman of the APC Congress Committee in Anambra, Ibe, the acclaimed winner and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Onyekwere prayed the court that he was a bona-fide member of APC and was entitled to aspire for the office the party’s chairman in Anambra.

    He sought declaration that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 223 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 20 of the APC constitution 2017 as amended.

    He said the intendment of those provisions was that all elections would be through democratic voting and that the exercise fell short of it.

    Ibeh sought a declaration that he would not be punished after seeking justice through the court and that the May 19, 2018 Anambra APC congress be set aside.

    In his over two hours ruling, Justice Bature Gafai dismissed the counter affidavits of defendants which contended that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter as it was an internal party affair.

    Gafai said the plaintiff being a bona-fide of the party and having paid the mandatory nomination fee had the right to fair contest.

    He nullified the election into the APC chairmanship position and ordered a re-run which INEC should supervise.

    The judge who did not grant the damage of N100 million sought by the plaintiff however, did not give that for the repeat of the election.

    But in a swift reaction, Chief Tagbo Ike, counsel to the petitioner applauded the court for the judgment and speedy dispensation of justice.

    Ike, who described the election as a `sham’ said it was sad that a few people sat and produced their stooges as consensus and harmonised candidates and forced them on the people.

    Ike said he would convey judgment to the party hierarchy for appropriate action.

    The plaintiff, Onyekwere also lauded the court adding that he had been vindicated.

    Onyekwere said he would go back and prepare for a congress election that would reflect the minds of the generality of party faithful.

    “I thank God, if you must go to equity you have to go with clean hands, I have maintained that there was no congress in Anambra and the court has confirmed it.

    “I will go and prepare, if I win, I win and if I lose I will be happy that justice has been served,” he said.

     

  • Gunmen kidnap PDP Chairman’s daughter

    Daughter of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Dutsinma Local Government Area, Katsina State has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

    It was learnt that Zainab Hussaini was kidnapped at her father’s country home in Maitsani village along Dutsinma – Tsaskiya road, Tuesday night.

    According to reports, the gunmen stormed his residence purportedly to kidnap the chairman, Hussaini Maitsani whom they could not meet and decided to take away his daughter.

    As of the time of filling the report, the spokesman of the state police command SP, Gambo Isah could not give details surrounding the incident.

    Isah, however, promised to send more details later.

  • European American University Honours Winco Foam Chairman

    The European American University has conferred an honorary doctorate degree of Science in Business Management and Corporate Governance on the Chairman and Group Managing Director of Winco Group of Companies, Chief Godwin Ifeanyichukwu Okafor.
    The award was presented to Chief Okafor at the convocation ceremony held in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday.
    In a citation read at the conferment ceremony, Okafor was described as a consummate industrialist and philanthropist. Born at Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Okafor had a humble beginning. As a young man, he grew up learning the tenets of humility, hard work, perseverance and honesty.
    At the end of the civil war in 1970, youthful Godwin Okafor could not further his secondary education because of the financial burden placed on the parents. He opted for trading apprenticeship that was in vogue then in Eastern Nigeria. He combined his apprenticeship with private studies to secure GCE O’ level.
    Okafor commenced foam business in the seventies on a small scale under the registered business name of Godwin and Sons Enterprises. He is a man endowed with organisational and administrative abilities. This enabled him to steer his company successfully amid great challenges in the national economy. Today, his company, Winco Foam Industries Limited, Lagos, is a first-class mattress manufacturing company and ranks among the top five foam manufacturing industries in Nigeria. His foam factories are in the northern, western and eastern Nigeria as a means of promoting national integration. About 1000 people are under his employ.
    As a philanthropist, Chief Okafor, who has a traditional title of Anyanwu Ora, sponsored Winco Foam National Games for the Disabled in Lagos and Abuja in 1996 and 1997 respectively. He is a recipient of numerous awards at local, national and international levels. They include, among others, distinguished role model award; 5th Ikeja City Award for Outstanding Industrialist of the Year 2010; African Leader of Integrity Merit Award, Accra Ghana, 2017; Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Foam Group Award, 1998, and International Trophy Merit Award by Editorial Service, Paris, France, 1991.
    Okafor’s long time membership of International Sheep Products Association (ISPA) based in the USA makes him one of the mattress industry icons and mentors in Africa. He is extensively travelled and married with three children.

  • JUST IN: Diamond Bank chairman, three other directors resign

    The chairman and three non-executive directors of Diamond Bank have resigned from their positions.
     
    This was confirmed by the bank in a letter sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
     
    In the letter titled “RESIGNATION OF CHAIRMAN AND NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS,” the bank notified “the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the public that the following Non-
     
    Executive Directors have resigned from the Board of Diamond Bank Plc with immediate effect.
     

    1. Mr. Oluseyi Bickersteth

     

    1. Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi

     

    1. Mrs. Juliet Anammah

     

    1. Mrs. Aisha Oyebode

     
    “The directors are resigning for varied personal reasons, which will include focusing on their priorities. Diamond Bank will update the market with any further developments in due course,” the letter signed by Uzoma Uja, stated.
     
     
    More details later…

  • Appeal Court voids arrest warrant issued against INEC chairman

    Appeal Court voids arrest warrant issued against INEC chairman

    The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has nullified the arrest warrant earlier issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja against the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
     
    Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court had, on August 1, 2018, ordered the Police to arrest Yakubu for allegedly refusing, on three occasions, to honour the court’s summons to face a contempt charge instituted against him by an acclaimed chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ejike Oguebego.
     
    Eguebego’s contempt suit was predicated on the allegation that the INEC chairman had refused to honour a judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in December 2014, which directed INEC to recognise him as the chairman of the PDP in Anambra State.
     
    But a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Abdu Aboki, has unanimously set aside the arrest warrant on the grounds that the INEC chairman was denied fair hearing in the proceedings leading to the issuance of the arrest warrant.
     
    The Court of Appeal also ordered that the case file be taken away from the judge who issued the arrest warrant and be re-assigned to another judge of the court who would start the matter afresh.
     
    Before the issuance of the arrest warrant on August 1, 2018, the Federal High Court had, in its ruling of July 5, 2018, ordered the INEC chairman to appear in court to answer to the contempt suit.
     
    Subsequently, the Federal High Court, on August 1, 2018, ordered the Police to arrest him for his alleged continued refusal to honour the court’s summons.
     
    But Yakubu had, through his lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), appealed before the Court of Appeal to challenge the arrest warrant and the Federal High Court’s summons leading to the issuance of the order of arrest.
     
    The Court of Appeal had delivered its judgment on October 11, 2018, setting aside the entire committal proceedings before Justice Pam at the Federal High Court.
     
    A copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal was only obtained on Wednesday.
     
    Delivering the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal on Yakubu’s appeal, Justice Aboki nullified the entire committal proceedings, including the issuance of the summons and the arrest warrant.

  • A’Ibom: APC factional chairman defects to PDP, says ‘Akpabio is clog in Udom’s progress’

    A factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state, Udoma Ekarika, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ekarika announced his defection at a political rally organised on Monday in Onna by the people of Akwa Ibom South District to endorse Governor Udom Emmanuel’s bid for re-election.

    Ekarika, a medical doctor and a former commissioner for works in the state, was one of the APC leaders who laid claim to being the “validly” elected state chairman of APC in Akwa Ibom during the state congress of the party in May this year.

    A son-in-law to a former governor of the state, Victor Attah, Ekarika was groomed by Attah to take over as governor in 2007 but was narrowly defeated at the PDP governorship primaries by Godswill Akpabio who was serving then as a commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs in the Attah administration.

    At the rally, Ekarika reportedly said “I’m coming back from a very useless party called APC, I am proud to become part of PDP again”.

    However, Ekarika later clarified that his use of the word “useless” applied only to the APC in Akwa Ibom, and not in the entire country.

    “Yes, APC in Akwa Ibom state is a useless party because of the useless people who have come to join it,” he said, apparently referring to the recent defection of Akpabio from the PDP to the APC.

    On what has become of his ambition to lead the APC in the state, Ekarika said: “My aspiration to lead the party was borne out of my desire to reposition the party for electoral success in 2019 and beyond.

    “But the cabal who were the destroyers of PDP who came to APC because they believe in impunity and imposition came to say instead of doing the needful which was to conduct an election, they preferred to do an unconstitutional thing called consensus. There is nothing like consensus in the APC guideline.

    “I was not happy about it, they should have allowed the will of the people to prevail.”

    Ekarika said Governor Emmanuel would have an easy ride to victory at the poll in 2019.

    “Udom will not have any tough battle with anybody. What is on the ground is that Victor Attah did two terms, Godswill Akpabio also did two terms, so Udom Emmanuel would be allowed to do two terms too.

    “Apart from that, Udom has done very well. Udom has done very well, I can say it loud. One of the things he has done which Akwa Ibom people appreciate it is that he has brought peace to this state,” he said.

    He said the killings, kidnappings, and general insecurity that plagued the state when Akpabio was governor of the state would eventually become a political burden for the APC during the 2019 election.

    “Do you think Akwa Ibom people will give APC the opportunity to bring back that era to this state?” Mr Ekarika asked.

    He added, “The cog in the wheel of Udom’s administration was Akapabio, and thank God, God has removed him.

    “I am sure Udom will now see clearly, with focus, and move ahead.

    “Godswill Akpabio is overrated by people at the national level, and not in Akwa Ibom.”