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Tag: Enugu

  • 15 killed, burnt beyond recognition in highway crash

    15 killed, burnt beyond recognition in highway crash

    All the 15 occupants of a Toyota bus were killed and burnt beyond recognition on Saturday when the bus had a head-on collision with a Mercedes truck on the Port Harcourt-Enugu Highway.

    Spokesman of the FRSC, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem confirmed the accident in a statement he issued on Sunday in Abuja.

    Kazeem stated that the accident took place at the Enugu end of the highway at about 8.20 p.m.

    “The victims have been given mass burial. All obstructions have been cleared. Enugu State Fire Service already extinguished the fire in the bus.

    “The fatal crash is blameable on several factors including fatigue, which must have made one of the drivers to sleep on the wheels,’’ he stated.

    Kazeem quoted the FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu as advising motorists to desist from night journeys to reduce fatalities from road crashes.

    He added that Biu noted that most fleet operators and other vehicle owners, including private vehicle owners addicted to night journeys did so for selfish economic gains.

    The FRSC boss observed that most night travellers indulged in overloading of vehicles with passengers and goods.

    “Travellers should plan their journeys for the day time because when crashes occur away from FRSC rescue points, it is difficult to access help from other motorists at night,’’ Kazeem also quoted Biu as saying.

  • Enugu APC: Why Ugo Agballah wants to suspend Onyeama, Chime, others

    Enugu APC: Why Ugo Agballah wants to suspend Onyeama, Chime, others

    The Enugu State APC Media Director of Independent Campaign Council (ICC), Chief Flavour Eze, has disclosed that the Chairman of the party in Enugu, Mr Ugochukwu Agballah, has concluded plans to suspend major leaders of the party in Enugu.

    Eze stated this in Enugu on Thursday in a statement he signed, saying that the leaders Agballah wants to suspend from the party includes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama; former Governor of the state, Mr. Sullivan Chime; himself, among others.

    He disclosed that Agballah had subsequently convened a meeting on Thursday (today) at the party’s zonal office in Enugu, where he hopes to execute his last brand of tyranny in the party.

    Eze, however, said that the gloatig of Agballah had been APC’s albatross in Enugu state, stressing that the foundation members of the party in Enugu State were unfazed by Agballah’s recent unbridled verbal and media attacks on Onyeama; Former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, and other founding members of the party by the embattled State chairman.

    Eze, an APC leader in Udi local government area, said that it was such a pity that Agballah who claims to be chairman of the party, rather than engage in canvassing votes for the party, chose to engage in imaginary fisticuffs as smoke screen for his incompetence and corrupt management of the party in the state.

    He alleged said that Agballah made good his business and gave opposition parties in the state victory in exchange for “porridge”, he bargained for and turned around to blame the founding leaders of the party for his incapacity.

    “Since 2003, Agballah, who is not a good follower went into governorship voyage but he failed woefully, repeated same failure in 2007 till he was mistakenly brought to APC where he has now exposed his frustration, avarice and ineptitude. So why lean on us?

    He stated that Agballah failed to vote for the governorship candidate of the APC on the March 18 election, and wondered who else could have voted for the candidate when the state chairman of the party betrayed the party’s mandate.

    Eze said that the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, worked for the victory of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with multiple evidences of campaigns for the presidential candidate, but was restricted to work for the party’s victory in Enugu State because of the hostility of the state chairman.

    Eze further expressed surprise that Agballah was talking about COVID-19 palliatives in 2023, noting that the issue of an alleged palliative disbursement to opposition parties was a complete display of Agballah’s ignoramus and desperate search for unintelligent excuse for failure.

    On the real issues about the APC crisis in Enugu State, Eze said that Agballah was being chased by his own shadow, the problems he purposely created in his crave for monopoly of power and corrupt ineptitude.

    Eze said, “the real issues are that once Agballah was made the chairman of APC in Enugu with the support of the leaders of the party such as the Minister, myself and others, he quickly became intoxicated with power, refused to convene stakeholders meeting and started hobnobbing with presidential aspirants.

    He lampooned Agballah for struggling for the position of a Minister in a proposed government he worked against and urged Nigerians to treat him with ignominy.

  • INEC declares Peter Mbah of PDP winner of Enugu guber polls

    INEC declares Peter Mbah of PDP winner of Enugu guber polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the March 18 Enugu State Governorship Poll.

    Prof. Madu Iwe, the State Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, declared the result on Wednesday at the State Collation Centre, INEC in Enugu.

    Iwe said that Mbah of the PDP polled 160,895 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP), who polled 157,552 votes.

    Dr. Frank Nweke of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 17,983 votes, while Chief Uchenna Nnaji of All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 14,575 to emerge third and fourth positions, respectively.

    Iwe said: “Dr Peter Mbah of PDP having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is duly returned elected.”

    The controversies surrounding the results from Nkanu East and Nsukka council areas were earlier put to rest after the review of the voting by a Review Panel at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

    The returning officer said that the Review Panel upheld the electoral processes that produced the result of the Nsukka council area but had to adjust the votes of the Nkanu East council area.

  • Just In: INEC suspends announcement of Enugu results till today

    Just In: INEC suspends announcement of Enugu results till today

    The declaration of winner for the governorship contest of March 18, 2023, in Enugu State was suspended till Monday following complaints by both Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The PDP said it was not satisfied with the number of votes secured by Labour Party in Nsukka Local Government Area.

    Also, Labour Party rejected the number of votes PDP got in Nkanu East Local Government Area and called for its cancellation on account of alleged irregularities.

    Labour Party specifically alleged that there were cases of over voting in some polling units in the council, including Ibeagwa, Nike. The party also claimed that in some units, accredited voters were more than the number of collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), and identified Owo as one of the places such a thing allegedly happened.

    Reinforcing the position of his party, the governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga who said that the process was marred by irregularities, also said what happened in Nkanu East Local Government was not election at all.

    Edeoga also claimed that the result from Nkanu East signed by his party agent was different from what was turned in to INEC.

    In most parts of Enugu State, the election was marred by obvious irregularities, but I want to focus specifically on Nkanu East Local Government Area.

    Nkanu East has produced two different results. The result that my agent signed, which is available, is far different from the result which was taken to INEC headquarters and is now a subject of controversy.

    “I want to state categorically that the position of Nkanu East Local Government is that the result of Nkanu East cannot stand; it stands against reason, stands against common sense. It stands against the records available of what is the voting strength of Nkanu East and it stands against the number of voters that were accredited and the number of PVCs that were collected.

    So, the result of Nkanu East is not acceptable; it is not acceptable to the Labour Party and I call for its total cancellation, so that the due processes should be followed. At any point in time when the number of PVCs collected and accreditation do not tally with number of votes, one is enjoined to stay action and cross-check.

    “Of course, you know that Udenu LGA, the electoral officer was whisked away and the results completely altered when she went in custody of INEC headquarters. What was collated in Udenu, that was going to be announced, is far different from what was announced when she was taken away.

    virtually all the polling units, what was recorded is far different from what was uploaded. The PVCs collected and the accredited voters have no relationship at all with the votes ascribed to people.

    “We are going to respond comprehensively, but I want to state categorically that the Labour Party and its governorship candidate in Enugu State do not accept the result of Nkanu East and we call for its cancellation. It is a flagrant abuse of the electoral process and such brigandage should not be allowed to stay; it is very injurious to every effort we are making to build a democratic system that is representative of the people’s will”, Edeoga said.

  • Ohanaeze cautions Enugu politician against inciting violence

    Ohanaeze cautions Enugu politician against inciting violence

    The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide on Sunday called on senator-elect for Enugu North Senatorial zone, Okey Ezea, not to set the state ablaze with his comment on ‘do or die’.

    While reminding him that it would be very dangerous to throw stones into a marketplace, as the victim cannot be known, the organisation advised him to withdraw that comment for the sake of peace in Enugu State.

    Ezea was said to have told his constituents that the forthcoming governorship election would be a do-or-die affair.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said Ezea’s alleged utterances should be condemned by all lovers of democracy.

    He described as shocking the fact that Ezea who benefited from the goodwill and political tsunami led by Peter Obi could turn around to instigate violence in his first public utterance as a Senator-elect to call on the youths to go and engage in crisis.

    He said, “We, the Ohanaeze youths, reject in its entirety the inciting statement credited to the Enugu North Senator-elect, Barr. Okey Ezea wherein he was describing the March 11 governorship election as a do or die affair.

    “We find it so awkward that Ezea’s first public utterance as a Senator-elect is to call on the youths to go and engage in violence. This is totally unacceptable and should be resisted by every Enugu youth.

    “The youths must say no to politicians who would want to use them to cause mayhem in Enugu State. We should not forget that it is very dangerous to throw stones into a marketplace, you never can tell who will be the victim.

    “We warn Okey Ezea to stop instigating violence in Enugu State that governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has made peaceful since the inception of his administration.

    “We call on him to immediately withdraw that divisive and inciting statement without further delay.

    “This should also serve as a serious warning to other politicians who may want to toe this path. The youths will not take it lightly with such a person. We shall employ all legal means to bring such a person to justice.”

  • Gov Ugwuanyi loses Enugu North Senatorial District seat to LP candidate

    Gov Ugwuanyi loses Enugu North Senatorial District seat to LP candidate

    The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Chief Okechukwu Ezea of Labour Party (LP), winner of Saturday’s general election for the Enugu North Senatorial District.

    The Returning officer, Prof Chukuemeka Ubaka, announced the results early Monday morning at Nsukka INEC office.

    Ubaka said Ezea scored a total of 104,492 votes to defeat his closest rival, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who scored 46,948.

    He said that the APC candidate, Mr. Simon Eze came third with 6,816 votes.

    “Based on the power given to me as the returning officer, I hereby declare Ezea as the winner,” Ubaka said.

  • INEC ad-hoc staff allegedly transferred Obi’s votes to Kwankwaso [VIDEO]

    INEC ad-hoc staff allegedly transferred Obi’s votes to Kwankwaso [VIDEO]

    A video clip trending online shows INEC ad-hoc staff admitted to party agents after she allegedly transferred LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s votes to NNPP Presidential candidate in Abakpa, Enugu on Saturday.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the female NYSC member regretted her actions and pleaded for forgiveness.

    She also accepted the consequences of her actions.

    Watch:

     

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  • ‘We have not received the money’ – Hired commercial bus drivers refuse to carry electoral materials

    ‘We have not received the money’ – Hired commercial bus drivers refuse to carry electoral materials

    Some chartered commercial bus drivers in Enugu South Local Government Area have refused to carry electoral materials if the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not pay them upfront for their services.

    The exercise at the INEC office at the New Gariki, Enugu North LGA on Saturday reports that the buses refused to move out until they are paid.

    Mr Michael Agugu, a bus driver, said that they would not carry the materials because INEC have not paid them their money.

    “Although they said that they have given one of our members the money to share us but up till now, we have not received the money” Agugu said.

    “I am not going to carry any materials if I am not paid at hand because anything that happened at the Election Day is part of the election”.

    Mr Moses Ugwu another commercial bus driver, said that this was not his first day of conveying electoral materials to various polling stations adding that once they did not pay you at hand, nobody would listen to you after the elections.

    “Once you leave here without your money at hand, consider the money as a forgotten issue”

    “I rather leave the promises with my vehicle than to put water in an empty basket,” Agugu said.

    After a heated argument, an INEC official, who pleaded anonymity, said the commission transferred their money to them but some insisted that they must receive alert before they leave.

    ”There’s no cash anywhere. Money was transferred to all of them,” the official said.

    He said that some believed them and decided to carry the materials while some left there in anger.

     

  • LP chair confirms killing of Enugu East senatorial candidate by gunmen

    LP chair confirms killing of Enugu East senatorial candidate by gunmen

    The Labour Party (LP), Enugu State chapter, has confirmed the gruesome murder of Oyibo Chukwu, the Senatorial candidate of the party for Enugu East Senatorial district.

    Mr. Casmir Agbo, State Chairman of the party, confirmed this on Thursday in a telephone interview with NAN in Enugu.

    “It’s true my brother. Just yesterday evening. It’s a terrible situation,” he said.

    Also, confirming the incident, Mr Norbert Okolo, Media Aide to the Deputy Governorship candidate of the party, Dr John Nwokeabia, said Chukwu was burnt in his branded vehicle alongside five of his aides.

    “This is terrible. It is very fearful. People should be very careful this time because you don’t know who are responsible,” he said.

    A security expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed shock over the incident but cautioned people that it is too early to apportion blame.

    “It’s too early to say who did this or that, because you don’t know those responsible.

    “My advice is that police should go into intelligence gathering as quickly as possible, while people should be extremely careful,” he said.

    In a related development, a branded vehicle belonging to the House of Representatives candidate for Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Mr. Offor Chukwuegbo, was also burnt with the driver inside at Topland area on the same night.

    Chukwuegbo is a second-term member of the House of Representatives and currently contesting for third term on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Recalled that a group belonging to Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), had earlier placed embargo on election in the South East region.

  • INEC requires 13,000 security personnel for elections in Enugu State – REC

    INEC requires 13,000 security personnel for elections in Enugu State – REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it requires no fewer than 13,000 security personnel for the general elections in Enugu State.

    Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state disclosed this on Monday in Enugu.

    Newsmen reports that INEC has fixed Saturday, February 25, for Presidential and National Assembly elections and March 11, for Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    Chukwu said that the Inter-agency Consultation Committee on Election Security was working to mobilise and deploy the required number of security personnel to ensure hitch-free elections in the state.

    He said that the security personnel would be deployed to the 4,145 polling units, 260 Registration Area Centres and collation centres across the 17 council areas in the state.

    The REC revealed that security had been beefed up at local government offices of the commission, adding that deployment of non-sensitive materials had commenced ahead of the elections.

    “We are working ahead of the commission’s schedule and ensuring practical proactive implementation of all timelines of INEC in the state.

    “We have continued to have constant meetings and engagement with stakeholders to ensure secured, free, fair and credible elections in Enugu state.

    “We are ready to ensure that 2023 elections will be the best in the state especially with the use of technology,” he said.