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Court Didn’t Order INEC To Relist Rivers APC Candidates -Abe …Stay Of Execution, Not Yet Uhuru -PDP
The Senator representing Rivers South-East District in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has said that the ruling of the Court of Appeal granting stay of execution to enable the All Progressives Congress (APC) appear on the ballot box in Rivers State is welcomed, but that court did not restore the name of anyone.
This is as he said the court did not order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore names of candidates for the 2019 Governorship, State House of Assembly and National Assembly elections.
Abe who stated this in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Parry Saroh Benson said the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt merely gave a stay to enable the party prepare for the forthcoming general elections.
He said that it has always been of his view that what is required in APC Rivers is a dispassionate review of the issues in contention so that a clear and definite decision can be made on those to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming elections.
“The statement reads in parts, “the facts are simple and sacred. A faction of the party led by the Minister of Transportation and the Director General of the Presidential Campaign conducted congresses and indirect primaries in clear and open violation of the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.
“This was done in the full glare of the entire country,” saying the issue was taken up to the Supreme Court, and the court in its wisdom held that having disobeyed the court so openly they were not entitled to any relief from the courts.
“This position was clearly set out in Ibrahim Umar & Ors Vs. APC as reported in Part 1650, 18. Nigerian weekly law reports at page 139”, he maintained.
He went further to say that all the actions based on that illegality was voided and remained void.
“The judgment that is now being stayed was based in part on that position of the Supreme Court”. However, he stated, “what Nigerians are witnessing now is a desperate attempt to reverse the law to get the President to raise the hand of candidates that the law has said does not exist.
“The President’s decision to abide strictly to the correct legal position is the reason for the current pressure on the Judiciary,” he stated.
Senator Abe who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on FERMA congratulated their Lordships for the decision which according to him, is in line with the position of all Nigerians that APC must be on the ballot in Rivers State.
He further stated that the application to declare any faction as the authentic candidates of the party was specifically rejected. “That issue is the subject of series of pending litigations before Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal”, Abe added
“The main issue that must now agitate the minds of Nigerians is the position of the Supreme Court on the matter moving forward. Or can the court of appeal now overturn an existing judgment of the Supreme Court? He questioned?
“The indirect primaries did not hold by law, but the APC conducted a valid, and lawful direct primaries that clearly puts the APC on the ballot without legal entanglements.
“Let me assure all lovers of justice that a change of the judges does not automatically translate into a change of the law. Therefore, we should all remain calm. The struggle for justice in the party will continue until victory is achieved”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the ruling by the Court of Appeal on Stay of Execution does not in any way give the All Progressives Congress (APC) edge over the PDP in the forthcoming general elections.
The Chairman of the PDP in Rivers State, Bro. Felix Obuah stated this against what he described as laughable jubilation by some section of ignorant APC members, stressing that the ruling is not a judgment but merely a stay, pending the determination of the substantive case.
“It’s not yet uhuru for APC, so our humble advice is for them not to jubilate yet as the end result might be suicidal considering the plethora of cases before the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court respectively”, counseled Obuah, adding that the ruling did not also give any express directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relist APC candidates, because, according to him, INEC did not file any paper before the appellate court.
Bro. Obuah further stated that the ruling in its context did not in any way invalidate Justice Omotosho and Justice Nwogu’s judgments barring the Rivers APC from participating in the 2019 General Elections.
“PDP is not in any way perturbed by the ruling. Rivers people and Nigerians at large are anxiously waiting for February 16 and March 2, 2019 respectively, to sweep away the evil regime of the APC.
“Wike will win the Governorship of Rivers State while Atiku will emerge victorious as President of Nigeria as well as other PDP candidates. This is an indisputable reality, so APC supporters should stop wallowing in illusion”, declared Bro. Obuah.
The Rivers PDP boss added that getting a Stay of Execution is normal, noting that a Stay of Execution can only be effective when the order or judgment has not been enforced.
“On this instant case of the APC, the judgment has been enforced and Rivers APC candidates delisted from the final list of contestants by INEC.
Bro. Obuah also noted that APC was yet to vacate the plethora of judgments against them, stressing that it would be foolhardy to rejoice over a mere stay of execution that is temporary as against a permanent judgment.
More importantly, Bro Obuah questioned, “Can the desperate APC members reverse the decision of the Supreme Court which held that having disobeyed the court so openly, they were not entitled to any relief from the courts, as reported in part 1650, 18 Nigerian weekly law reports on page 139, Ibrahim Umar & Ors Vs APC”.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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