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You’re Products Of Manipulation, PDP Replies APC Govs

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the reason governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are defending last week Supreme Court judgment on Imo governorship election is because many of them “are products of huge electoral manipulations.”
This is even as the party noted that APC governors’ attempt at cheap blackmail will never stop it and millions of Nigerians from demanding a review and reversal of the judgment in which the Supreme Court “manufactured and donated fictitious votes to name a 4th position candidate, winner of the Imo State governorship election.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the PDP said: “It’s rather not surprising to many that the APC governors could allow themselves to be enlisted to haul insults at the PDP with a view to blur and distort this grave miscarriage of justice because many of them are products and beneficiaries of electoral manipulations.”
The statement continued: “The APC governors’ part in this script appears very glaring. Of course, who else will the flies support except a person with open smelly sore?
“This is also why APC governors are encouraging their party to engage in underhand measures and supporting injustice instead of following democratic processes.
“In comparing the Imo State judgment to that of Zamfara and Rivers states governorship elections, the APC governors forgot that Nigerians are abreast of the facts.
“The APC governors deliberately veiled the fact that they lost Zamfara and Rivers as a result of their internal wrangling over their failure to conduct a credible primary, which voided their votes and left the party with the second-highest number of votes as the winner.
“This is different from the judgment on Imo where fictitious votes were manufactured by the Supreme Court and donated to the APC to lift it from the fourth position and declared winner.
“In making their plea for the rejected judgment, the APC governors should explain to Nigerians how the Supreme Court, in its bid to award votes to APC, ended up declaring total valid votes of 950, 952 votes above the INEC’s official 823,743 a total number of accredited voters for the election.
“Can the APC governors explain to Nigerians how and where the Supreme Court manufactured the extra 127,743 votes above the number of accredited voters.
“What can they say to the fact that the Supreme Court could not produce the details of the votes from each of the fictitious 388 polling units, upon which it based the ruling?
“Furthermore, can the APC governors explain why the Supreme Court somersaulted on its declaration on a host of cases, particularly the Atiku vs Buhari case, that for a petitioner to succeed in allegation of infraction of any provision of the Electoral Act, especially one complaining about malpractice, the petitioner must call witnesses polling unit by polling units.
“The APC governors should, therefore, steer clear of the Imo judgment as the PDP will never abandon the determination to get the judgment reversed.”
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over allegations of distracting purposeful leadership ahead of the awaited Supreme Court ruling.
The apex court will this month rule of the suit by All Progress Congress (APC) candidate, Emmanuel Jime against Governor Samuel Ortom.
Last November, Jime lost his suit at the Court of Appeal.
The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, in a statement, said APC was attempting to distract the purposeful leadership in the state.
He said: “Benue PDP states with emphasis here that it has no need for any protest in Makurdi or anywhere regarding the matter of Jime’s legal challenge to Governor Ortom’s victory at the 2019 polls; as such we are not sponsoring anyone to protest anywhere.
“Yet, as was clearly stated by the Benue PDP State Chairman, Sir John Ngbede, when the Benue matter at the Supreme Court was adjourned, members of our great party in the state have been oriented not to be distracted by the very obvious and commonplace antics of the opposition”.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC, James Ornguga, had in a statement, alleged that, “the objective of the protest, we understand is to blackmail the Panel of Supreme Court Justices, create a tense atmosphere in the state.
“And court unmerited sympathy in line with calls by the National Chairman of their party, Prince Uche Secondus who has been lampooning the Supreme Court and alleging a travesty of Justice since his party lost Imo, a state PDP never won ab initio.”

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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo

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The Sole Administrator of Emohua Local Government Area, Barr. Franklin Ajinwo, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to supporting community development, peace, and progress, describing it as his life’s calling.
Ajinwo made this known on when Okporowo Vanguard—a foremost association dedicated to driving sustainable development in Okporowo community—paid him a courtesy visit at the Council Secretariat, Emohua.

Speaking during the visit, the Emolga  Council boss advised the group to shun internal wranglings and leadership tussles, cautioning that such impediments could undermine their collective goals. He emphasized that unity is strength, and true power comes only from God.

Highlighting his ongoing efforts in repositioning standards within Emohua Local Government, Barr. Ajinwo commended Okporowo Vanguard for initiating plans to conduct large-scale skills acquisition training for young people in Okporowo. He assured them of his steadfast support towards such developmental initiative.

The former Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Rivers State stressed the need for selfless service, saying it is essential for achieving peace, unity, and development in any community.

He applauded the group’s vision of empowering youths through skills acquisition, aligning it with global best practices aimed at reducing dependency on white-collar jobs.

Earlier, the President of Okporowo Vanguard, Hon. Israel Emeji, outlined Barr. Ajinwo’s numerous and impactful contributions to the development of Okporowo community.

According to him, every family in the community has benefited from Barr. Ajinwo’s dedicated employment initiatives.

Hon. Emeji disclosed that during his tenure as Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA) and as NULGE Chairman, Barr. Ajinwo facilitated the employment of over five hundred (500) individuals from Okporowo community—a record that informed the association’s decision to honour him with the Excellent Leadership Award.

In a vote of thanks, the Secretary of the group, Dr. Okechukwu Godwin Amadi, praised Barr. Ajinwo’s outstanding leadership and unwavering support, both before and after his appointment as Sole Administrator.

He thanked him for the warm reception and appreciated members of Okporowo Vanguard for their strong turnout and continuous support for the present administration.

In their separate remarks, Barr. Kelvin Ajinwo, Chief Polycarp Ndala, and other dignitaries present prayed for God’s continued guidance and protection over Barr. Ajinwo, describing him as a divine gift to the Okporowo community.

They expressed hope that he would be granted even more leadership opportunities to further uplift the living standards of the people.

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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP  …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

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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

 

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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman 

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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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