Politics
Frank Knocks Buhari, APC Over Onnoghen
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has stated that the planned arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is meant to anoint another CJN who would help legitimize President Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure at the Supreme Court.
Frank, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, condemned the haste and the illegality apparent in the move by Buhari and APC to get Onnoghen replaced at all costs before the February presidential elections which he said they have concluded plans to rig in favour of Buhari and the APC.
He called on the international community to note the desperation of Buhari and the APC, especially their plan to rig and use the judiciary to legitimize their illegal return to office.
According to him, the plot to illegally remove Onnoghen to pave way for a favourable judicial verdict for Buhari and APC after rigging the 2019 elections would definitely be resisted by the generality of Nigerians who would not fold their hands and watch such open electoral robbery being planned by Buhari and his evil band.
Frank said: “Nigerians are not surprised at the desperation and haste by Buhari and the APC to illegally get Justice Onnoghen out of the Supreme Court and install a pliant CJN before the presidential elections in February.
“Knowing that Nigerians have rejected them and their inept, clueless, lifeless and incompetent administration, they are now in a panic mode.
“But what they don’t know is that Nigerians are ready for them as they have resolved not to be fooled anymore. They will definitely be voted out but they are preparing ground for a spontaneous and massive crisis that will engulf the entire country should they rig the elections.
“They want to bring in a new CJN that will not only be of Northern Origin but that would do their evil bidding after rigging the elections but I want to warn them not to take Nigerians for granted.”
He further stated that the move to illegally remove Onnoghen is a further demonstration of the tribalistic and nepotistic nature of the President who has ensured that 99.9 per cent of his appointments into public offices since 2015 are people who are either closely related to him and of Northwest or Northern origin.
He said: “We saw him when he relegated South-South candidate and former acting Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Matthew Seiyefa and appointed a retired kinsman to head the organization.
“He did this despite the fact that Seiyefa was not only the most senior officer at the DSS after the former DG of DSS, Lawal Daura was sacked, but the most experienced and capable person for the job.
“They know that the laws of the land do not permit the trial of a serving judge or justice without first subjecting any allegations against such a judicial officer for review by the National Judicial Council (NJC), yet they are in a hurry to illegally kick Onnoghen out because they are afraid that he would not lend the authority of the Supreme Court to validate their stay in office having planned to rig the elections.
“They are not also comfortable having a southerner occupying the position of CJN which is critical to validate their rigging plans. All they want is Buhari’s brother or a CJN from the Northwest that would do their bidding.
“Recall that it took a national outcry before Buhari agreed to confirm Onnoghen’s appointment. They did not want him then. They don’t want him now, simply because he is from the South-South.”
The political activist informed Nigerians that having emasculated and subjugated the legislature under Senate President Bukola Saraki, Buhari and APC’s present game plan was to take over the judiciary.
“This is why all reasonable and well meaning Nigerians and the nation’s allies in the international community must speak out to avert this plot to throw the country in confusion and crisis by Buhari and the APC,” he stated.
The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.
INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.
Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.
The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.
Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.
Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.
Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.
Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.
Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.
Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.
The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.
“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.
“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.
“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?
“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.
Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.
They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.
In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.
The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.
“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.
“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.
Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.
Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.
He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.
Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.
The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.
While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.
The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.
He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
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