President Muhammadu Buhari orders Mr Rotimi Amechi, and four other Ministers to resign their offices to pursue their presidential ambitions.
Government spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the presidential order at the end of 11 May meeting of the Federal Executive Council.
The President reportedly gave the directive after announcing that Minister of State for Education, Emeke Nwajiuba, similarly resigned.
The order affects six ministers running for president and three others seeking state and legislative mandates in 2023.
Mohammed told newsmen that President Buhari praised Nwajiuba for obeying the electoral law by quitting his job.
“I expect other members of this council seeking to be President to resign with immediate effect,” President Buhari reportedly said.
Affected Ministers
Amechi is one of six ministers running for President on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Others are Godswill Akpabio (Niger Delta), Chris Ngige (Labour & Employment), and Ogbonnaya Onu (Science, Technology and Innovation).
The junior Ministers among them are Nwajiuba of Education and Timipre Sylva of Petroleum Resources.
Justice Minister and Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami is running for the office of governor (Kebbi State) while Uche Ogar (Mines and Steel) wants to govern Cross River. The only woman among them, Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, is running for Senate from Plateau State.
Alhaji Lai’s media briefing did not indicate whether the President’s directive affects other public officers outside the cabinet.
“As of this moment, the mandate I have is for members of the Federal Executive Council. Subsequently it might affect other political appointees but that will be made known. If there is going to be any amendment or any inclusion, you will be informed in due course,” he said.
What the law says
However, the 2023 electoral law mandates public officers seeking elective positions to quit their offices at least six months to their party primaries.
Specifically, Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2023 mandates public officers who want to participate in the election to resign their offices before they are eligible to do so. It also interprets participation as aspiring to become either a delegate or a party candidate.
Those affected include ministers, commissioners, special advisers and other political appointees.
A judge in Abia state however recently ruled that the section of the electoral law requiring public officers to quit their positions to contest elections breaches constitutional rights. Justice Minister, himself a candidate, quickly praised the ruling and vowed to expunge it from the law.
Nevertheless, President Buhari signed the legislation into law although he asked the national assembly to take a second look at the particular provision.
Buhari orders Amechi, 5 others ministers to resign and pursue their presidential ambitions
Enugu State PDP appears in a fix to defend a 3-man Ward ad-hoc delegates list submitted for the 2023 elections.
The delegates are to join five ward executives and mandatory delegates to elect party candidates and national delegates.
Party candidates to be elected include those for Governor, Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly.
There were claims that some Wards witnessed parallel elections among the 260 Wards in the State. In other Wards, opposition group had a field day following the absence of candidates promoted by the Governor.
However, party members we spoke to claimed that the PDP state executive did not organize the Ward Convention in many wards. Rather, they were said to have written up and submitted names of preferred delegates.
Unusual Ward Congresses
Our investigations however show that Ward Chairmen texted party members to participate in the 30 April Ward Congress.
Interestingly, most of the messages we saw were sent between 10.00 p.m. and midnight, less than 10 hours to the Congress.
Partymen that spoke with us said they met an unusual situation when they arrived the Ward venue for the congress.
“We were told that the Congress has been done and the delegates elected,” one aspiring delegate told Enugu Metro.
“People from the Ekweremadu Camp didn’t mind. They pushed for the election to hold, as party executive and INEC observers were present.”
“There were no results sheets to record the outcome of the election, but they didn’t mind. They wrote the results on a sheet of paper and the executive and INEC observer signed it,” he said.
Battle for PDP Ward delegates list
Enugu Metro confirmed that in some Wards, both INEC observers and party executive signed the list of elected delegates.
News of the development forced some LGA Council officials to storm some venues and disrupt the process.
Violence broke out in at least three centres where casualties were recorded. In Aninri and Igbo-Eze North LGAs, matchets were freely used on opposition supporters,
Meanwhile, Enugu Government House released a statement same day saying that everything went well.
The Ikeoha Campaign organisation however disputed the claim.
Legal fireworks begin
The issue of which list was submitted to Abuja has gone to the courts as both groups struggle to gain an upper hand.
It is a proxy battle between groups sympathetic to the Governor and state executive on one side and the Ekweremadu group on the other.
This will be the final battle before the State Delegates Congress where candidates of the party will be selected.
Four of the Governor’s loyalists have asked the courts to prevent PDP from tampering with the list submitted by their representatives.
The Ekweremadu men, on the other hand, are asking the courts to declare the result of delegates congress signed by party executives and INEC observers on plain sheets as the authentic result of the 30 April Ward Congress.
First Court order
Yesterday, Judge Harold Eya of the Enugu High Court pronounced on the first order request from the Governor’s Camp.
He granted an ex-parte motion to restrain PDP from recognizing any list of ad-hoc delegates “other than the list that emerged from the congress held in all the wards in Enugu State on April 30, 2022.”
The judge equally restrained PDP from “allowing any other three-man ad hoc delegates to participate in the PDP’s Primary Election.”
The case, listed as Suit No. E/379/2022, was filed by Barrister O. J. Uchenna for four others – Prince Paul Nnaji, Tobias Ogbonna Onu, Cyril Obi Chukwu and Kevin Ikechukwu Agbo.
They claimed that Ward Congresses was supervised and authenticated by the National Working Committee’s five-man electoral panel.
In their 44-paragraph affidavit, the applicants said that
“a 3-man Delegate Congress held in Enugu State on the 30 April 2022
the Congress was monitored, supervised and duly authenticated by the five (5) man electoral panel set up by the National Working Committee of the PDP
the list of those that emerged from the congress had already been submitted and received by the PDP Head Office in Abuja; and
that no other three-man Delegate Congress ought to be conducted in Enugu State or anywhere for Enugu State, having successfully concluded the one held on the 30 April.”
PDP national and state party chairmen as well as members of the electoral panel were joined as defendants.
It’s all deceit, says Ikeoha Campaign
The Ikeoha Campaign today laughed off the case, describing it as an attempt to “validate impunity.”
The courts do not act in a vacuum, the organisation said in a statement signed by its Directory-General, Charles Ogbo Asogwa.
“There is no evidence of any exercise in their court papers. Neither was there any list of their supposed winners of the three-man delegates’ congress.
“It is part of the continued efforts to deceive the stakeholders, who innocently nominated the so-called delegates.
“These people could not participate in the exercise because an interest group was hiding forms so that every person would believe that his or her list is being preserved. There is no such preservation. It is all deceit.
“Those who were genuinely elected in a transparent exercise at the designated centres and time are already at the appropriate courts to protect their victory on a solid legal footing.
“We therefore call on the people of Enugu State to trust God, as this too will end in victory,” Asogwa said.
Tension builds up in Enugu as uneasy silence pervades last Saturday’s PDP Congress to elect 3-man delegates in 260 wards.
The delegates will elect the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 election at the forthcoming State party convention.
Enugu Metro checks show that Saturday’s ward convention to select the three-man delegates did not go well across many wards.
The commonest complaint was that the State Party executive connived with the Three-Man Ward Congress Electoral Committee to hoard results sheets.
There were accusations that the results sheets were subsequently filled with names of loyalists of the State Governor at a hotel in proximity with Government House.
Enugu Metro learnt that in most wards, party members who arrived early at the congress venues were told that the process had been completed.
However, Ward party executive proceeded to conduct the elections, although the results were recorded on ordinary sheets of paper.
“We are not worried by this because the exercise was witnessed by INEC officials, who countersigned the results,” a local government party official told Enugu Metro.
“We shall meet them anywhere to prove that ours is the authentic delegates list,” he said.
Sahara Reporters reported that in some Wards, violence broke out as loyalists of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi clashed with those of opposition aspirants, notably Sen Ike Ekweremadu.
In one of many recorded incidents, one Ugwu Bertrand was brutally attacked by State-sponsored Neighborhood Watch officials at Amagu Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North LGA. He is currently hospitalised at an undisclosed location.
Ugwu with deep cut on head
Ugwu told Enugu Metro at his hospital location that a supervisor at Igbo-Eze North LGA and a House of Reps aspirant, a former Commissioner, sponsored his attack for being an Ekweremadu loyalist.
In Awgu LGA, party Chairman, Chief Okey Udeh was beaten up and his phone seized allegedly on the orders of Local Government Chairman, Mr. Pedro Nwankwo.
The phone was handed over to the Police but Udeh was told that he will retrieve it only on the condition that he agrees to delete the violence that he recorded at the venue.
In Enugu, a couple of aspirants told us that they will challenge the delegates list in court if it did not tally with what was recorded in the fields during the exercise.
There are also accusations that the state party chair is working with the executive to frustrate the party processes and rules.
Neither the party chairman nor Sen Ekweremadu’s spokesperson responded to Enugu Metro’s enquiries on the matter at the time of filing the report.
It was peaceful, Governor says
The following statement was released on Saturday by the Office of the Governor on behalf of the Party National Committee that came to supervise the Ward 3-man delegates congress:
The Enugu State Electoral Committee from the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the conduct of the ward congresses of the party in the state has described the exercise, which was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as peaceful, transparent and credible.
Speaking when members of the PDP electoral committee supervised the ward congresses held to elect three-man ad hoc delegates, the Chairman of the panel, Prince Vincent Yandev Amaabai, expressed delight at the peaceful atmosphere of the exercise across the 260 electoral wards in Enugu State.
The Chairman added that the electoral processes were well organized, and commended the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led PDP leadership in Enugu State for the peaceful outcome of the ward congresses in the state.
He disclosed that the panel will submit the names of those who emerged winners from the ward congresses to the National Secretariat in Abuja.
Led by the Chairman of the PDP in Enugu State, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, to supervise the congress in Umunevo, Ward 02, Ogui Nike, Enugu North Local Government Area, Prince Amaabai, accompanied by other committee members, Hon. Okey Ahiwe and Dr. Adetokumbo Pearse, said: “We are members of the PDP state electoral committee who have come from the National Secretariat of our great Party in Abuja to conduct the ward congresses.
“We are going round to supervise and see what you people are doing. Coming here we can see that you people are well organized and peaceful.
“We want to inform you that delegates’ election is a proper election supervised by INEC. And we are happy that the INEC representative is here monitoring this exercise.
“It is either done by consensus or by queuing behind candidates of your choice. The list of the three ad hoc delegates that emerge here is what we will send to our PDP National Secretariat in Abuja. Nobody can change anything. It is what you people do on the ground here that we will submit to Abuja.
“The person here is the representative of INEC, Anthony Obinna, who was sent to monitor this ward congress, you (Obinna) have seen everything yourself. That is how PDP does its thing. Everything is transparent and peaceful.
“I want to tell you people again that the National Secretariat of our party has so much respect for the PDP in Enugu State under the leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
“This is because since their (PDP National Officers) assumption of office November last year, nobody has heard any complaint from Enugu State and we hope that this record will continue.”
At Umuenwene Ward, Enugu East LGA, where members of the electoral committee were received by the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, the member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Prince Cornelius Nnaji, and the Council Chairman, Nze Livinus Anike, among others, the Committee Chairman equally expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the exercise which was also monitored by an INEC official, Mrs. Perpetual Onyia.
He told the jubilant and enthusiastic party faithful at the congress that “we are happy with the performance of the PDP in Enugu State”, adding: “The National Secretariat is happy with you because since they (NWC members) took over the leadership of the party last year we have never heard of any issue in Enugu State. We pray God that it will continue to be like that”.
On getting to Eda-Nta Ward in Ede-Oballa, Nsukka LGA, where members of the PDP, including the former State Chairman of the party, Engr. Vita Abba, were queuing behind candidates of their choice to elect the three-man delegates, members of the electoral panel applauded their orderliness and comportment, stressing that it was democracy in action.
“We are happy to see people already lining up behind candidates of their choice. Since we have been going round, we haven’t had any crisis. Even here that you have decided to queue up behind your candidates, it is still very peaceful. This is commendable.
“I want to assure you that, whatever result that emanates from the exercise and across the 260 wards, is certainly what we are taking to Abuja; nobody is going to change anybody’s result”.
The story was the same in Obollo-Eke, Udenu LGA, and Ikem in Isi-Uzo LGA, as the visibly joyful party faithful rolled out drums to receive the electoral committee members.
Commending the peaceful exercise, the Chairman said: “We want to thank you people so much for this peaceful atmosphere here. Since we came to Enugu State we have not recorded any incident anywhere. It has been very calm.
“We also bring you felicitations from the National Secretariat, Abuja. Since the new National Leadership came on board, we have been having complaints here and there but we have not heard of any complaint from Enugu State. So you people have set a record and we hope you will continue like that.”
He went further to recognize the presence of the INEC officials at the two events and urged the participants to continue to support the party at all times.
The Chairmen of Udenu, Enugu North, Nsukka and Isi-Uzo LGAs, Hon. Solomon Onah, Hon. Emeka Onunze, Hon. Barr. Walter Ozioko and Hon Obiora Obeagu respectively, joined in welcoming the committee members at their respective council areas.
#EnuguStateIsInTheHandsOfGod. #amokelouis
Tension builds up in Enugu after Ward Delegates Congress
In apparent reversal of an earlier report, the PDP screening committee clears Chief Valentine Ozigbo, former Anambra State governorship flagbearer, to contest the Senate election.
Ozigbo aspires to represent Anambra South District in the Senate. Initial reports suggested that the Committee hammered him for late submission of nomination forms.
The Committee also cleared Dr. Obinna Uzor for the party’s upcoming primaries contest.
Besides Ozigbo and Uzor, others cleared by the 5-person Committee included serving Senators Uche Ekwunife and Stella Oduah.
The rest are Chief Chris Ubah, Ezebiakwa Peace, Chiefs Tony Nwoye and John Emeka.
However, Chief Chuma Nzeribe remains under the hammer for allegedly giving false information.
Nzeribe was disqualified by the Committee based on a legal issue he is sorting out in a law court.
Even though declared wanted by a court, the Committe said Nzeribe denied that he ever faced trial in any court of law.
Consequently the Committee accused him of attempting to mislead the party over his court case. They noted that he “jumped bail and was declared wanted.”
“We have in our possession, a Court Order in Charge No. CR/791/2020, between FRN v. Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, before Hon. Justice Y. Halilu.
“On December 17, 2020, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe was admitted to bail, after he pleaded not guilty to the charges on December 16, 2020.
“He subsequently breached the bail terms and jumped bail,” the Committee wrote in its report.
Chief Sunny Udeh Okoye, former National Youth leader, led the five-man screening committee. Others were Committee Secretary, Eddy Izondu, Dr Angela Mba, Dr Innocent Nwankwo, and Alhaji Rukayat Ibrahim.
This time around, a screening panel drafted from Abuja headquarters disqualified Ozigbo for submitting interest and nomination forms late.
Two other party heavyweights, Chief Chuma Nzeribe and Dr Obinna Uzor, suffered similar fate at the screening.
The Committee rejected Nzeribe’s application for allegedly giving false information to it.
The Committee, headed by Chief Sunny Ude-Okoye, former national youth leader, however cleared six aspirants to participate in the primaries.
Among the lucky six are Chief Chris Uba as well as Senators Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife.
House of Representatives aspirants however fared better with the Committee.
The Commiittee members cleared all 49 aspirants that appeared before them to run.
Why Ozigbo lost
Although Ozigbo promised not to challenge his governorship loss, he apparently hoped to benefit from another case challenging Soludo’s win.
The Udeokoye Committee said in its report that “he (Ozigbo) told the committee that he was awaiting the Supreme Court Judgment in SC/CV/240/2022 and SC/CV/241/2022.”
He also hoped “that if Supreme Court annuls the election, he would become the governor.
“On that basis, he concluded that there would be no need to submit the senatorial form within the specified time.
“On April 27, 2022, the Supreme Court now upheld the contemplated litigation.
“Unfortunately, by the time he submitted the form, he was already out of time.’
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, clears 15 of its 17 presidential aspirants.
A panel headed by former Senate President David Mark however rejected two aspirants for not meeting the requirements.
He listed the requirements as party membership, nationality, qualifications, evidence of tax clearance, possesion of voters card and financial capacity.
Mark neither disclosed their identities nor volunteered which of the criteria knocked them out.
He however said they could contest their disqualification through the party’s appeal process.
Sen Mark
“Now don’t ask me those who have been cleared and those who have not been cleared because I won’t tell you.
“We haven’t released the result to them. So if you ask questions in that direction, you’re wasting time.
“We’re quite satisfied with the standard of the aspirants by and large. And we think that any one of them who gets the ticket would win the election in 2023.”
The party mopped up N646 million from the sale of forms to the 17 presidential aspirants.
Each of the 16 male aspirants paid N35million to purchase nomination forms and N5million for the expression of interest forms.
The lone female among them, Tariela Diana Oliver, however paid N5million for nomination and N1million for the interest form.
2023 PDP presidential aspirants
The 17 aspirants interviewed by the panel include
Aspirant
State
Bio
1. Atiku Abubakar
Adamawa
Former Vice President
2. Anyim Pius Anyim
Ebonyi
Former Senate President, Secretary to Federal Govt
3. Nwachukwu Anakwenze
Anambra
US-based medical doctor
4. Udom Emmanuel
Akwa Ibom
Current Governor of Akwa Ibom State
5. Ayodele Fayose
Ekiti
Former Governor of Ekiti State
6. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen
Borno
Investment banker
7. Chikwendu Kalu
Abia
Former Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly
8. Dele Momodu
Edo
Magazine Publisher
9. Bala Mohammed
Bauchi
Current Bauch State Governor and former Minister
10. Cosmos Ndukwe
Abia
former Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly
11. Peter Obi
Anambra
Former Governor of Anambra State
12. Sam Ohuabunwa
Imo
Pharmacist and business leader
13. Tareila Diana Oliver
Bayelsa
14. Olusola Saraki
Kwara
former Governor, former Senate President
15. Aminu Tambuwal
Sokoto
Current Sokoto State Governor
16. Charles Ugwu
Enugu
Lawyer and businessman
17. Nyesom Wike
Rivers
Current Governor of Rivers State & former Minister
Senator Ike Ekweremadu successfully undergoes screening by a PDP Governorship Panel and scores process high.
Southeast PDP governorship aspirants began appearing today in Enugu before the party’s national governorship screening panel.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, an aspirant for Enugu governorship position, appeared first before the panel.
PDP National Vice Chairman (South East), Chief Ali Odefa, received the former Deputy Senate President on arrival.
The Senator was accompanied to the venue by party fauthful, led by Director-General of his campaign, Hon. Charles Ogbo Asogwa.
Sen Ekweremadu explained to newsmen that the party is conducting screening for the entire South East aspirants from Enugu.
The panel will however exempt Anambra and Imo from the governorship screening excerise as no governorship elections are taking place in the two states next year.
The Senator’s Media Adviser, Uche Anichukwu, in a statement quoted his boss’s overall impression as follows:
“I met with the panel today in Enugu and was successfully screened.
It was quite smooth and the people were quite friendly and courteous. The system is perfect and we hope that the exercise will continue to be smooth as I met it.
“I am sure the National Assembly and State Assembly aspirants, who had their exercise yesterday probably had the same experience of a smooth process, which is exactly what we have been advocating.
“Let us have a transparent and smooth process.
“PDP has come a long way and should be able to have sufficient experience to manage this kind of process and I can see the experience coming to play.
“So, I want to thank the officials of the PDP in Enugu State and the South East for a job well done so far,” he stated.
Ekweremadu undergoes PDP governorship screening in Enugu
Analysts wonder how Nkanu East/West will monopolize both PDP governorship and the senate positions shared by entire Enugu East District.
Senator Chimaroke Nnamani complicates governorship quest for Nkanu East by purchasing forms to return to the Senate in 2023.
The former governor, undaunted, made a grand appearance before the Peoples Democratic Party’s screening committee today in Enugu.
The party screened a number of National Assembly aspirants today 27 April.
Dozens of supporters drummed, danced and sang as they accompanied him to the venue.
Party chair, Chief Augustine Nnamani (no relation), warmly welcomed him to the screening venue.
Making a grand entrance
How Nnamani complicates Nkanu Governorship Quest
The Governor’s planned return to the Senate complicates the quest for governorship for aspirants from Nkanu East and West.
Enugu District has three federal constituencies – Enugu North/South, Enugu East/Isi-Uzor, and Nkanu East/West.
The former Governor, from Nkanu West favours Mr. Peter Mbah (Nkanu East), his former Chief of Staff, to succeed Governor Ugwuanyi.
Similarly, majority of aspirants who bought forms to contest the governorship are also from Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency
Analysts however wonder how Nkanu East/West will monopolize both PDP governorship and the senate positions shared by Enugu East District.
A politician from Enugu East noted that two of the three constituencies in the Enugu East District have produced the governors and senators since 1999.
“In contrast, Enugu East/Isi-Uzo have not been allowed to nominate a governor or Senator since 1999.
“Clearly Enugu East/Isi-Uzor federal constituency are the whipping boys of Nkanu politics,” the embittered stakeholder told Enugu Metro.
“Our Senator tends to be selfish and inconsiderate. He governed Enugu for eight years and will serve in the Senate for 12 years or more.
“Enugu North/South Constituency produced Senators for 12 years, between brothers from same town, Chief Jim Nwobodo and Chief Ken Nnamani.
“If the former governor is sincere, he will yield the Senate position to either Enugu East or Isi-Uzor. Or support an aspirant from these two local governments to rule.
His position on zoning
The former governor made his position known on the zoning controversy through a statement he released and personally signed on 20 February.
He insisted that political leaders “must respect existing zoning formula” for the governorship seat in 2023.
This, he said, is in the interest of justice and fair play.
He also claimed that the zoning formula has been in place since 1999 and has ensured peace and harmony and given everyone a sense of belonging.
His successor, Gov. Sullivan Chime, however discredited the claim, saying that Enugu does not operate a formalized zoning arrangement.
Update & Correction
15:03 P.M. 28 April 2022. By Editor
The claims made by our source in respect of Enugu East/Isi-Uzor federal constituency is not accurate.
This is because Senator Gilbert Nnaji is from Enugu East/ Isiuzo Constituency and served in the Senate for eight years (2011 – 2019).
His younger brother, Rep. Cornelius Nnaji, also currently represents Enugu East/Isiuzo federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Mourners stunned as Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi spreads his arms and embraces Sen Ike Ekweremadu at a funeral yesterday.
The curious hug and outward show of affection took place yesterday at Ihe Town in Awgu LGA of Enugu State.
The embrace at Ihe
Both came to honour a popular traditional ruler, Igwe Goddy Ekoh, whose remains were interred yesterday.
Igwe Ekoh, a justice and peace ambassador chaired Awgu Local Government Area Traditional Rulers Council until his demise.
Both the Governor and the Senator stormed the event with their political allies and supporters.
The hitherto close friends and allies have become bitter political rivals based on the Senator’s bid to succeed the governor.
The Governor’s media people downplayed his attendance at Ihe while playing up attendance at another burial event.
On his own, Senator Ekweremadu this morning took to Facebook to eulogise the late popular traditional ruler.
Late Igwe Goddy N. Ekoh, Ezeudo III
“I was at Ihe, Awgu LGA, Enugu State, to pay my last respect to His Royal Grace, Igwe Goddy Nwanze Ekoh (JP).
“He was a preeminent traditional ruler, an ambassador for peace, epitome of humility, a strong believer in the grace of God, lover of the people, and a man of unimpeachable integrity.
“In fact, he represented everything good about royalty and who we are as a people.
“He was the Chairman the Awgu LGA Traditional Rulers Council and member, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council.
“May his soul rest in peace. Amen.”
Although he shared pictures of the hug, there were no comments associated with it.
The Governor, on the other hand, is yet to publicise his visit or share pictures of the event.
